Making meaning: The experience of Shared Individual Formulation Therapy in adults with functional neurological disorder

Abstract

ObjectiveShared Individual Formulation Therapy (SIFT) is a brief, hybrid psychotherapy intervention that uses shared formulation and psychodynamic psychotherapy techniques to help participants expand their understanding of their difficulties. It was used in a pilot study for 29 adults with functional neurological disorder (FND). This analysis explores the experiences of participants using qualitative methods.MethodParticipants underwent semistructured interviews about their experiences of SIFT, which were analysed using reflexive thematic analysis from a critical realist standpoint. Findings were triangulated with the previously published quantitative results.ResultsParticipants experienced SIFT as providing a safe space to help them explore and make sense of their FND. The resulting self‐knowledge was experienced as promoting recovery and growth, but some participants experienced the process as challenging and were ambivalent about it.ConclusionThe findings support SIFT's potential value for treating adults with FND. The psychodynamic aspects are an important component of SIFT for many, but not all, participants.