Dr Sally Harris

Sally is a HCPC registered Clinical Psychologist and Health Psychologist specialising in paediatrics. Sally has worked with children with chronic health conditions since 2002, and currently works in both the NHS and private practice.

Sally has worked with Dr Hii to support children with gut-related issues and their families since 2019. She uses a wide range of therapeutic approaches including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-Based approaches, Solution-Focussed therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and uses a creative play-based approach for the youngest children. Sally can work systemically with the whole family to explore broader impacts and parenting approaches, and can support liaison with schools.

Sally started her career as a research psychologist at the University of Sheffield and completed a PhD in psychological aspects of childhood cancer in 2008. Sally then completed the Clinical Psychology Doctorate (ClinPsyD) training programme at the University of Manchester in 2013 and worked as a Clinical Psychologist at Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital before starting her current post at Royal Alexandra Children’s Hospital in Brighton in 2015. Alongside her clinical work, Sally is actively involved in research to develop and test well-being interventions for children with chronic conditions.

The Brain–Gut Axis: supporting children with gastrointestinal issues (GI).

Understanding the Brain-Gut axis, and how this relates to our well-being, is an important step in supporting young people with gastrointestinal issues (GI). Many people aren’t aware that the brain and gut are in constant communication. This connection—called the brain–gut axis—links the parts of the brain associated with thoughts and emotions with the nerves and muscles of the digestive system.

The gut has its own network of millions of nerve cells (called the “enteric nervous system”), which sends messages back and forth with the brain via the immune system, the vagus nerve, and chemical messengers (neurotransmitters), including serotonin.

Communication between the brain and gut is bi-directional. As such, stress, worry, or excitement can directly affect how the stomach and intestines work (i.e. the movement and contractions of the GI tract), and tummy pain or discomfort can influence mood and behaviour. This is why anxiety can feel like 'butterflies' in our stomach and why stress can trigger digestive issues.

For children, this two-way link can be especially powerful because their nervous systems are still developing, and they may not yet have words or coping skills to explain how they feel. As a result, children with GI, such as chronic abdominal pain, constipation, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), or functional GI symptoms, may experience increased anxiety, sleep disturbance, or avoidance of school and activities, alongside physical pain from their symptoms. Over time, these difficulties can reduce quality of life for both the child and their family and lead to low mood.

A psychological assessment helps identify how emotional factors, stress, and coping patterns may be influencing a child’s symptoms. Understanding the child’s unique triggers and responses allows for a more holistic care plan that treats both the body and the mind. By addressing both emotional wellbeing and physical symptoms, psychological input can help children regain confidence in their bodies, return to everyday activities, and improve their overall quality of life. The brain and gut work together and so should our approach to caring for young people with GI problems.