Registration is open for OCD SoCal’s San Diego Speaker Series. The event is happening at the Mira Mesa Library at 8405 New Salem Street, San Diego, CA, 92126 on Saturday, April 20, 2024 from 10am – 1:30pm PST. A lunch, beverages, and parking are provided. For more information and to register for the event, click here: The San Diego Speakers Series is Sold Out.. Here are the event’s speakers:
OCD Spectrum / Related Disorders: What are They and How are They Treated
Sanjaya Saxena, MD
Website: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjaya-saxena-md-8424ba12/
Bio: Dr. Saxena is the Director of Clinical and Research Affairs for the International OCD Foundation. He is a Psychiatrist who specializes in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Hoarding Disorder, other OC-Related Disorders, Anxiety Disorders. He is also Clinical Professor (non-salaried), UC San Diego Department of Psychiatry. Dr. Saxena is a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, and a Fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology.
After completing his residency and fellowship, he joined the faculty of the UCLA Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and served as Director of the UCLA OCD Research Program and Associate Director of the UCLA Anxiety Disorders Program. He then moved to UC San Diego and served as Director of the UCSD Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders Program and Director of UCSD Outpatient Psychiatric Services. More recently, he was the Adult Psychiatrist for Rogers Behavioral Health San Diego.
Dr. Saxena was elected into Best Doctors in America every year 2005-2020, and elected into Castle Connelly’s and US News & World Report’s America’s Top Doctors every year 2008-2021. He continues to be heavily involved in teaching psychiatric residents and therapist trainees, and has won multiple teaching awards. He is also active in community education at the local, national, and international level.
Dr. Saxena also served as the psychiatric consultant for the motion picture, “As Good As It Gets” (Sony Pictures, 1997), in which the lead character, played by Jack Nicholson, suffered from OCD. Dr. Saxena’s research has focused on the neurobiology and treatment of OCD, Hoarding Disorder, and related disorders. He has authored or co-authored over 80 scientific articles and book chapters. He has received awards and grants from the American Psychiatric Association, American Neuropsychiatric Association, International OCD Foundation, and the National Institute of Mental Health. Dr. Saxena serves on the Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board for the International OCD Foundation and was an advisor to the DSM-5 Workgroup on Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders. He and his colleagues developed the DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for Hoarding Disorder.
His research has garnered attention from local and national media, and he has been featured on ABC, CNN, Larry King Live, MSNBC, the Discovery Channel, National Public Radio, BBC News, the New York Times, Time Magazine, Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, and Facebook Live.
Lived Experience Panel: How We’ve Navigated OCD
Katherine Pica, LCSW (Facilitator)
Website: https://counselingca.com
Bio: Katherine Pica, LCSW, is a therapist and owner of Resilience Counseling. Katherine has worked in
this field for over 18 years and enjoys working with people to help them learn coping skills to
overcome life’s struggles. She specializes in treating OCD, BFRBs, Trauma, and Anxiety. She
utilizes evidenced-based methods to help, including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP),
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR),
Comprehensive Behavioral Model (COMB), and a Mindful Self Compassion based approach. By
combining her clinical expertise with a natural ability to form warmth and connection, Katherine
has been able to help so many clients throughout the years conquer the struggles that have
kept them stuck. There is so much hope to healing. You are not alone.
Summer Contreras (Panelist)
Website: https://flamewheel4354.wixsite.com/sufficient-grace
Bio: Summer Contreras is a Certified Peer Support Specialist living in San Diego, CA. Summer grew
up with OCD, but wasn’t diagnosed until age 18 and didn’t seek proper treatment until age
22,
after her mother – with whom she was very close – passed away from cancer. Since then,
she
has been a passionate advocate for those with OCD and related disorders so others don’t
suffer
the way she did. Summer has a Bachelor of Science in Public Health from the University
of
Arizona and hopes to specialize in treating OCD. She volunteers at a research lab at San Diego
State University and advocates through her blog and social media. She is
currently writing a
memoir. Outside of advocacy, Summer likes to play the Pokémon Trading
Card Game
competitively and enjoys reading, writing, and mathematics.
Pat Dugan (Panelist)
Pat Dugan, age 73, has experienced OCD symptoms on and off for most of his life, but he was
not officially diagnosed until his mid-40’s. Once diagnosed, he was able to manage most of his
symptoms with medication and therapy. However, after experiencing a series of traumatic life
events in retirement, his symptoms spun out of control and left him feeling anxious, depressed,
and full of shame. Pat will share how this late in life existential crisis became a blessing in
helping him find a new way of living through gentle acceptance and letting go.
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We look forward to seeing everyone at the SD event. Make sure to register before the event is sold out! For more information and to register for the event, click here: The San Diego Speakers Series is Sold Out.