What’s Your Gut Saying? The Gut-Brain Connection in Mental Health

When it comes to mental health, have you ever considered how your gut might be part of the story?

When you're not feeling your best—bloated, tense, foggy, or just off—it’s easy to wonder if something’s wrong with you. But what if your body is actually trying to tell you something? As a dance therapist offering Christian counseling in Chicago, I often help clients explore how body cues—including digestive symptoms—and emotions can be more connected than we realize.

We often say things like “I had a gut feeling” or “I felt it in my gut” when talking about intuition or inner knowing. These aren’t just figures of speech—they reflect the real, ongoing dialogue between our minds and bodies.

Connecting Gut Health, Emotions, and Faith for Whole-Person Wellness

Through Christian counseling and dance therapy, I help clients tune in to that conversation. I believe our bodies were beautifully designed by God to reflect what we hold emotionally, physically, and spiritually. When we take the time to slow down and notice those signals, we open the door to deeper understanding and more compassionate care for ourselves and others.

A Holistic Look at Mental Health with Elyce Shapiro, Nutritionist in Chicago 

That’s why I’m so excited to introduce my colleague, Elyce Shapiro, a Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist in Chicago who brings a thoughtful and shame-free approach to gut health and its connection to mental well-being. Elyce is passionate about helping her clients break free from the frustrating cycle between stress, trauma, and digestive issues with warmth, clarity, and deep compassion.

Let’s dive into our conversation!

Q & A with Elyce Shapiro, Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist in Chicago.

• Please share more about yourself and your work with us.

Hi, I’m Elyce! I’m a Licensed Dietitian Nutritionist, Board-Certified Nutrition Specialist with a virtual private practice in Chicago.  My practice focus is gut health and its connection to mental health, I work with folks who have digestive issues and also have anxiety, chronic stress, or a history of trauma/PTSD who feel their mental health exacerbates their digestive issues and vice versa.  I address both (within my scope of practice) to help break that cycle.   (You don’t have to have the mental health piece to work with me, I work with folks who just have digestive issues - I just find those two tend to go hand-in-hand.)

If I’m being candid, focusing on digestive issues means I study and talk about poop a ton, along with other “embarrassing” topics such as gas, bloating, and indigestion.  …Except for me, these are totally normal (not embarrassing) and really informative topics; part of my role is normalizing conversations around these typically “taboo” topics - digestive issues and mental health.  I help my clients remove the shame in talking about both and create a welcoming and supportive, safe space to help explore their own potential root causes of their issues.

I do all this through a non-diet, Health-at-Every-Size® approach, which means I have a weight-inclusive practice where I don’t use restrictive diets, food moralization, or calorie counting in my client work.  I have an “all-foods-fit” mentality and help people improve their relationship with food and their bodies.  No diet culture perpetuation here!

• How did you choose to work as a Nutritionist in Chicago? 

I think like a number of people who get into the integrative health industry, it’s motivated by my own personal health experiences/history and wanting to help others, so they don’t go through what I did.  I have a history of trauma/PTSD and digestive issues which I learned were perpetuating each other and after getting in a better place with both, I was inspired to go back to grad school and get my master’s in nutrition, so I could help people like me.  (Fun fact: I used to be a pastry chef in my 20’s, so making people happy with food has been a constant through-line throughout my life!)

• Why did you decide to practice as a Nutritionist in Chicago? 

I’m from the suburbs of Chicago and have been living in the city for over 20 years at this point, so this has always been “home base” for me.  I started my practice during COVID, so virtual was of course the best option, plus it allowed me to work with clients in other locations/states.  That said, being in Lincoln Park and having many clients within a 10–30-minute range of me, I’m considering getting some office space in 2026 so I can offer in-person services (in addition to virtual).

• What kind of nutrition services do you provide, and to what ages? 

I offer 1:1 personalized nutrition services to adults.  Initial consults are 90 minutes and follow-ups are 45-minutes, typically meeting every 3-4 weeks.  My clients expect to work with me anywhere from 4-12 months – nutrition effects take time, which is also why we don’t need to meet as often – unless someone wants to meet more frequently, which I of course support.

I also create educational webinars and trainings for both the general public and other health professionals, to help shed some light on the intersection of gut health and mental health…it’s a space I’m deeply passionate about and love that others are interested too! 

Lastly, I work to dispel a whole bunch of “nutrition noise” out in the ether via my monthly newsletter.  With social media these days, there’s so much misinformation and disinformation, so I have a newsletter where I debunk topics frequently – mostly based on what I’m hearing from clients, friends, and family about things they saw online.  (I nerd out on this!)

• What is your favorite kind of specialized training, and how does it impact your work with clients? 

I love any training that delves further into the gut microbiome and/or mental health from a nutrition lens.  I’m a “forever learner,” so I will always find new courses or Continuing Education to take in these spaces, to stay on top of what the research shows since nutrition research and microbiome research, in particular, are both constantly evolving.  The more up-to-date I am on the research, the better I can be for my clients!

