Therapy for Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) in Alberta
Living with functional neurological disorder can be exhausting and confusing. Your symptoms are real, yet tests may come back "normal." Some people have been told, or made to feel, that it's all in their head. It isn't.
KP Psychological offers online psychological therapy for adults with FND across Alberta, including Edmonton and Calgary, as part of the wider care you may already be getting. Sessions are by secure video, for people who are physically in Alberta at the time of each session.
What FND is
FND is a problem with how the brain receives and sends information to the rest of the body. NHS inform uses a computer comparison: there's no damage to the hardware, the structure of the brain. It's the software, the program running on it, that isn't working properly.
The symptoms are genuine. FND Hope, an international patient organization, notes that FND can affect quality of life as much as other neurological conditions, and in some ways more. Functional symptoms are also common in neurology: FND Hope reports that about a third of outpatient neurology clinic visits involve them.
Symptoms of FND
FND can look different from person to person. Symptoms can include:
- functional seizures, also called dissociative seizures, which can look and feel like epilepsy or fainting
- weakness in an arm or leg
- tremor, spasms or unusual postures (dystonia)
- walking difficulties
- sensory symptoms, such as numbness or pins and needles
- cognitive symptoms, such as problems with memory or concentration
Fatigue and pain are often found alongside FND.
How FND is diagnosed
FND is diagnosed by a doctor, usually a neurologist. Diagnosis is based on your history and on "positive" signs found during an examination. It's not simply a label given when other tests are normal.
If you haven't been assessed by a doctor for your symptoms, that's the place to start. Psychological therapy works best alongside medical care, not instead of it.
What causes FND?
There isn't one cause. NHS inform explains that in some people, stressful events can be relevant to FND, and in others, stress is not relevant. FND Hope adds that psychological factors may be risk factors for some people, but they rarely explain FND fully, and they're absent in many people with FND.
So if you don't feel stressed or haven't been through trauma, that doesn't rule out FND. And if stress or trauma is part of your story, that doesn't mean your symptoms are imagined.
What the research says helps
Care from more than one angle. FND Hope recommends multidisciplinary treatment, especially specific physical therapy for movement symptoms, and psychotherapy. NHS inform lists physiotherapy, occupational therapy, psychological therapy and speech therapy among the treatments that can help.
CBT for functional seizures. The CODES trial (2020) was a large study of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) for adults with dissociative seizures. Adding CBT to standard medical care did not reduce seizure frequency at 12 months, which was the main measure. But people who had CBT did better on several other measures: seizures bothered them less, they had longer seizure-free periods, and their quality of life, daily functioning and distress improved.
EMDR. Research on EMDR for FND is limited. If trauma is part of your story, trauma-focused therapy may help with that part, as one piece of your care.
How we can help
We start by understanding where you are now, what you have been carrying, and what you want to feel different. Then we plan together, alongside your medical team.
Therapy may include:
- making sense of FND, so your symptoms feel less frightening and unpredictable
- noticing patterns and early warning signs, such as what tends to come before a seizure or symptom flare
- attention and body-based strategies that can help interrupt symptoms
- calming your nervous system through breathing and grounding
- working with stress, trauma or dissociation, if they're part of your experience, at a pace that feels safe
- coping with the impact of FND on work, relationships and your sense of self
With your consent, we can communicate with your doctor or care team so everyone is working together.
In this video, Kyle guides you through a short exercise to help calm your nervous system.
Who you'd see
You'd work with Kyle Poon, R.Psych. Functional neurological disorder is one of the areas he works with, along with dissociation, trauma and PTSD. Kyle currently has a waitlist, and the free consult is a good time to talk about timing.
What therapy looks like here
Sessions are 50 minutes, by secure video, so you don't have to travel. How often we meet is up to you. We work it out together, based on what fits you best, including your finances and your coverage.
For your safety, we confirm your location and an emergency contact at the start of each session, and we'll make a plan together for what to do if you have a seizure or symptom flare during a session.
A session with Kyle is $250. Alberta Health Care doesn't cover psychologists, but many extended health plans do, and we can bill most insurance companies directly. See fees and insurance for details.
Common questions
Does seeing a psychologist mean my symptoms are "psychological"?
No. FND is a problem with how the nervous system functions, and the symptoms are real. Psychological therapy is one of the treatments that can help, alongside physiotherapy and medical care, whatever the causes are for you.
Do I need an FND diagnosis to start?
It helps. FND is diagnosed by a doctor, usually a neurologist. If you haven't been assessed yet, talk to your doctor first. If you have questions about whether therapy fits, ask us at your free consult.
Can online therapy help with functional seizures?
Online therapy can help you understand your seizures, notice warning signs and build strategies. We plan for safety together, including what to do if a seizure happens during a session.
Will therapy cure FND?
We can't promise a cure. In the CODES trial, people who had CBT reported better quality of life and daily functioning, even though their seizure frequency didn't differ. We'll set goals together and review progress as we go.
Do you bill insurance directly?
We can bill most insurance companies directly, so you only pay the part your plan doesn't cover. Tell us your plan at your free consult, and we'll confirm before your first session.
Book a free 15-minute consultation
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