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The Online OCD Conference, A Global Event hosted by OCD SoCal is Now Accepting Proposals for Our November 15-16, 2025 Conference!

SUBMISSION LINK to Submit a Proposal for Our Online OCD Conference!

You may have seen that the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) will no longer host its Online OCD Conference. OCD Southern California has been hosting conferences since 2015, and in 2023, OCD SoCal co-hosted the Online OCD Conference with the IOCDF. With this loss of an online Fall conference, we are happy to step in and present the Online OCD Conference, a Global Event — Hosted by OCD SoCal! The event will be held Saturday and Sunday, November 15 -16, 2025.

In previous years, the IOCDF virtual conference has been a cornerstone for global collaboration, bringing together experts, innovators, and thought leaders from around the world. As we step into this role, we are committed to upholding its rich history while introducing fresh perspectives and opportunities for engagement.

Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or new to presenting, we invite you to participate in the OCD Online Conference, a globally connected event that brings together varied voices from around the world. Our proposal system is officially open today! We welcome innovative ideas, fresh perspectives, and research that resonates across borders from mental health providers, researchers, individuals with lived experience and their families, and others interested in speaking on OCD and related disorders.

If you would like to speak at this conference, please follow this link to submit a proposal (Note, you must be signed in to a Google account to access the proposal form): SUBMISSION LINK

The deadline for proposals is Monday, May 12, 2025.

See the Proposal Form for Answers to FAQs. We hope you consider submitting a proposal! 

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You Are Invited To A Free, Virtual Family & Loved One’s OCD Support Group This Saturday, May 10 at 11am PT!

You are invited to join us on Saturday, May 10th, from 11 am to 1 pm PT for our monthly, free, virtual Family and Loved One’s OCD Support Group! This support group is for family members, parents, loved ones, spouses, and anyone supporting someone with OCD! Additionally, if someone with OCD and related disorders would like to join us or a mental health professional wanting to learn more about OCD, you are invited as well. Since this event is virtual, anyone from anywhere can join us! To get the Zoom link for May 10th’s support group, PLEASE EMAIL: info@ocdsocal.org. Let us know in the email you would like the Zoom link, and please include any additional email addresses to which you would like us to send the Zoom link!

For our May 10th support group, we are thrilled to welcome Michelle Malloy, MFT, PMH-C. She will be speaking on S.P.A.C.E. or Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions, a program developed at Yale. As those of you who have attended our previous support groups know, many of you have been curious about SPACE and want to know more about it. Michelle’s talk will explain the program and discuss how to utilize SPACE in your own family.

A description of her talk:

S.P.A.C.E. To the Rescue! Tips for Parents to Manage Their Children’s* Anxiety and OCD (*Children of all ages)

Are you a parent finding it difficult to figure out how to best support your loved one’s OCD? This presentation is aimed at helping parents to support their children of all ages, while reducing parental support for their OCD behaviors. Utilizing techniques from SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions), this talk aids parents in differing anxiety from behavioral issues, learning tools in how to support anxious children, learning how to increase support while reducing accommodations, and finding out how to make small changes that lead to big and successful outcomes! This talk is for parents of children who are all ages: adults, young adults, teens, and young children.

More info on our guest speaker:

Michelle Malloy, MFT, PMH-C

Website: https://oc-therapy.com/about-us

Bio: Michelle Malloy, MFT, PMH-C, completed her Bachelor’s Degree at UCLA in Psychology and went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Cal State Fullerton. She has worked in mental health for over twenty years. She received training from the UCLA Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Clinic and Western Youth Services. Michelle has completed the Behavioral Therapy Training Institute (BTTI)’s general and pediatric training programs through the International OCD Foundation and specializes in using cognitive-behavioral therapy and exposure and response prevention to treat OCD. She also treats generalized anxiety, panic disorder, and eating disorders. Additionally, she is certified in perinatal mental health and EMDR trained.

More info about the support group:

This support group meets every second Saturday of the month from 11 am to 1 pm PT. It features families and individuals who have overcome their OCD and share their journey. Additionally, we have special guest researchers, psychiatrists, authors, treatment providers, and other special guests each month. We hope to see you Saturday, May 10th, at 11 am PT. Please email us at info@ocdsocal.org to be on our mailing list and receive the May support group’s Zoom link!

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Register today for the San Diego OCD Walk!

Registration is now open for the San Diego OCD Walk! We will meet at the beautiful La Jolla Shores Hotel and walk down the ocean boardwalk to the Scripps Pier. Join us in raising awareness, fighting stigma, and supporting those affected by OCD. We welcome EVERYONE including individuals with OCD, family, friends, clinicians, researchers, and trainees – it takes a village!

