Clinical Conversations with Chantel Yates: Simplifying Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders with Microbiome Insights

Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (FGIDs), including Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), are common, complex, and often chronic—posing significant challenges for both patients and clinicians. As our understanding of the gut microbiome evolves, so too does our capacity to work more precisely and compassionately with these conditions. Unravelling the complexities to develop a patient management plan is paramount to restore microbiome health.

Join us for our next Clinical Conversations webinar, Simplifying Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders with Microbiome Insights. In this webinar, Naturopath Chantel Yates will share learnings from nearly two decades in practice, helping clinicians better understand the role of microbiome testing in FGIDs. She’ll cover the diagnostic framework of FGIDs, including the Rome IV criteria, and unpack some of the limitations that can lead to misdiagnosis.

Chantel will show you how to simplify microbiome findings to achieve optimal patient outcomes in functional gastrointestinal disorders. She will identify key patterns of microbial imbalance seen in patients with IBS and visceral hypersensitivity. This includes changes in methanogens, butyrate producers, pathobionts, oral species, and digestive markers—backed by real-world examples using MetaXplore microbiome data.

Chantel will guide attendees through two case studies highlighting clinical application, therapeutic outcomes, and the patient experience. She’ll also discuss how to support individuals who have been stuck in restrictive dietary cycles—offering practical strategies for reintroducing foods and nourishing both the microbiome and the individual.

This session is designed for clinicians who want to strengthen their clinical confidence in managing FGIDs and deepen their understanding of the microbiome to deliver more effective care to patients navigating long-term gut health challenges.

By the end of this session, participants will be able to:

- Describe the defining features of FGIDs and current diagnostic criteria, including the Rome IV framework.
- Identify common microbiome patterns associated with IBS and visceral hypersensitivity, including relevant
MetaXplore markers.
- Evaluate evidence-informed microbiome restoration strategies using herbal, nutritional and naturopathic
interventions.
- Apply clinical approaches to transitioning patients off long-term restrictive diets with safety and care.
- Integrate microbiome testing into patient-centred care to improve symptom resolution and treatment
satisfaction in FGIDs.

Cost: Free


About the speaker:
Chantel Yates, Naturopath

Chantel Yates (she/her) is a degree-qualified Naturopath, Herbalist and Nutritionist with over 18 years of clinical experience. Her practice is rooted in evidence-informed natural medicine and centres around gut health, microbiome restoration, and the many ways our digestive function influences overall wellbeing.

Chantel works with patients experiencing a wide range of gut and gut-related conditions including IBS, SIBO, dysbiosis, chronic constipation and diarrhoea, post-infectious gut changes, microbial imbalances, food intolerances and related skin, auto-immune and CFS presentations. She has a particular interest in helping people who’ve been on long-term restrictive diets to safely expand their food choices and rebuild a thriving gut ecosystem.

Clinically, Chantel combines microbiome and pathology testing with herbal medicine, nutritional interventions, food-as-medicine and lifestyle strategies to support healing. Her approach is collaborative, compassionate and deeply person-centred—tailoring care plans to each individual’s unique story, physiology and wellness goals.

In addition to her clinical work, Chantel offers mentoring for clinicians —both one-on-one and through her group mentoring program. She supports practitioners with complex cases, microbiome test interpretation, and treatment planning—helping to build confidence and clarity in the fast-evolving microbiome space.

Chantel holds an Advanced Diploma in Naturopathy and Western Herbal Medicine, a Bachelor of Medicines Management with Professional Honours in Complementary Medicine from UTAS, and a Graduate Certificate in Evidence-Based Complementary Medicine. She lives in beautiful Tasmania with her husband, children and dog, and loves gardening, bushwalking and ocean swims.

*This webinar is for qualified health professionals in Australia and New Zealand only.