“Dr. Quezada was wonderful,” said Melissa. “She was able to really connect with Alex and he felt the benefit of working with her. Not only did he enjoy his time with her, he saw the value of their work and how it was helping him.”
Alex is a smart, athletic, and social 13-year-old who has always been involved in school and sports, excelling at both. Throughout his life he tried many different sports including basketball and baseball before entering middle school. In sixth grade, he was introduced to cross-country and absolutely fell in love with it. Not only did he love the sport, but he also excelled at it. He continued to get better and better before reaching a plateau and with that came stress. Alex worried about his continued success and what he could do to get better. “He’s used to being good at everything,” explained his mother, Melissa. “This was the first time where it wasn’t naturally easy for him and he had to work for it. It caused Alex a lot of stress and he began putting pressure on himself.”
Once these stressors began, Alex started experiencing stomach problems. During his annual visit, Alex’s pediatrician recommended he start seeing Dr. Alexander Strzalkowski at Children’s Specialized Hospital (CSH), who they warmly call Dr. Alex. After their initial appointment, Dr. Alex recommended Alex start seeing a gastrointestinal (GI) psychologist at CSH because he believed a lot of his stomach problems were from his mind-body connection. “Once Alex started talking about it, he was able to make a real connection with what was causing his stomach problems. How it wasn’t all just in his head, that the way he was thinking about things and going into situations was having a negative effect on his body, physically,” noted Melissa.
Working with Dr. Tamara Quezada, a GI psychologist at Children’s Specialized Hospital, Alex began learning techniques to help manage his stress and stomach problems. For example, they worked on different breathing techniques and counting. “Practicing breathing techniques before bed was great for Alex because it calmed his entire nervous system and he was able to slow down and focus on the techniques Dr. Quezada taught him,” shared Melissa.
Alex also practiced how he imagined situations, imagining himself succeeding during cross-country helped him reposition his mind to create a positive outlook for whatever stressors he was experiencing. This in addition to utilizing positive self-talk, enabled Alex to flip the “what if I don’t…” narrative into “what if I do…” which really helped him.
“Dr. Quezada was wonderful,” said Melissa. “She was able to really connect with Alex and he felt the benefit of working with her. Not only did he enjoy his time with her, he saw the value of their work and how it was helping him.”
Dr. Quezada noted, “When the GI Psychology program began in August 2025, Alex was our very first patient to start and complete treatment. Alex never missed an appointment and consistently came to sessions motivated to learn. Alex’s positive attitude, commitment to treatment, and dedication to applying what he learned made him a pleasure to work with. He was receptive to building new skills, processing his experiences, and expanding his understanding of how to manage and reduce or eliminate symptoms of concern.”
Melissa recommends the gastrointestinal psychology program at CSH for any child experiencing similar struggles. Alex learned how to manage some of his stress which helped him find solutions to get him through his problems long-term – that he is driving, that he is owning, and that empower him. “It’s important to find somebody to lean on who knows what they are doing, how to do it, and can provide tools to support our children,” shared Melissa when asked if she had any advice to share with other parents. “More importantly, someone who can give children the tools they need to help themselves.”
The gastrointestinal (GI) psychology program at CSH addresses the gut brain connection and hypersensitivity between these systems. Through psychotherapy, the program helps individuals manage and improve symptoms related to GI conditions. The services are individualized based on the patients’ needs. The initial evaluation helps to understand the patient’s symptoms and goals, and to assess if the program meets their needs. Patients can expect an average of 15 45-minute weekly follow up sessions to address identified needs with collaboration with their GI provider for coordinated care.
To schedule an appointment, please call (888) 244-5373. Learn more about GI psychology program.