CURRENT WAIT TIME: ~1 MONTH
If you have been told something different, please call: 720-445-5345
**Please note: as of 3/13/2020, all group visits are now conducted via telehealth. Individual appointments use MyHealthConnection, and groups use Zoom to conduct telehealth appointments**
NES Clinic Flow
Were you referred to the FND Clinic?
Please hover over the box that describes your referral status.
I was referred to the clinic
Welcome!
Rest assured, you are in good hands. You have reached a diagnosis, which is often a very challenging and confusing process. You will be entering a supportive and accepting community with a focus on your treatment, your health, and improving your quality of life.
Our team of dedicated providers will work with you to determine the treatment pathway that will best support your needs.
Continue below to learn more about the clinic flow and treatment offerings that you and your provider may choose to pursue.
I was not referred to the clinic
Support Is Still Available
If you’re seeking support but weren’t referred to our clinic, you can still find helpful information and resources.
Feel free to share our provider information page with your primary care provider to explore whether the FND Clinic could be a good fit and to plan any next steps.
Welcome to the FND Clinic!
We treat individuals with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND), offering specialized care for two primary subtypes.
- Functional Seizures (FS) – also known as Non-Epileptic Seizures (NES). If you or a loved one experiences seizure episodes that are not caused by epilepsy, please refer to the Functional Seizure Disorder Treatment section below for more information about treatment.
- Functional Movement Disorder (FMD) If you or someone you care for is experiencing symptoms such as tremors, shaking, difficulty walking, or other issues related to muscle coordination, please visit the Functional Movement Disorder Treatment section below to learn more about available care.
Functional Seizure Disorder Treatment
Click through each step to learn about our typical treatment flow.
After V-EEG diagnosis, all NES/FS patients receive a 60 minute full neurological evaluation. Discussion topics will include:
- NES diagnosis
- EEG findings/DVD of seizure
- Other neurological conditions
- Results of questionnaires
- Seizure frequency/diaries
- Anti-seizure medications
90-minute appointment with behavioral health provider to discuss:
- Diagnosis
- Other psychiatric conditions
- Medications
- Stressors and triggers for events/symptoms
- Best treatment pathway (group vs. individual) and additional follow ups
- Consider treatment options based on questionnaire results
After the Neurology Intake and Behavioral Health Intake, patients and providers will work together to decide which treatment is most appropriate for them. Hover over each box to learn more about our treatment offerings that will be considered.
Individual Follow Up
Individual Follow Up
- Ideal for patients who don’t benefit from a group therapy setting
- Patients will be seen for a few follow up visits to review progress
- Patients will be discharged to their primary care provider and community care therapist.
- Clinic staff will help patients find behavioral health providers if patients do not already have one
12 Week Multimodal Adapted Psychotherapy (MAP) Group
MAP Group
- 12 consecutive weeks
- Help you understand more individual and psychological factors that may be playing a role in your NES.
- The nature of NES events are explored for the role they play in coping.
- Focus is placed on articulating difficult emotions and changing unhelpful communication patterns.
- Family communication styles are often addressed in the 12 week group.
- Inter-group relationships often shed light on relationships in personal life, giving group members an opportunity to practice new skills
12 Week Psychodynamic Group
Psychodynamic Group
- 12 consecutive weeks
- Best suited for those who have previous experience with therapy to focus on deeper insight and sustained progress
- Help you identify patterns in your NES symptoms and explore unresolved issues that may be triggering them
- Focus is on building awareness of emotions, triggers, and developing the ability to tolerate difficult feelings rather than avoid them.
- This group offers a safe, therapeutic space to explore difficult emotions alongside others to promote psychological healing and growth
Patients will have follow up appointments with their behavioral health provider after 3 months and 6 months of treatment to review:
- How treatment is going
- Seizure frequency
- Results of questionnaires
At 6 months, a discharge plan will be finalized for ongoing treatment and therapy outside of the NES Clinic.
