Hypnotherapy for Functional Neurological Disorder
Help for FND, from the inside out
First things first: FND is real
If you or your child has been diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder, there's a good chance you've had a long, exhausting road to get here. Maybe there were ER visits, scans that came back "normal," and at least one person who suggested it was all in your head.
It isn't. FND is a genuine, recognized condition. The symptoms aren't faked and they can't be switched off by willpower. Neurologists often describe it as a software problem rather than a hardware problem: the brain's structure is healthy, but the way it sends and receives signals has gotten stuck in unhelpful patterns.
And software, unlike hardware, can be retrained.
That's where I come in.
Can hypnosis really help with FND?
Hypnosis and FND have a long history together. Doctors have used hypnosis and suggestion to treat functional symptoms for more than a hundred years. Researchers have also noticed that the brain activity of FND symptoms and of hypnotically suggested symptoms look strikingly alike. If the brain can learn a pattern, it can learn a new one.
87% In a 2024 systematic review of 35 studies (including 5 randomized controlled trials), 87% of people with FND who received hypnosis or suggestion showed significant improvement. Many saw their symptoms resolve in the short term.
Connors et al., General Hospital Psychiatry, 2024
I want to be honest with you, because you've probably heard enough big promises. The researchers called these results promising, and they also said the studies vary a lot and more high-quality trials are needed. That's true of most FND treatments right now, not just hypnosis.
What I can tell you is that hypnosis is gentle, it's safe, and for many people it becomes the piece of the puzzle that helps everything else click.
How does hypnosis help?
Hypnosis is a relaxed, deeply focused state. You're awake, aware and in control the whole time. In that state, the unconscious mind becomes more open to new suggestions, which is exactly the part of you that runs automatic things like walking, speaking and moving without thinking about it.
Calming the alarm system - FND often flares with stress. Hypnosis teaches the nervous system to settle and spend less time on high alert.
Retraining automatic movement - We rehearse healthy movement and sensation in the mind, so the brain can rediscover the pathways it already knows.
Shifting attention -Symptoms often get louder when we watch them. Hypnosis helps redirect focus away from the symptom and back to living.
Tools you keep - You'll learn self-hypnosis techniques to use between sessions, and in the moments when a symptom starts to build.
Every person's FND is different, so every plan is different. Some clients want to work directly on a symptom. Others want to address the stress, fear or past experiences that seem to keep it going. Most of the time, it's a bit of both.
Who I work with
I work with teens and adults who have a confirmed FND diagnosis, including people living with:
Functional or dissociative seizures (sometimes called PNES or non-epileptic attacks)
Functional movement symptoms, like tremors, jerks, spasms or dystonia
Weakness, heaviness or difficulty walking
Numbness, tingling or other sensory changes
Speech, swallowing or vision changes
The fatigue, brain fog and anxiety that so often come along for the ride
For parents of teens with FND
If you're the parent reading this at midnight in another forum thread, I see you. Watching your child go through FND is its own kind of hard.
Teenagers are often wonderful hypnosis clients. They're imaginative, they pick up self-hypnosis quickly, and they can carry those skills with them for life. For clients under 18, a parent or guardian is part of the process from the very first call. We'll talk about your child's diagnosis, their current care team, and how hypnotherapy can fit around school, physical therapy and everything else on your plate.
Most of all, sessions are a place where your teen can feel believed, and where the focus is on what they can do, not just on what's going wrong.
What working together looks like
A free 15-minute call
We'll talk about your symptoms, your history and what you're hoping for. No pressure, and no commitment.
Your first session
Sixty minutes, online, from somewhere comfortable at home. We'll get to know how your mind likes to relax, and you'll leave with your first self-hypnosis tool.
Building momentum
FND is a long-term condition, so most clients do best with a series of sessions rather than a one-off. My Deep Transformation (5 sessions) and Radical Reinvention (8 sessions + 6-month follow-up) packages were designed for exactly this kind of persistent challenge.
Carrying it forward
The goal is for you to need me less over time. The skills you learn are yours to keep.
Because every session is online, it doesn't matter whether you're in Louisville, elsewhere in Kentucky or across the country. Many families find it easier than getting to an office, especially on a bad symptom day.
Can you guarantee results?
No, and you should be wary of anyone who does. FND is complex, recovery rarely follows a straight line, and there are good weeks and frustrating ones.
What I can promise is this: I'll take your symptoms seriously, I'll tailor every session to you, and I'll be straight with you about how things are going. If hypnosis isn't the right fit, I'll tell you.