Date: Saturday, June 7, 2025
Time: 9:00am to 12:00pm PT
Location: La Jolla Shores Hotel Garden Patio
La Jolla, CA

This is an amazing event and we don’t want to miss you – sign up today! Registration is FREE, but walkers who raise at least $25 will get a t-shirt!

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Thanks for making the San Diego speaker series a success!

OCD SoCal would like to thank everyone who made our 2025 San Diego Speaker Series a success! Nearly 50 people attended this speaker series at the Mira Mesa Public Library on April 26, including people with lived experience of OCD, loved ones, and clinicians. Consistent with our values of making sure that everyone can access resources for OCD, we were able to make this event free of cost due to the generosity of individual donors and our sponsors – Rogers Behavioral Health and Newport Healthcare – and thanks to our many volunteers and speakers who donated their time to this event. In particular, Anna Morgan LCSW, Spenser Gabin LMFT, and Jennie Kuckertz PhD provided an overview of how to get and do effective treatment for OCD. Our family, loved ones, and lived experience panel was facilitated by Katherine Pica LCSW and featured five panelists who spoke movingly about their journeys navigating OCD and recovery paths as a family, offering hope to others (Cathy, Shannon, Patty, Jonathan, and Adriana). We are grateful to each of you for your advocacy and leadership!

OCD SoCal is looking forward to seeing everyone at our San Diego One Million Steps for OCD Walk, to be held Saturday, June 7 at the La Jolla Shores Hotel! If you haven’t already, register today!

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Final Week to Register for Our Speakers Series Conference Events Happening THIS Weekend in Orange County (May 3) and Los Angeles (May 4)!

At both the Orange County location on Saturday, May 3rd, and the Los Angeles location on Sunday, May 4th, there are presentations aimed at people with OCD, their loved ones, supporters, and anyone interested in learning more about OCD and related disorders.

Additionally, at the Speaker Series conference events at both locations, there is a professional track that will offer clinicians (LMFT, LPCC, LCSW, and psychologists) 3 CE credits at low cost.

Email us with any general questions at info@ocdsocal.org. Additionally, OCD Southern California never wants cost to be a deterrent from joining any of our events. If you need complimentary registration for you or your loved ones, please email us.

Scroll below to learn more about both events and to register!

To register, please visit: REGISTER for Orange County Speakers Series!

Meet the Orange County Speaker Series presenters! There are 12 OCD experts, local to the Orange County and Southern California area. Learn more about the 12 speakers here: BIOS FOR THE 12 ORANGE COUNTY SPEAKER SERIES PRESENTERS offering presentations on OCD and related disorders with topics to include: medications, family accommodations and how to best support your loved one with OCD, taboo mental obsessions, combating rumination, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), shame and guilt, getting into the treatment mindset, co-occurring disorders, the treatment for OCD, and more! To learn more about the presentations being offered, as well as the agenda and program, visit here: PRESENTATION INFORMATION, AGENDA, AND BIO FOR MAY 3RD EVENT.

The 12 presenters speaking at the Saturday, May 3rd, Orange County Speaker Series Event

Event Info: Orange County will host a Speakers Series conference event on Saturday, May 3, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM PST.  This event is being held at Orange Coast College at 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa, CA 92626.  There is free parking adjacent to the event location. 

This event is open to individuals with OCD, their family members and loved ones, mental health providers, students, and the general public. Talks for the general public will be presented throughout the day. 

Beverages and a catered lunch will be provided.

Registration is $15 per individual. The low-cost sign-up will aid our non-profit in covering venue and food costs. 

This event is also for mental health providers wanting to learn more about OCD. There will be a clinician track at Orange County, and we are offering 3 CE credits to licensed clinicians who attend the full day. For licensed therapists (LMFT, LPCC, LCSW, and psychologists), please purchase the Professional ticket when you register. 

Schedule 

9:30 AM: Registration opens 
10:00 AM: Welcome & introductions
10:15 AM – 11:15 AM: Speakers
11:30 AM – 12:30 PM: Speakers
12:30 PM – 12:45 PM: Lunches Provided (Catered)
12:45 PM – 1:45 PM: Speakers
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Ask the Experts: Q&A Panel

(More information on the schedule here: PRESENTATION INFORMATION, AGENDA, AND BIO FOR MAY 3RD EVENT).

To register, and for more information, please visit: REGISTER for Orange County Speakers Series!

The next day, on Sunday, May 4th, we are offering a Speaker Series event in Los Angeles!

