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Welcome to Episode 24. I have the pleasure of speaking with Michael Romeo, Clinical Psychologist, about Functional Neurological Disorder (FND).

Michael has been practicing as a Clinical Psychologist for over 20 years. He began his career as an Adolescent Psychologist. He worked in Bali treating ex-patriates experiencing PTSD following the Bali Bombing in 2002. He has worked as an educator and supervisor for most of his career. Michael lectured at Macquarie University for over ten years and was the International Student Counsellor at The University of Newcastle Counselling Service. Most of his career has focused on treating suicidal behaviours and complex trauma with EMDR, Schema Therapy, DBT and other strengths-based approaches. He currently works in private practice, where his primary clinical interest is treating Functional Neurological Disorders.

This is such a rich discussion as not only is Michael an expert on FND but has lived experience. Listen in for a wealth of information pertinent to both the practitioner and the individual who may be experiencing unexplainable neurological symptoms.

Some of the key points covered include:

• What is FND?
• Disconnection between the brain's hardware and the brain's software
• Neurological symptoms- brain stress response
• Why getting an accurate diagnosis is so important
• The diagnosis acceptance process
• Importance of engaging with therapy to reduce negative neuroplasticity
• Need for a team approach for FND- OT, PT, Yoga, Psychology, .......
• Energy Systems Hypothesis for Functional Seizures
• Stress Model and FND
• Children and Adolescents and FND
• Michael's personal journey with FND
• Virtual Reality for FND
• FND Resources
• Managing the boom and bust of FND
• Role of distraction in recovery
• Dispelling negative expectations and recovery
• SSP for FND- Michael's experience with the SSP- improved mood, energy, less brain fog, and a sense of calm.

Resources we spoke about include:

https://www.neurosymptoms.org/en/
https://fndhope.org/
https://fndaus.org.au/

SSP and FND Paper in Harvard Review of Psychiatry tells the story of MT, a 10-year-old girl with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) (Rajabalee, et al. 2022).
Neuromodulation Using Computer-Altered Music to Treat a Ten-Year-Old Child Unresponsive to Standard Interventions for Functional Neurological Disorder