Alexandra Fuss, PhD, is a clinical health psychologist who specializes in gastrointestinal (GI) psychology, focusing on patients coping with disorders of the gut-brain interaction (i.e., GI conditions impacted by communication between the brain and the enteric nervous system in the gut) and chronic digestive health diseases such as ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease.
Dr. Fuss takes a “solutions-focused” approach, drawing from the principles of cognitive-behavioral—and acceptance and commitment—therapies, as well as the use of clinical hypnotherapy, defined as hypnosis as a therapeutic technique, which she says is evidenced-based and highly effective.
Working from a collaborative perspective, Dr. Fuss says treatment can focus on improving quality of life, decreasing the frequency and intensity of medical symptoms, establishing healthy stress management tools, and improving coping skills.
“When I was young, I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, and while I had an incredible team of doctors, at the time there were very few options in terms of mental health-related support,” Dr. Fuss says. Now she draws upon her own insights from that experience, in addition to her clinical training, to help foster well-being in patients who are coping with a wide variety of GI conditions.
The rewards of this work are “truly countless,” she says. “It’s a privilege to work alongside patients as they transition from surviving with a condition to truly thriving. I’ve seen therapy have a profound impact—not just on their emotional well-being but also on their physical well-being.” It’s also highly rewarding any time my patients and I can laugh together as we discuss bodily functions, and let go of any feelings of shame or embarrassment they might have had, she adds.
An assistant professor of psychiatry at Yale School of Medicine, Dr. Fuss has research interests in the delivery of GI behavioral health treatment to individuals with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and disorders of the gut-brain interaction, factors that increase patient resiliency, illness identity, and trauma symptoms among IBD patients.
