title: The body comes to family therapy: Treatment of a school-aged boy with hyperventilation-induced non-epileptic seizures.
abstract: We present the case of a 10-year-old boy, Evan, where a knock to the head activated memories of past bullying, causing intense distress, activation of the body's stress-regulation systems and recurrent hospital presentations with hyperventilation-induced non-epileptic seizures. We describe the initial assessment session that enabled Evan and his family to understand the context for Evan's non-epileptic seizures, to engage with the therapeutic team and to collaborate in the implementation of a mind-body multimodal family-based intervention. Once the physical symptoms had been addressed therapeutically, we explored possible dangers within the family and school systems and we worked with Evan and his family to increase his ability to access comfort and protection from his parents. Our short hospital intervention highlighted the importance of ongoing therapeutic work with Evan and the family and laid the foundation stones for the next part of the family's therapeutic journey.
authors.affiliation: Psychological Medicine, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, Australia kkoz6421@uni.sydney.edu.au.|Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health and Discipline of Psychiatry, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney, NSW, Australia.|Brain Dynamics Centre, Westmead Millennium Institute for Medical Research, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Kasia
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kozlowska
authors.affiliation: Psychological Medicine, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, Westmead, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chudleigh
authors.affiliation: Good Praxis Pty Ltd, NSW, Australia.
authors.forename: Bronwen
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Elliott
authors.affiliation: Scuola Bolognese di Psicoterapia Cognitiva, Italy.|Family Relations Institute, USA/Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Landini
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D005196:Family Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D006985:Hyperventilation / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000628:therapy*; D012640:Seizures / Q000209:etiology*
keywords: attachment; conversion disorder; dynamic-maturational model of attachment; functional symptom disorder; non-epileptic seizures