“Thoughts Are Not Facts” – The Mind & IBD with Sick Kids Psychologist, Dr. Ahola Kohut

Dr. Ahola Kohut is a Clinical Health Psychologist at Sick Kids, who works specifically with children with IBD. She splits her time between research and clinical work. In this episode she shares valuable information regarding mental health and IBD. We discuss how our minds are wired to survive and socialize and this sometimes relates to negative feelings. Dr. Ahola Kohut offers advice and strategies for not only individuals with IBD but our caregivers as well. She shares her approaches of mindfulness and acceptance with the kids, teens, and families she works with and how these approaches can help individuals in their everyday life regardless of age or diagnosis. We discuss the stigmas associated with IBD and what could be some of the challenges, like the need to be “perfect”. We discuss the importance and need to adapt care and resources online to meet the social needs for youth experiencing IBD.

Check out the following resources that Dr. Ahola Kohut has helped develop content for: https://tinyurl.com/t6xan2o, https://tinyurl.com/wzqfw9q, https://teens.aboutkidshealth.ca/mentalhealth?topic=mentalhealthAZ