Sign Up Link: REGISTER for the Los Angeles Speakers Series

Los Angeles will host a Speakers Series on Sunday, May 4, from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM PST.  This event is being held at the USC Health Sciences Campus, 2250 Alcazar Street, Los Angeles, CA 90033.
There is a parking lot adjacent to the event site.  Here is a map of the venue: https://events.usc.edu/assets/docs/USC-HSC-Map-2022.pdf. There is a parking lot adjacent to the event site. Enter Lot 17 from Alcazar Street and proceed down the one-lane entryway to the rear parking lot (3G and 4H on the map).  Park in any unmarked parking space.  Entry to the CSC Building is from this rear parking lot (red circle with gold cross at 4H on the map).  Once parked, please go to https://www.offstreet.io/location/SBT977EW and enter code 584236 when prompted. 

This event is open to individuals with OCD, their family members and loved ones, mental health providers, students, and the general public. Talks for the general public will be presented throughout the day. 

Beverages and a catered lunch will be provided.

The suggested donation is $15.00. The low-cost sign-up will aid our non-profit in covering venue and food costs. 

This event is also for mental health providers wanting to learn more about OCD. There will be a clinician track at the Los Angeles event, and we are offering 3 CE credits to licensed clinicians who attend the full day. For licensed therapists (LMFT, LPCC, LCSW, and psychologists), please purchase the Professional ticket when you register. 

Schedule & Speakers:

Morning Schedule
10:00 AM: Registration opens (coffee, bagels, pastries)
10:30 AM: Welcome & introductions
10:45 AM – 11:30 AM: Paul Zawacki, LCSW: How to be Uncomfortable: Getting ACT-y with Your ERP
11:30 AM – 12:15 PM: Dr. Jen Siegel: Medication for OCD

12:15 PM – 1:00 PM: Lunch break 

Afternoon Schedule
1:15 PM – 2:00 PM: Melissa Mose, LMFT: The Role of the Family System in Treatment
2:00 PM – 2:45 PM: Dr. Adam Frank: Neuromodulation for OCD
2:45 PM – 3:00 PM: General Q&A and networking

Bios for the Los Angeles presenters:

Adam Frank, M.D., Ph.D.

Website: http://ocdsocal.org/about-us/board-of-directors/

Bio: Dr. Adam C. Frank is a psychiatrist, researcher, and Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences in the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California. Dr. Frank currently divides his time between caring for individuals with OCD in an outpatient psychiatry clinic, supervising and teaching psychiatry residents at USC, and conducting research on the mechanisms of OCD and improving treatment outcomes through the use of neuroimaging, wearable biosensors, and neuromodulation. 

Melissa Mose, LMFT

Website: https://www.melissamosemft.com

Bio: Melissa Mose, LMFT, has been in private practice for 30 years and has specialized in working with OCD for roughly half of that. She is currently the president of OCD Southern California, an affiliate of the International OCD Foundation and she is an international speaker and educator on Obsessive Compulsive disorder. As a Level 3 trained and Certified Internal Family Systems therapist and an IFS-I Approved Clinical Consultant, Melissa is committed to developing a more compassionate, IFS-informed approach to treating OCD. She is devoted to raising awareness about OCD, training clinicians to identify and treat, improve early identification and wider range of treatment options for individuals with OCD.

Jennifer Siegel, MD

Website: https://communitywesttreatment.com/jennifer-siegel-md/

Bio: Dr. Jennifer Siegel is a current PGY4 resident and serves as Chief Resident of Outpatient Psychiatry at the University of Southern California. She earned her medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine after graduating summa cum laude from Washington University in St. Louis, where she received her bachelor’s degree in psychology with minors in graphic design and studio art. At the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Siegel was a Bridging the Gaps Clinical Scholar, receiving an additional certificate in Community Health. Dr. Siegel specializes in medication management of mood & anxiety disorders (with particularly emphasis on OCD) as well as has training in ERP. She is actively involved in OCD-related research and has presented at the International OCD Foundation Annual Conference.

J. Paul Zawacki, LCSW

Website: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/courageous-act-therapy-irvine-ca/1440830

Bio: J. Paul Zawacki is a licensed clinical social worker and part-time clinical faculty member at the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, Department of Psychiatry, where he specializes in the assessment and treatment of OCD and other anxiety disorders. Paul also maintains Courageous ACT Therapy, an OCD and anxiety-focused private practice serving adults in California. He received his bachelor’s degree in English Language and Literature from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and his master’s degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California. He has specialized training in both Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). He is a former three-year board member of the Southern California chapter of the Association of Contextual Behavioral Science (ACBS), which is the primarily international organization for ACT-nerds. He is also a member of the International Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Foundation. He has lived experience with both OCD and ADHD.

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We hope to see you at one — or both — of these Speaker Series conference events. It is an opportunity to meet local OCD experts, get your questions answered, learn more about OCD, and meet others in a similar situation as yours. Email info@ocdsocal.org for any questions and to be added to our mailing list. We look forward to seeing you this weekend!