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2026 Volume 6, Number 1 Celebrating a New Year for Progress in FND Care and Research
Happy New Year from the Functional Neurological Disorder Society! 2026 holds great promise for our global community as we continue building momentum in clinical care and scientific discovery. Our flagship event, the 6th International Conference on Functional Neurological Disorder, will bring us together in Baltimore, Maryland, June 13–16, 2026, at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront. This meeting offers an opportunity to connect with colleagues from around the world, exchange ideas, and deepen expertise in FND across disciplines. The meeting begins with the FIRST Day: Foundational and Interdisciplinary Review and Skills Training on Saturday, June 13. This preconference day is designed both for attendees who are newer to FND and for experienced clinicians who want to expand their interdisciplinary skill set. Sessions will provide core principles of assessment, communication, mechanisms, and management, along with practical workshops across neurology, rehabilitation, psychotherapy, and pediatrics. Read more about the FIRST Day preliminary program. The full conference program that follows offers a thoughtfully curated mix of cutting-edge science and clinical application. Sessions will address diagnostic approaches across FND subtypes, treatment innovation, lived experience perspectives, and the management of common comorbidities. You will also see dedicated content on functional seizures, functional movement disorders, pain and sensory symptoms, and collaborative models of care. More program details can be found here. Whether you are presenting new research, refining clinical practice, or building new partnerships, this conference is designed to inspire and support your work. Abstract submissions end Wednesday, February 11, 2026. Early registration ends Wednesday, March 18, 2026. We look forward to welcoming you to Baltimore!
Share FNDS Membership Opportunities at Conferences If you are presenting at an upcoming conference and would like to help colleagues learn more about the FND Society, we invite you to share information about our discounted first-year membership program. A special 50% off membership code is available for individuals who have never previously been FNDS members, including allied health professionals, medical practitioners, and psychologists. Trainees already receive their first year of membership free and do not need a code. If you are interested in sharing this opportunity while presenting at a meeting, please contact the FNDS office to request a code and additional information. We hope this program helps expand awareness of FNDS and welcome new colleagues into our global community.
FNDS Representation at AES: Leadership in Functional/Dissociative Seizures The FND Society is proud to share that FNDS members Dr. Wesley Kerr and Dr. Aaron Fobian have been appointed Co-Chairs of the Functional/Dissociative Seizures (FDS) Special Interest Group for the 2026 American Epilepsy Society (AES) Annual Meeting, to be held in Denver, Colorado, USA. In this leadership role, Drs. Kerr and Fobian will be organizing a dedicated session for the 2026 AES meeting focused on FDS.
The recently held 2025 AES Annual Meeting in Atlanta, GA, USA, featured several forward-thinking symposia relevant to FND, including:
These sessions reflect the important scientific, clinical, and educational interest in functional/dissociative seizures across forums. FNDS congratulates Drs. Kerr and Fobian on their leadership roles and looks forward to what is certain to be exceptional programming at AES 2026! Multidisciplinary FND Training Workshops in Seville: February 4, 2026, at Hospital Universitario Virgen Rocío On February 4, 2026, Hospital Universitario Virgen Rocío in Seville will host the II Training Workshops on the Multidisciplinary Approach to Functional Movement Disorders. Organized by the Movement Disorders Unit and the Mental Health Department in collaboration with the Institute of Biomedicine of Seville (IBiS), this continuing education initiative aims to strengthen knowledge, visibility, and clinical practice around FND, with a focus on functional movement disorders. The workshops are coordinated by Marta Méndez del Barrio (physiotherapist), Manuel Canal Rivero (psychologist), Miguel Ruiz Veguilla (psychiatrist), Pablo Mir Rivera (neurologist), and Daniel Macías García (neurologist). The program is designed for a broad multidisciplinary audience, including specialists and trainees in neurology, psychiatry, rehabilitation, psychology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy, and mental health nursing. Educational goals include reviewing the historical and modern understanding of FND, recognizing key clinical presentations, identifying psychiatric comorbidities, and learning physical and psychological therapeutic approaches for recovery. The program features lectures and interactive sessions on diagnosis, communication, and multidisciplinary treatment strategies. Guest faculty will include Dr. Isabel Parées (Hospital Ramón y Cajal, Madrid) and Dr. Víctor Gómez (Hospital Sanitas Valdebebas, Madrid). A dedicated afternoon session highlights the role of patients, families, and caregivers, focusing on patient perspectives, therapeutic engagement, and the influence of the family and environment on care. The workshops have received approval from the Andalusian Agency for Healthcare Quality (ACSA) and aim to promote a collaborative approach to FND care across Southern Spain.
