One of the main reasons clinicians who are unfamiliar with PNES resist working with patients who have PNES is because they are fearful of seizures occurring in the therapy office.
Some concerns may be:
a) how do I even know what a seizure looks like,
b) how should I act if the patient has a seizure,
c) can a seizure lead to an injury, how do I avoid injuries,
d) what happens if the patient is having a very long seizure and I have another patient coming right after,
e) how would I know when it is time to call an ambulance or 911?
This webinar addresses these concerns and offers recommendations to know how to prepare and respond to seizures in the office (or off-site if the session is virtual).
Truthfully, seizures can be frightening and may seem to be out of most therapists’ comfort zone, but as long as certain guidelines are followed, treating a patient with PNES should not be so different than treating a patient, for example, with a panic attack or a dissociative episode.
Audience: Health professionals (mental health professionals, therapists, nurses, etc.)
Learning Points: Throughout this course, you will:
- How to use the first phone call or meeting to collect important information about the patients' seizures.
- What to consider when seizure-proofing your office (or the patient's home for a virtual session).
- What is a seizure action plan and how to develop it.
- When to call 911 and when not to...
- What to discuss with the patient about safety outside of the office.
Dr. Lorna Myers is the director of the Northeast Regional Epilepsy Group Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) Program in New York and New Jersey, USA. She is a clinical psychologist and neuropsychologist and has been working with patients who have PNES and/or epilepsy for over 20 years. Her research has been published in a number of scientific journals, she has authored professional book chapters, and presents in meetings across the US and abroad. In 2013, she wrote “Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures: A Guide,” a book for patients and their caregivers. Royalties from that book are donated to Epilepsy Alliance America, a foundation that awards scholarships to adults diagnosed with PNES to help with the costs of their studies. In 2023, together with her Dr. Julia Doss, she co-authored “The Psychogenic Non-epileptic Seizure Pocketbook.”
Dr. Myers is a certified prolonged exposure therapist and clinical supervisor and has pioneered the modification and use of this treatment modality for patients diagnosed with PTSD and PNES. She is also certified in integrative hypnosis.
Other interesting facts about her is that she is fluent in English and Spanish, and her other main research interest is in multicultural topics including treatment of bilingual and bicultural (or monocultural Hispanic) patients and the study of neuropsychological measures for Spanish-speaking patients evaluated in the US.
