What happens in a functional neurology session?
What to Expect From Your Functional Neurology Appointment
What to expect & how it works
Hi and welcome!
I wanted to give you a quick overview of what functional neurology is, how it works, and what you can expect from your sessions with me.
The Nervous System ‘Bucket’ Theory
Think of your nervous system like a bucket. Over your lifetime, that bucket slowly fills up. Sometimes it’s big, obvious things like a concussion, surgery, or a traumatic event. Other times, it’s lots of little things that add up over time—stress, poor sleep, ongoing pain, childhood trauma, falls, inflammation, emotional suppression, or illness.
When that bucket overflows—when your nervous system reaches its threshold—that’s when symptoms often show up.
Pain. Anxiety. Depression. Exhaustion. Brain fog. Migraines. Gut issues. Behavioural challenges in children. A nervous system that’s just not coping.
And here’s the really interesting part: when the system is overwhelmed, the brain often reverts to its old default settings. That includes switching back on primitive reflexes that should’ve integrated in early development—or disintegrating ones that were once well-functioning.
What Are Primitive Reflexes—and Why Do They Matter?
Primitive reflexes are automatic movement patterns that are meant to help us survive in early life—but they’re supposed to switch off as the brain matures. When these reflexes stay active (or get reactivated later in life), they can cause a huge range of issues—physically, mentally, and emotionally.
For example:
Retained Moro reflex = easily startled, hyper-vigilant, difficulty calming down.
Retained ATNR or STNR = poor coordination, clumsy, neck/back pain, handwriting struggles.
Retained TLR = poor balance, fear of falling, motion sickness.
Palmar / plantar reflexes = chronic tension in hands, feet, or jaw.
So we start with checking all your primitive reflexes and cranial nerves to see how your brain and nervous system are functioning at a foundational level.
Then, using gentle corrections, we begin to reintegrate and reset your system so your brain stops running these old patterns.
What Happens in the First Appointment
In your first session, we:
Talk about your full history—because every detail matters
Assess your primitive reflexes
Check your cranial nerves
Begin corrections to help bring the nervous system back to a regulated state
This session is all about finding out what your system is doing and why, so we can get to the root cause rather than just treating symptoms.
What We Cover in Your Second Session
In the second session, we dive deeper into the visual and eye movement systems, including:
Eye tracking
Convergence and divergence (near/far focus)
Saccades (fast eye movements)
Optokinetics (how your brain processes movement in the world around you)
These systems tell us a lot about how well your brain is processing information—and how much effort it's using just to get through the day.
What We Can Explore in Ongoing Sessions
Once your brain and body have started to regulate and you’re feeling more balanced, we may explore deeper areas such as:
Emotional processing and stored trauma (especially in the heart wall)
Underlying infections or toxic load
Adrenal function, organ and gland imbalances
Your intrinsic core system, which plays a key role in chronic back and neck pain
Sleep, memory, and stress resilience
And how all of it connects through your brain-body feedback loop
What Clients Commonly Report
Many people come to me with issues like:
Pain that doesn’t respond to regular treatment
Ongoing tightness in the neck, shoulders or hips
Fatigue that feels like “running on empty”
Brain fog, poor memory or word-finding issues
Kids who are struggling with focus, behaviour, or reading
Anxiety that just doesn’t shift no matter what they try
If that sounds like you, know that you’re not alone—and that change is absolutely possible when we work with the nervous system itself.
A Final Note
Functional Neurology looks at the root cause, not just the symptoms. It’s gentle, non-invasive, and truly life-changing for many clients. Every person’s nervous system is unique, which is why we tailor every session to you.
Thank you again for trusting me with your care—I’m really looking forward to helping you or your child reset, reconnect and feel better from the inside out.