First Functional Neurological Disorder Society Asia Oceania Section (FNDS-AOS) Symposium, March 19, 2026 Colleagues from across Asia and Oceania will come together in Delhi, India, on Thursday, March 19th, 2026, for the first FNDS-AOS Symposium. Held at the Amriteswari Auditorium, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad, and in conjunction with the Indian Movement Disorder Society Meeting, this gathering marks an important step in regional efforts to advance care of those living with FND. The program features a rich lineup of sessions, including Dr. Kailash Bhatia’s keynote talk, “My Journey with Functional Movement Disorders,” and Dr. Toby Winton-Brown’s discussion on FND at the interface of neurology and psychiatry. Additional highlights include Dr. Sanjay Pandey’s talk on the evolution of FND in India and Dr. Masahiro Sonoo’s presentation on the history and positive diagnostic signs of FND. The afternoon will conclude with an interactive session on the future of the FNDS-AOS, led by Drs. Sanjay Pandey and Alex Lehn. Together, these sessions aim to increase awareness of and clinical innovations for FND across the region while fostering opportunities for new research collaborations.
The FNDS Allied Health Professional SIG Hosts Discussion Titled “How Lived Experience of FND Informs My Practice” At the November 11th AHP SIG meeting, FNDS members gathered for an engaging conversation centered on lived experience in FND. The session featured allied health professionals Kelly Anderson, DPT, physical therapist, and Katerina Pisegna, MSc(A), speech-language pathologist, who shared their personal journeys with FND alongside reflections from their clinical and research work with others affected by the condition. Their talks set the stage for an inspiring, moderated discussion, with attendees participating with questions and dialogue that bridged personal insight and clinical practice.  Kelly Anderson, DPT, physical therapist "Our goal was to share our story and perspective of going through treatment and the process of trying to recover. Sharing what helped us most and how we use that in our current practice. I feel that my biggest assets for improving were my support system, eating healthy, exercise, being in nature, my spiritual grounding, and always looking at the big picture." –Kelly Anderson, DPT To hear a reading of Kelly’s inspirational story, originally published in the American Physical Therapy Association Magazine: May 2024 edition, please visit the podcasts Apple Podcasts® or Spotify®.  Katerina Pisegna, MSc(A), speech-language pathologist "After speaking at the FNDS AHP SIG Meeting about my journey with FND as both a patient and a professional, I felt like I was able to truly embrace both paths in my life: one shaped by my professional identity as a speech-language pathologist, and the other by my lived experience as a patient. As a clinician, I could speak to the importance of interdisciplinary collaboration and patient-centered care, while as a patient, I could attest to the challenges and rewarding moments that came along throughout my rehabilitation journey. Together, I feel as though those voices carried more weight than either could alone. I feel such a deep sense of gratitude for being able to share my journey and experience with colleagues who listened with openness, for the chance to bridge two perspectives, and for the reminder that our professional expertise is always enriched when we honor the lived experiences of those we serve — including our own. Thank you for such a wonderful opportunity and I am looking forward to continuing to collaborate with you all in the future." –Katerina Pisegna, MSc(A) The AHP SIG regularly announces upcoming events via FNDS emails. Stay tuned for future opportunities; all are welcome! If you have ideas or suggestions for the AHP SIG, please contact members: Glenn Nielsen (PT) at gnielsen@sgul.ac.uk, Jennifer Freeburn (SLP) at jfreeburn@mgb.org, Clare Nicholson (OT) at clare.nicholson6@nhs.net, Julie Maggio (PT), Julie MacLean (OT), Jessica Ranford (OT), or Lorna Dixon (SLT).
