Barbara Bradley Bolen, Ph.D.

Dr. Bolen is a practicing clinical psychologist who has written two self-help books on irritable bowel syndrome.

Dr. Bolen has over 20 years of experience in providing psychological services to individuals of all ages and has worked in both hospital and private practice settings. In addition to working with IBS patients, Dr. Bolen has expertise in helping patients with depression, anxiety, bereavement, trauma recovery, and coping with chronic illness. She maintains a private practice in Farmingdale, New York.

In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Bolen devotes her time toward writing about IBS, in particular the crucial importance of helping patients find strategies for reducing the impact of the disorder on their life. She is the author of Breaking the Bonds of Irritable Bowel Syndrome and the co-author of IBS Chat: Real Life Stories and Solutions.

Dr. Bolen received her undergraduate degree from St. John's University in Jamaica, New York, and her masters and doctoral degree in School and Clinical Psychology from Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York. She is licensed as a psychologist in the state of New York.

In my work with psychotherapy clients, I was taken by the fact that so many of them reported suffering from IBS. This was a disorder that I had never even heard of in my professional training! In response to their distress, I began to research the subject. I was pleased to find that the type of therapy that I practice, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), had been shown to be effective in reducing IBS symptoms. But I was astonished by the fact that there was no available self-help book offering a CBT approach to symptom management. This profound gap prompted me to write my first book. Since that time, I have found my work with IBS patients to be particularly gratifying as I watch patients learn how to better handle their digestive system and regain a sense of control over their lives. I remain committed to educating people about this extremely disruptive disorder.