A Clinician’s Guide to Functional Neurological Disorder

Book excerpt: This manual for clinicians presents a ground-breaking, accessible and unifying new model for understanding functional neurological disorder (FND) that bridges the gap between theoretical FND-specific models and the more practical, but non-FND-specific Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) models. Grounded in psychology, the Pressure Cooker Model provides a clear metaphor for FND, focusing on intra-individual and inter-individual cognitive, emotional and behavioural processes. Developed based on years of clinical experience in the field, it is applicable to the assessment and treatment of every type of FND. Viewed as a systemic condition with unique psychosocial features, the book will describe the rationale for radically transforming FND recovery by providing a treatment model that aims to resolve emotion dysregulation processes and repair relationships between the person and the system. It uses a unifying framework to guide the steps of intervention and can be adapted for work in a multidisciplinary team context to facilitate communication between disciplines. Enriched with case studies and research data, the book also highlights a plethora of clinical tools and strategies based on the Pressure Cooker Model, as well as contextualising its position alongside CBT models. This manual is instrumental in educating and treating people with FND. It offers essential guidance for neuropsychologists, neuropsychiatrists and other health professionals, as well as students in these fields.