The FND Clinic team will help connect you with an appropriate outside psychiatrist and/or therapist as needed.
Functional Movement Disorder Treatment
A Movement Disorder Specialist will assess baseline functioning and complete the referral to the FND Clinic.
Referrals must be made within the CU Anschutz medical system.
90-minute appointment with behavioral health provider to discuss:
- Diagnosis
- Other psychiatric conditions
- Medications
- Stressors and triggers for events/symptoms
- Best treatment pathway (group vs. individual) and additional follow ups
- PT referral: provider will refer to appropriate PT providers closest to the patient
Following the Behavioral Health Intake, patients may be referred to a 12-week group psychotherapy program, which is designed specifically for individuals with FND.
At the time of intake, our behavioral health provider may also refer patients to Physical Therapy (PT), Occupational Therapy (OT), or Speech Therapy, depending on specific symptoms or goals. These therapy services are provided through our partnered University of Colorado Health (UCH) clinics across the Front Range to ensure access close to home. Our program is designed to run 1x/week for 6 weeks.
Depending on availability and your treatment needs, patients may begin PT/OT/Speech Therapy anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks after your intake, and this may occur alongside the 12-week psychotherapy group.
Hover over each box below to learn more about treatment offerings.
Psychotherapy Treatments
Individual Follow Up
Individual Follow Up
- Ideal for patients who don’t benefit from a group therapy setting
- Patients will be seen for a few follow up visits to review progress
- Patients will be discharged to their primary care provider and community care therapist.
- Clinic staff will help patients find behavioral health providers if patients do not already have one
12 Week Multimodal Adapted Psychotherapy (MAP) Group
MAP Group
- 12 consecutive weeks
- Help you understand more individual and psychological factors that may be playing a role in your NES.
- The nature of NES events are explored for the role they play in coping.
- Focus is placed on articulating difficult emotions and changing unhelpful communication patterns.
- Family communication styles are often addressed in the 12 week group.
- Inter-group relationships often shed light on relationships in personal life, giving group members an opportunity to practice new skills
12 Week Psychodynamic Group
Psychodynamic Group
- 12 consecutive weeks
- Best suited for those who have previous experience with therapy to focus on deeper insight and sustained progress
- Help you identify patterns in your NES symptoms and explore unresolved issues that may be triggering them
- Focus is on building awareness of emotions, triggers, and developing the ability to tolerate difficult feelings rather than avoid them.
- This group offers a safe, therapeutic space to explore difficult emotions alongside others to promote psychological healing and growth
FMD Physical Therapy Treatments
Physical Therapy (PT)
Physical Therapy (PT)
- Designed to run 1x/week for 6 weeks
- 90 minute evaluation and 5 follow-up sessions (45 min/week)
What might be a part of treatment?
- Exercises, massage, heat treatment, and other physical methods may be used to help regain movement control, improve balance, and reduce abnormal movements
Occupational Therapy (OT)
Occupational Therapy (OT)
- Designed to run 1x/week for 6 weeks
- 90 minute evaluation and 5 follow-up sessions (45 min/week)
What might be a part of treatment?
- Identification and management of triggers to pain and fatigue
- Practice of daily activities, normal movements, relaxation techniques
- Supported exposure to difficult tasks
Speech Therapy
Speech Therapy
- Designed to run 1x/week for 6 weeks
- 90 minute evaluation and 5 follow-up sessions (45 min/week)
What might be a part of treatment?
- Practice sound drills
- Identification of breathing patterns and/or muscle tension that inhibit normal speech
- Determine which tips/tricks are useful for future speech management
Patients will have a follow up appointment with their behavioral health provider after the completion of their group therapy/PT appointments.
A discharge plan will be finalized for ongoing treatment and therapy outside of the NES Clinic.
The FND Clinic team will help connect you with an appropriate outside psychiatrist and/or therapist as needed.
If you need more information, please don’t hesitate to explore some FAQs or contact the clinic. We are here to help!