Beyond Behavior: Understanding PANS, PANDAS, and the Spectrum of Neuroimmune Conditions

Karan Lamb, PsyD, is a Florida licensed psychologist with experience treating children, adolescents, and adults in individual, family, and group therapy. She received her doctoral degree from George Washington University. Dr. Lamb has spent the past 20 years working with families with OCD and anxiety-related issues. She worked as a clinical interviewer for the Johns Hopkins University’s OCD Family study, and transitioned to working in private practice at Alvord, Baker & Associates, before opening a private practice in Tampa, Florida. She is an Adjunct Clinical Supervisor at the University of South Florida in the Psychology Department, and the Past President of the Bay Chapter of the Florida Psychological Association.  

Lindsey Forsyth, an Indiana mother of three, hung up her hat in corporate America when she had her first child to embark on both the most challenging and most fulfilling journey of her life: motherhood! Every season of her children’s lives have brought its unique sets of challenges, opportunities for growth, and grace. The medical and emotional needs of her children have fostered within Lindsey a love of learning, sharing, and helping other parents through ADHD and PANS/PANDAS specifically. Crediting early diagnosis and treatment for her son’s success in managing PANDAS; she is determined to advocate for a better understanding of this condition within the parent, physician, and therapy communities both locally and nationally. As a 2005 graduate from the University of Notre Dame, she leverages her sales and marketing backgrounds to support and connect families with the best resources and care for their children struggling with PANS/PANDAS. Lindsey’s family has partnered with her incredibly generous local community to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for the Columbia University Medical Center Agalliu Lab for PANS/PANDAS research. Moving forward, they continue to seek ways to raise awareness and funds to help the families impacted by this devastating disease. Ultimately, she wants every single parent searching for answers to know that they are not alone; that answers are there if only they keep digging, keep advocating for their children with a heart full of patience, tenacity, and love.

Angela M. Henry, LCSW, is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and the Founder of the Center for Collaborative Healing, LLC. She provides services to clients in Northern Indiana and Southern Michigan. Angela specializes in treating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and anxiety-related disorders, body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs), Tourette Syndrome, Autoimmune Encephalitis, and trauma. Angela is a certified EMDR therapist and has completed training through the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) and the TLC Foundation for BFRBs (Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors). She also received specialized training from the IOCDF’s Behavioral Therapy Institute (TS-BTI) as well as Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT) training for Tourette Syndrome through the Tourette Association of America, and is a graduate of the Professional Training Institute (VPTI) through the TLC Foundation for BFRBs (Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors). Angela is a member of the IOCDF, TLC Foundation, Tourette Association of America, Anxiety and Depression Association of America (AADA), EMDRIA, the Neuroimmune Institute’s Impact Circle, and the National Association of Social Workers (NASW).