COURSE · PART 4 · MODULE 16
Module 16 — Psychological Treatment Without Blame
This module separates why psychological care may be offered, how to choose a therapy, and how consent and trauma should be handled.
In this module
- Psychological treatment does not mean FND is imagined or caused by stress.
- A therapy should have an agreed target, reasonable fit and a way to review benefit or harm.
- Trauma is relevant for some people and not required for FND diagnosis or treatment.
Research differs by therapy, FND presentation and outcome. Group associations with adversity do not establish an individual’s cause or make trauma treatment compulsory. [1][2][3]
Pages
- Why Psychological Treatment Does Not Mean Imaginary — separate a therapy target from a claim about cause.
- Choose a Therapy and Set Goals — compare broad approaches and decide what useful change would look like.
- Consent, Trauma, and Recognizing Harm — protect choice, boundaries, medical care and safety.
Inside each page: Person with FND · Supporters · Clinicians · Research
Every page in this module uses these same four main sections.
Research and Sources
These sources support matched psychological care, honest evidence limits and trauma without a universal causal story. [1][2][3]
| Citation | Full citation |
|---|---|
| [1] | Gutkin M, McLean L, Brown R, Kanaan RA. Systematic review of psychotherapy for adults with functional neurological disorder. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry. 2021;92(1):36–44. FND-CIT-0077. https://doi.org/10.1136/jnnp-2019-321926 |
| [2] | British Psychological Society. Functional Neurological Disorder: Neuropsychological and Psychological Management in Children and Adults. Briefing paper. 2024. FND-CIT-0078. https://doi.org/10.53841/bpsrep.2024.rep181 |
| [3] | Ludwig L, Pasman JA, Nicholson T, et al. Stressful life events and maltreatment in conversion (functional neurological) disorder: systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control studies. The Lancet Psychiatry. 2018;5(4):307–320. FND-CIT-0079. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2215-0366(18)30051-8 |
This overview still needs review by people with varied therapy and trauma experiences, psychologists, neurologists and accessibility reviewers.
Plain-language draft and research package prepared: September 5, 2026 · Clinical review pending