Dr Daniella Siciliano - Clinical Psychologist

20/08/2026

Feeling safe isn’t just an emotion.
It’s a whole-body experience.

Feeling safe is more than an emotion

We often think of safety as an emotion: “I feel safe” or “I don't feel anxious.”

But safety is also physiological.

Our brain and body are constantly taking in information and adjusting our state. Sometimes we become more alert and protective. At other times, we can settle, connect, think clearly and function more effectively.

Importantly, we don't always consciously feel unsafe when our body is responding as though it needs to protect us.

You might notice this through tension, a racing heart, difficulty relaxing, feeling on edge, being easily overwhelmed or struggling to concentrate.

Our conscious emotional experience and our physiological state don't always match perfectly.

This is relevant across many areas of psychological and physical health. Our bodies can learn to remain protective after periods of stress, illness, pain, uncertainty or difficult experiences, even when the original threat has passed.

This is also why feeling safe isn't simply about telling yourself to relax or think positively.

Safety can be supported through predictable routines, supportive relationships, emotional regulation skills, movement, rest, healthy boundaries, therapy and repeated experiences of being okay in situations that previously felt threatening.

Safety isn't just something we think or feel.
It's something our brain and body experience.

Sometimes, helping ourselves feel safer starts with noticing what our body is communicating, rather than judging ourselves for the way it responds.

01/07/2026

📣 Research Participation Opportunity – Children & Young People with Chronic Pain (Aged 10–17) + Parents

Sharing this opportunity on behalf of researchers at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS), who are currently in a short recruitment phase and are hoping to connect with families with lived experience of childhood chronic pain.

👩‍👦 Who can take part?
Children and young people aged 10–17 years experiencing chronic pain
Their parents/carers

🧠 What’s involved?

Participants are invited to take part in 3 x 2-hour co-design workshops. These sessions bring together young people, parents, and health professionals to:

- Share lived experience
- Generate ideas collaboratively
- Co-design potential new approaches to supporting chronic pain care

Families will receive a $150 gift card for participation in 2 out of the 3 workshops.

🌟 Why this study matters

This research aims to improve how health professionals work with children and young people experiencing chronic pain, ensuring care is more collaborative, practical, and youth-centred.

🔗 Find out more or register:

https://utsau.au1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_3E0yGBtqECQM8aa

📄 Ethics approval: HE-2026-0364

If appropriate, please feel free to share this opportunity within your networks, clinic communications, or with families who may be eligible.

We are looking for health professionals, children and young people aged 10-17 years experiencing chronic pain and their parents, based in Australia! Researchers at The University of Technology Sydney (UTS) are looking for health professionals, children and young people aged 10-17 years and their par...

14/06/2026

🧠💙 The mind–body connection is powerful.

It’s the way we describe the constant communication between the brain, body, nervous system, emotions, movement, sensations, and our threat response systems.

In FND, this connection can become disrupted. Signals may be misinterpreted, movements may feel unfamiliar, sensations can become amplified, and the body may feel unpredictable or out of sync.

Importantly, these changes are real AND they are also changeable.

The nervous system is plastic. Through understanding, rehabilitation, and practice, the brain and body can learn new patterns. Recovery is not about fixing damage, but about retraining and reconnecting the systems that help us move, feel, and function ✨

Let's Talk FND

The mind-body connection.
It is a phrase many people with FND have heard before.

And sometimes, it has been used in ways that feel dismissive — as if symptoms are “just stress” or “all in your head.”

That is not what it means.

The mind-body connection is not a way of doubting your symptoms.

It is a way of explaining how deeply connected the brain, body, nervous system, emotions, movement, sensation and threat responses actually are.

Your symptoms are real.

Your body is not pretending.

Your nervous system is part of a living, biological system that is constantly interpreting signals from inside and outside the body.

In FND, that system can become disrupted. Signals can be misread. Movement can feel unfamiliar. Sensations can become amplified. The body can feel unpredictable.

This does not make your experience less real.

It gives us a clearer way to understand it.

If you are trying to make sense of FND, our 3-part patient education series explores:

Why Me?
Why Now?
What Works?

Explore Building Your FND Recovery Roadmap here:

https://www.letstalkfnd.com.au/Building_Your_FND_Recovery_Roadmap?cid=f7e71c55-53d7-47c2-bd40-218b8cb28ecf

General education only. Please speak with your own treating health professionals about your individual care.

22/04/2026

This is such an important reminder and really reflects what many people experience in complex conditions like FND and other long-term health presentations.

