When most people hear "hypnosis," they picture cruise ship entertainment or someone clucking like a chicken on stage. But clinical hypnosis is a completely different story – and one that's backed by some pretty impressive research, especially for people dealing with gut-brain disorders.

I recently sat down with Dr. Antonia Repollet, a licensed clinical psychologist who specializes in exactly this intersection of mental health and chronic medical conditions. She works at GI Psychology, a virtual practice where the entire team focuses on gut-brain disorders like IBS, functional nausea, and IBD. And here's what’s really awesome to note: clinical hypnosis has about 70-80% efficacy for IBS patients, with benefits that can last for years after treatment ends.

Let me say that again – years after treatment ends.