Integrated psychological care for disorders of gut–brain interaction.
The complete EF Health hub — referral, intake, programme, resources, workbooks and eLearning in one calm place. A psychologically informed gut–brain programme delivered in partnership with the MacMurray Centre, working alongside your medical care.
EF Health works alongside your medical care and is not a crisis service. In an emergency, call 111 (NZ). Referred by a clinician? Your intake takes about 10 minutes. New here and not yet referred? Ask your GP or gastroenterologist for a referral, or explore the EF Health Self-Paced Programme below.
One clear path, start to review.
From first referral to final review, every stage is deliberate — so patients always know where they are and what happens next.
Ready to begin?
Already referred? Complete your intake. Not yet referred? Make an enquiry, or ask your GP or gastroenterologist to refer you. Not sure yet? The Capacity Check helps orient you first.
One stepped-care system. Five responsive pathways.
Everyone begins with EF Health Foundations, then continues on the pathway confirmed for them — all on the same Executive Frame™ sequence: Centre, Clarify, Choose. Together the pathways form one stepped-care system; final pathway allocation follows review and clinical acceptance.
EF Health Foundations
The entry point for most participants — delivered as Gut Sense, a half-day gut–brain foundations workshop, or a self-paced orientation. Make sense of why symptoms persist and get your footing back.
See the programme →EF Health Group Programme
Following Foundations, a four-session facilitated programme — Centre, Clarify, Choose, and Re-engage and Sustain — that builds collective regulation, reduces isolation and creates peer accountability.
Explore the programme →EF Health Self-Paced Programme
Short digital modules, reflection prompts and downloadable tools — between-session reinforcement or a standalone, lower-support pathway. An educational resource, not clinical care; it doesn't create a psychologist–client relationship.
View self-paced learning →EF Health Individual Pathway
One-to-one clinical sessions for complex presentations, significant comorbidities, or where group pathways aren't appropriate — drawing on CBT, ACT, CFT, gut-directed hypnotherapy and motivational interviewing.
Start with an intake →EF Health Integrated Support
A clinician-led pathway for patients whose needs require coordinated psychological care alongside medical, dietetic or other relevant services — combining elements of the Foundations, Group, Self-Paced and Individual pathways according to clinical need.
How shared care works →Take the Capacity Check
A short, private self-assessment that helps orient you to the right level of support — educational, not a diagnosis, and your pathway is always confirmed by a clinician. Clinicians: see information for referrers.
Six things you can use right now.
No account, no purchase. Download, print, or share these with patients and whānau.
Information sheets
Plain-language explainers on DGBI, hypervigilance, regulation and food anxiety.
Browse sheets →Take the Capacity Check
A short, private self-assessment to orient you to the right support.
Take the Capacity Check →Prefer to learn first?
Start with the free resources, or work through the whole programme at your own pace.
Foundations, then four sessions.
EF Health begins with Foundations — Gut Sense, a half-day gut–brain workshop (or a self-paced orientation) — followed, where appropriate, by the four-session EF Health Group Programme. Core psychoeducation is delivered in Foundations and reinforced throughout. Exact scheduling is confirmed with you.
What a DGBI is, why symptoms persist, and first tools to steady the nervous system — the half-day workshop or a self-paced orientation.
Settle the nervous system that drives symptoms — building a reliable, personal calming practice.
The gut–brain axis explained without alarm; working with hypervigilance and flares.
Easing food-related anxiety and choosing values-based action at a sustainable pace.
Re-engaging with what matters, relapse-prevention, and a personal plan for the long term.
Referring a patient?
Send a secure clinician referral, or share these resources directly as part of their care.
Care built on evidence and attunement.
Sarah works at the meeting point of gastroenterology and psychology, where symptoms are real and the nervous system is part of the picture. Her approach is calm, structured and evidence-based — never implying symptoms are imagined.
The Executive Frame™ — Centre, Clarify, Choose — gives EF Health its architecture, drawing on emotional intelligence, executive functioning and self-determination theory alongside current gut–brain science.
Care is delivered in-person and by telehealth, and always alongside a patient's medical team. With consent, Sarah collaborates closely with referrers and shares brief, practical updates so DGBI care stays genuinely integrated.
Frequently asked questions.
Can I refer myself?
EF Health is a referred service, delivered in partnership with the MacMurray Centre. For clinical care we ask your GP or gastroenterologist to refer you — and we're happy to guide you on how to ask. Self-initiated contact is managed as an enquiry; completing an enquiry or intake does not by itself confirm acceptance into clinical care — entry into clinical pathways follows review and clinical acceptance by EF Health. You can also access our self-paced educational resources at any time, or take the Capacity Check to get oriented.
What happens after I start an intake?
Your intake is reviewed by a psychologist, who considers your history and goals and confirms the right pathway — EF Health Foundations, the Group Programme, the Self-Paced Programme, or an Individual Pathway. You'll know your next step quickly.
What does it cost?
Fees depend on the pathway and are confirmed at intake, along with any funding or insurance options that may apply.
Do you offer telehealth?
Yes. Sessions are available in-person and by secure telehealth across New Zealand, so you can take part from wherever you are — including if you live outside the main centres.
Is what I share confidential?
Your sessions are confidential. With your consent, we share brief, practical updates with your referrer or medical team so your care stays coordinated. We'll always be clear about what is shared and why.
How is this different from seeing any psychologist?
EF Health is built specifically for disorders of gut–brain interaction. It combines gut–brain science with the Executive Frame™ and evidence-based therapies (CBT, ACT, CFT, gut-directed hypnotherapy), and it's delivered as part of integrated medical care.