Psychological processes have an important role in functional bowel disorder (FBD), with a high incidence of psychological distress experienced by this patient group. One way of conceptualising illness, particularly chronic conditions such as FBD, is within a biopsychosocial framework, where the interaction between biological, behavioural and cognitive processes and the social and physical environment define the illness experience. Therefore, in addition to medical treatment, patients with FBD and concomitant psychological difficulties should be offered psychological intervention. This article describes several psychological approaches and discusses how these might be delivered in practice.