• How do your nutrition services help people strengthen their relationships? 

So much of our daily life revolves around food – the majority of our socialization happens around food.  So when you have digestive issues, they tend to bleed into every area of your life, which is partly how some of the mental health issues arise – fears/anxiety around socialization, for example.  When you have fears around socialization, it can impact your relationships; I see most of my clients turn down dinners with friends, birthday celebrations, or work dinners out of fear of having to run to the bathroom or wondering if any of their “safe foods” will be there.  By healing someone’s gut, you return the freedom to re-engage in the socialization that happens around food, without those fears, allowing more space to focus on building/maintaining relationships however they want/choose.

• What do you love about working with your clients and their nutrition support?

I love simply building genuine relationships with them and doing whatever I can from my nutrition lens to try and make a positive impact/shift in their lives.  I love sharing in their joys/steps forward and also being there to support them and validate their setbacks…since, as we know, healing is rarely a linear path.  When I off-board a client, it’s bittersweet because I’m sad to see them go, but so happy they’re in a place where they don’t need my support anymore.  I also love learning from my clients – I learn so much from them! It’s humbling to be of service to others, and I never take that for granted.

• In your experience, what are some important considerations when working with folks and their nutrition needs? 

Nutrition effects take time, and I work from a “slow-and-steady-wins-the-race” approach, which means we’re taking small shifts and building on them for more sustainable, long-term behaviors, which doesn’t necessarily translate to someone feeling better within the first week or two of our work together.  I tell most of my clients (who tend to be at chronic stages of their conditions) that it took “x” years/months for them to get there, so it may take a bit to get the body back in balance – it's not going to happen overnight.
Also, nutrition is one part of the larger equation….there’s a lot we can do with food, herbs, movement, and stress management…but it’s not always everything, so I’ll frequently refer my clients to other practitioners that I think may play an important role in their health journey – gotta address the whole person☺. 

• What would you say to someone hesitant about seeking your nutrition services?  

I completely get it!  Especially when it comes to things like digestive issues, I get the hesitancy.  I offer free 15-minute discovery sessions for this very reason; we can hop on a zoom together and I can answer any questions and talk through what the process would look like.  I also completely understand if I meet with someone and they don’t feel a strong connection or that I’m a good fit.  People are different and have different styles – I want people to feel comfortable with whoever they’re working with, which may or may not be me, and that’s ok.  If it doesn’t feel like a fit, I don’t take it personally and I’m always happy to make a referral to someone else who may be better suited for them. 

And if the hesitancy of meeting with a nutritionist is around not wanting to engage in food eliminations or strict diets…or have someone tell them they “have to eat organic” – then they’re likely in the right place with me.  As a non-diet, Health-at-Every-Size® practitioner, I don’t use food restrictions (unless medically necessary, such as with food allergies or Celiac Disease), I don’t moralize food choices (no demonization of sugar or processed foods here)…and I don’t tell people there’s any one right way to eat.  I listen to my clients, learn what they like to eat, and build from that; all foods fit in my practice.  I take an additive approach and find out what’s reasonable and achievable for them, and we build on that together.    

• What do you wish people knew about nutrition services with you?  

I wish people knew that working with a nutritionist doesn’t have to come with shame, restriction or judgement.  I like to help empower people with supporting foods/habits they enjoy and building from that, not taking anything away.  I embrace a relaxed vibe with my clients and know that life is hard, we’re all doing the best we can, so I lean into whatever that looks like for them and honoring and respecting that.   

• How can people contact you to learn more about your nutrition services in Chicago? 

I love hearing from people, and I love questions!  People can reach me at: elyce@balancedguthealth.com, and can check out my website for more information about working with me and my services (including pricing), click here!  

Final Thoughts from a Dance Therapist Offering Christian Counseling in Chicago

Digestive issues can be frustrating, isolating, and hard to talk about–especially when it feels like no one is connecting the dots between your symptoms and your emotional world. As Elyce so wisely reminds us, our gut and brain are always in conversation. And when we slow down and listen, we can begin to hear what our bodies have been trying to say all along–with greater clarity, gentleness, and understanding.

Whether you're navigating stress-related flare-ups, feeling disconnected from your body, or simply trying to make sense of how emotions show up physically, support is available.

If you’re curious about how nutrition support might play a role in your healing, or if you have questions about the connection between gut health and emotional well-being, I encourage you to reach out to Elyce. She brings a compassionate, integrative lens to her work and would be happy to support you.

Book a Free Consultation for Christian Counseling in Chicago

If you are feeling disconnected or unsure how to care for both your emotional and physical well-being, you don’t have to figure it out alone. If you're sensing that God might be inviting you into deeper healing through your body and emotions, I’d be honored to walk with you.

Schedule your free 15-minute consultation for Christian counseling in Chicago today and take the first step toward feeling more grounded, connected, and whole. 

Lisaura is a relationship therapist in Chicago who through individual counseling and dance therapy, helps adults connect with themselves and others more fully.  

Spanish-speaking therapy is available.