A Conversation with Molly Wolchansky, LPC-A
Molly Wolchansky, LPC-A Molly Wolchansky, LPC-A, recently graduated with her master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling from Amberton University, and is currently working as a Licensed Professional Counselor Associate at Mind Body Sleep in Dallas, TX within a 12-week CBT-FND program developed by Dr. Natalia David, providing therapy to individuals living with FND through a compassionate, mind–body, and patient-centered approach, bringing both clinical training and lived experience to her work. Molly helps clients better understand and manage their symptoms while integrating mental health, sleep, and overall wellness. Her clinical interests include CBT-informed interventions, psychoeducation, positive psychology, and integrating creative expression into therapeutic work, with an emphasis on helping individuals reconnect with a sense of agency, identity, and meaning beyond their symptoms, and valuing the ongoing process of learning from patients, supervisors, and interdisciplinary providers as she continues to develop her clinical voice in FND care.
Following previous high-yield and popular continuing education (CE) courses, FND: Putting Principles into Practice, FND: Psychological Treatment 101, and FND Rehabilitation 101, the FND Society is excited to announce the next virtual course focused on the assessment and management of functional neurological disorder. This course is presented with a diverse set of expert perspectives on clinical opportunities and challenges in the assessment and management of functional neurological disorder across adults and children/adolescents. The 13 pre-recorded lectures will cover high-yield topics in the field by established leaders. Emphasis will be given to a practical delivery of content, including clinical vignettes used to help illustrate teaching points and potential pitfalls.
FND Society Journal Club Thursday, March 5, 2026 at 11:00 am Eastern Time (4:00 pm UTC)
Proud of your new paper? Join the FNDS Journal Club Database! If you have recently published a paper you are proud of, we would love to hear from you! By submitting your information, you will become part of our Journal Club Database, where you could be contacted to be our next Journal Club presenter. Simply fill out our Contact Information Form with your details. We will keep your information on file, and if there is a need to follow up, we will be sure to reach out. Let us keep the conversation going – submit your paper today! |
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The meeting brought together clinicians from neurology, psychiatry, physiotherapy, psychology, rehabilitation medicine, nursing, and general practice. A total of 140 participants registered, alongside 70 institutional scholarships that expanded access for students and trainees. Practical sessions focused on communication, early therapeutic encounters, physiotherapy and rehabilitation approaches, speech and occupational therapy, and multidisciplinary models of care drawn from Latin America, Europe, and the United States. Clinical case discussions and multidisciplinary panels were consistently highlighted by participants as among the most valuable aspects of the congress.
The congress was supported by multiple Peruvian professional and academic institutions and featured broad international collaboration. Sixty-eight faculty members participated, including forty-seven international speakers from nine countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, España, Italia, México, Perú, and the United States). Many self-funded their travel to attend in person, with additional educational support provided by the Movement Disorders Society. Participant feedback emphasized the breadth of the program, the strength of the multidisciplinary environment, and the direct relevance of the content to everyday clinical practice. The meeting marked an important step forward in the development of FND care in Latin America and reinforced the role of global strategies in advancing patient-centered treatment. The FND Society’s Latin American Section, chaired by Drs. Daniel Marín Medina and Lucía Tesolin, serves to further support ongoing initiatives and collaborations.
As a common neurological disorder, research on functional movement disorders (FMDs) has historically been limited in Asian populations. Recently, the FMDs-China registry study, led by Professor Gang Wang from Renji Hospital, affiliated with Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, and jointly conducted by the Chinese Alliance for Functional Neurological Disorders across 22 national centers, was published in the European Journal of Neurology. This represents China’s first multicenter, systematic study on FMDs among Han Chinese individuals, providing new evidence from China to inform the clinical diagnosis, treatment, and scientific research of this disorder. 
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