Naturopathic and nutritional care for IBS
Online nutrition and naturopathy consultations, Australia-wide
Most people arrive here after receiving an IBS diagnosis, and very little guidance. The tests were normal, someone said "try to manage your stress," but now you’re left with a label and no plan.
What IBS actually is
IBS is a disorder of gut–brain interaction: disrupted communication between the gut and the nervous system producing altered motility, heightened gut sensitivity, and changes in how those signals are processed. It's a functional problem, which is precisely why colonoscopies and blood tests, which look at structure, come back clear.
That's not a lesser diagnosis. It's a different kind of diagnosis, and it responds to a different kind of treatment.
Modern guidelines are also clear that IBS should be a positive diagnosis made on symptom criteria once red flags and coeliac disease are excluded, not an endless process of elimination. If you've been left in diagnostic limbo, that's worth knowing.
How I work with IBS
I won’t re-run tests your GP has already done correctly, or try to replace medical care. What I offer is the part that rarely fits into a standard appointment:
Time to take a full history. Symptom patterns, triggers, previous investigations, medications, stress and sleep, hormonal cycle, and what's already been tried. IBS is individual, your details determine the plan.
A structured dietary process. The low-FODMAP diet has the strongest dietary evidence in IBS, ranking first for global symptoms and for bloating in network meta-analyses. However, it's a short-term diet with a reintroduction phase, and unsupervised versions routinely become permanent restriction. It must be run correctly, so you end up with a clear list of your triggers and a wider diet than you started with.
Targeted, evidence-matched additions. Where a probiotic has a role, it's a specific strain chosen for your predominant symptom, trialled for a defined window. Efficacy of probiotics in research is strain-specific and outcome-specific, not general.
Nervous system support is taken seriously. Gut-directed psychological therapies are guideline-recommended for IBS. Where that's relevant I'll say so and help you access it as you cannot treat a gut–brain disorder while ignoring half the axis.
Working alongside your GP, not instead of them.
What working together looks like
Your initial consultation is a full investigation, followed by a written treatment plan matched to your IBS subtype and predominant symptoms. Follow-ups measure what's changed, and adjust the plan accordingly.
IBS typically runs a relapsing and remitting course, so the realistic goal isn't a cure: it's identifying your triggers, reducing symptom severity substantially, and giving you tools that keep working when life gets busy. I'll be honest about that at the outset.
Consultations are online via video call, Australia-wide. Current fees and what’s included are here.
If you’re not ready to book, start with the free 7-Day Digestive Pattern Tracker. It includes a Bristol Stool Chart guide so you can accurately track your bowel motions in only five minutes a day.
When to see your GP first
You should have coeliac serology done if you never have, and see your doctor before naturopathic care if you have: unintended weight loss, blood in your stool, symptoms waking you at night, fever, onset after age 50, or a family history of bowel cancer or inflammatory bowel disease. Faecal calprotectin is the standard test for distinguishing IBD from IBS where diarrhoea is a feature.
Common questions
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That's common, and usually one of three things: it wasn't followed accurately, it was never reintroduced so triggers were never identified, or FODMAPs genuinely aren't your main driver.
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Not necessarily. Guidelines don't recommend routine breath testing in IBS, and I only use stool testing when it will change the plan, not as a default.
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Yes. Naturopathic care works alongside conventional treatment, and I'll flag any interactions between prescribed medications and anything I recommend.