Fragmented care can leave people feeling unheard or uncertain, even when each individual clinician is doing their best. Coordinated, collaborative care makes a significant difference, not just clinically, but in helping patients feel safe, supported, and understood.

Key to good care is clear communication between providers and a shared understanding of the person at the centre of it all.

Resharing this because it highlights something many people quietly struggle with, and it’s worth talking about more openly 🩵

Sometimes it can feel like your care is not connected.

👉 This can mean:
- Seeing many different providers
- Getting different advice
- Feeling like no one is coordinating your care

🧠 This can be overwhelming and confusing.

👉 You deserve care where everyone works together.

💬 Have you experienced this? What helped you?

20/04/2026

A diagnosis of FND is not the end.

Rather it’s the beginning of understanding your mind, of reconnecting with your body, and of finding new ways forward. Progress may not be linear, but recovery is possible.

With the right support, knowledge, and self-compassion, recovery can grow in ways you might not yet know or see 💙

Being diagnosed with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) can feel overwhelming — but it’s also an important step forward.

🧠 A diagnosis of FND means:
- Your symptoms are real
- They have a recognised medical explanation
- And there are ways to help you manage and improve them

Many people with FND go through a long journey before getting answers.

This can include:
- Multiple tests
- Seeing different specialists
- Feeling dismissed or confused

👉 A diagnosis of FND is not the end — it’s the beginning of understanding what’s happening and how to help.

💬 How did you feel when you first received your diagnosis?

🔁 Share this to help others understand diagnosis better.

13/04/2026

Share what you need us to know 💙

Given the opportunity, what would you like medical professionals to know about FND?

13/04/2026

Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) is real, common and typically misunderstood.

On FND Awareness Day, it’s important to recognise that people living with FND experience genuine, life-altering neurological symptoms. Not imagined, not “just psychological,” and not within voluntary control.

Despite growing research and improved understanding, many individuals still face delayed diagnosis, stigma, and limited access to appropriate care.

Greater awareness leads to earlier diagnosis.
Better understanding leads to more effective & compassionate treatment, and recognition leads to validation for those who are too often dismissed.

Let’s continue to listen, learn, and advocate for our patients, our colleagues, and everyone living with FND.

To every person living with FND, you are believed. Your symptoms are real.

You deserve care from a team that truly understands what you are going through.

FND is a condition where the brain's signalling system is disrupted, producing symptoms that are genuine, variable, and often deeply confusing for both the person experiencing them and the clinicians trying to help.

Symptoms can include functional seizures, tremor, limb weakness, altered sensation, speech and swallowing difficulties, fatigue, and cognitive changes.

No two presentations are quite the same. That variability is part of what makes FND both a clinical challenge and a genuinely fascinating area of practice.

The good news is that the evidence base is growing. We understand more about the neuroscience of FND than ever before, and there are established, effective treatment approaches that address both the physical and psychological dimensions of the condition.

At Let's Talk FND, this is the work we show up for every day. Supporting people with FND, and the clinicians who care for them, to navigate this condition with clarity and confidence.

Awareness is where change begins. 🌐 letstalkfnd.com.au

10/04/2026

Everyone deserves coordinated & collaborative care where providers are communicating and working toward shared understanding and goals. It makes a world of difference in FND care 💛

Many people with Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) experience what’s called “fragmented care.”

This means seeing different doctors or therapists who may not always communicate with each other.

This can feel like:
- Being passed from one specialist to another
- Getting different explanations for your symptoms
- Feeling confused or overwhelmed
- Not feeling fully understood

🧠 When care isn’t connected, it can make recovery harder and more stressful.

👉 You deserve care where everyone is working together and supporting you.

👉 You deserve clear and consistent information about your condition.

💬 Have you experienced fragmented care? What helped or didn’t help?

🔁 Share this post to raise awareness and support others.

10/04/2026

Timing really matters 💙

Early education and support can actually help shift the trajectory, not just manage symptoms. Early diagnosis & treatment with an MDT are key factors in recovery of FND.

Getting help early after symptoms begin can make a real difference in Functional Neurological Disorder (FND).

🧠 Why?
Because the brain is more adaptable (neuroplastic) earlier on.

This means symptoms may respond more effectively to treatment when addressed early.

👉 Early support can include:
- Education about FND
- Physiotherapy
- Psychological support
- Multidisciplinary care

👉 Early support helps your brain learn new patterns sooner.

💬 If you had access to early support, how do you think it would have helped you?

🔁 Share this post to help others understand why timing matters.