Nerva is a 6-week, evidence-based digital program designed to help you manage gut symptoms by addressing the connection between your brain and your gut.
What is Nerva?
Nerva is a mobile app that delivers gut-directed hypnotherapy (GDH). Unlike general meditation, GDH is a specific clinical technique that uses focused relaxation and therapeutic suggestions to help “retrain” how your brain interprets signals from your digestive system.
How does it work?
Many gut issues are caused by a “miscommunication” in the gut-brain axis. Nerva targets the communication between the brain and the gut.
Click here to learn more about how gut-directed hypnotherapy works
The 6-week program structure
You can complete the program in just 15 minutes a day from the comfort of your home. Here’s what Nerva includes:
- Daily hypnotherapy sessions: Relaxing audio recordings (approx. 15 mins) led by clinical experts.
- Educational articles: Short daily reads that explain the science of the gut-brain axis.
- Active maintenance: After the initial 6 weeks, you move into a maintenance phase to keep your results long-term.
- Flare-up toolkit: Specialized tools and breathing exercises to use during moments of acute discomfort.
Is it effective?
Yes. Nerva is backed by clinical research and was co-founded by Dr. Simone Peters, a leading researcher from Monash University.
Studies have shown that gut-directed hypnotherapy is as effective as the Low FODMAP diet in managing irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms.
In clinical trials of the Nerva program, 81 percent of participants reported significant improvement in their symptom management within 6 weeks.
And because it’s a non-drug, non-dietary intervention, there are no physical side effects or nutritional risks.
Frequently asked questions
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It’s designed for those with IBS, functional dyspepsia, functional constipation or diarrhea, or “post-infectious” IBS.
There’s also evidence that gut-directed hypnotherapy is helpful for other GI conditions–like inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Talk to your Oshi gut-brain specialist about how to use Nerva for other GI conditions.
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A one-year subscription to the Nerva program costs $100 for Oshi patients. This is a 50 percent discount compared to the typical cost.
For individuals 65 and older, Nerva is available at no cost. -
Yes, there is a 7-day trial period before you are charged for the 1-year subscription
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It’s designed to be a daily program, but you don’t need to be perfect to benefit. Aim to use the app at least 5 days a week. Try to make recordings a daily habit, but don’t worry if you miss a day or two.
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There’s no ideal time of day to do gut-brain directed hypnotherapy. And you don’t have to do it at the same time every day. But establishing a schedule can help you stay consistent.
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It’s not a problem if you don’t feel perfectly relaxed. With practice, most people can relax and focus more over time. In the research, people with mind-wandering still benefited from the program.
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Try sitting in a straight-backed chair or switching to a different time of day.
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On average, it takes about 4 weeks to see noticeable improvements in GI symptoms, so it’s important to stick with it even if you don’t notice immediate results. Some people notice benefits to their sleep or anxiety before improvements to GI symptoms.
How to get started
- Your Oshi provider puts in a referral
- Nerva sends you an email with instructions on how to sign up with a 50% discount
- Start your 7-day trial to see if it is a good fit for you