587. Demystifying Functional Neurological Disorder w/ Dr. Alison Buchholz

Would you rather read the transcript? Click here. Today, I get to have a conversation with clinical neuropsychologist Dr. Alison Buchholz to explore the complex, rapidly evolving landscape of Functional Neurological Disorder. We discuss the critical historical context of FND, moving past outdated psychoanalytic models and confronting the problematic dualism that traditionally separates neurology from psychiatry in brain science. Dr. Buchholz shares clinical insights into identifying the positive diagnostic signs of FND subtypes, navigating the nuances of performance validity testing, and understanding why comprehensive neuropsychological evaluations are so vital. We also delve into practical strategies for delivering therapeutic feedback to patients, implementing multidisciplinary reprogramming treatments, and building robust, collaborative care pathways across various clinical settings. **Key Moments** - 02:29: The historical evolution of Functional Neurological Disorder and legacy of clinical misunderstandings - 05:40: Deconstructing the false dichotomy between neurological and psychiatric frameworks in brain science - 12:17: Categorizing the main clinical presentations of FND and navigating symptom heterogeneity - 13:32: Evaluating diagnostic criteria discrepancies between the DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 - 16:55: Differentiating Functional Neurological Disorder from malingering and factitious disorders - 21:31: Advanced neuroimaging insights and altered neural network connectivity hubs in the brain - 24:47: Identifying positive clinical signs across functional seizure, movement, and cognitive subtypes - 41:11: Navigating performance validity testing failures and internal inconsistency during evaluations - 54:32: Implementing multidisciplinary reprogramming therapies and evidence-based neurobehavioral protocols - 01:03:05: Strategies for program building, care pathways, and accessing professional training resources **Cool Things Mentioned** - Craft: the premier membership community for testing psychologists - Crafted Practice: the only in-person business retreat for testing psychologists - Reverb: the premier AI-powered report-writing platform for testing psychologists - Functional Neurological Disorder Society: www.fndsociety.org - FND Hope Patient and Caregiver Resources: https://fndhope.org/resources/ - American Academy of Neurology Functional Seizure Management Guidelines: www.aan.com - Taking Control of Your Seizures Workbook: Buy here - American Academy of Clinical Neuropsychology: www.theaacn.org **Featured Resources** TherapyNotes is the leading EHR system for mental health practitioners. I’ve used TherapyNotes for over 10 years, and it just keeps getting better. Use this link and the promo code “testing” to get two free months and try it for yourself! www.therapynotes.com/testing NovoPsych brings **150+ standardized measures** into one platform. If you’re interested in high quality measures for personality, disability, ADHD or Autism, try NovoPsych with a **15-day free trial** via this link: https://novopsych.com/testingpsychologist  **The Testing Psychologist podcast is approved for CEU’s!** I’ve partnered with At Health to offer CE credits for podcast episodes! Visit this link to access current and past episodes available for CE credit. You can use code “TTP10” for a discount on ALL the course credits you purchase from At Health!alth! !https://thetestingpsychologist.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Alison-Buchholz-photo.jpg ### About Dr. Alison Buchholz Adam B. Lockwood, PhD, NCSP is an Associate Professor of School Psychology at Kent State University and founder of Lockwood Educational & Psychological Consulting. His work focuses on the integration of artificial intelligence into psychological practice, including AI-assisted report writing, ethical and governance frameworks, and AI-supported research methods. Dr. Lockwood also serves as a clinical subject matter expert for Psychological Assessment Resources (PAR), where he contributes to the development of AI-supported psychological assessment tools. He chairs the National Register of Health Service Psychologists’ AI and Emerging Technologies Committee and has served on AI task forces for the National Association of School Psychologists and the Ohio School Health Services Association. In 2025, he was selected for the OpenAI Academy: Professors Teaching with AI, and his article Examining the Capabilities of GPT-4 to Write an APA-Style School Psychology Paper was named the 2025 Article of the Year by Contemporary School Psychology. **Get in touch:** - Lockwood Educational & Psychological Consulting: https://lockwoodconsulting.net/ - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-b-lockwood/ - OSF: https://osf.io/a95xd/ - Read Dr. Lockwood’s blog: https://lockwoodconsulting.net/blog ### About Dr. Jeremy Sharp !http://www.thetestingpsychologist.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Jeremy-Sharp-300x224.jpg I’m a licensed psychologist and Clinical Director at the Colorado Center for Assessment & Counseling, a private practice that I founded in 2009 and have grown to over 20 clinicians. I earned my undergraduate degree in Experimental Psychology from the University of South Carolina before getting my Master’s and PhD in Counseling Psychology from Colorado State University. These days, I specialize in psychological and neuropsychological evaluation with kids and adolescents. As the host of the Testing Psychologist Podcast, I provide private practice consulting for psychologists and other mental health professionals who want to start or grow psychological testing services in their practices. I live in Fort Collins, Colorado with my wife (also a therapist) and two young kids. **Ready to grow your testing services? Click below to join our Waitlist!** Join the Waitlist