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Free, Virtual Family and Loved One’s OCD Support Group on Saturday, April 12, from 11am to 1pm PT!

You are invited to join us on Saturday, April 12th, 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 April 12th’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 April 12th support group, we are thrilled to welcome four young adults who have overcome OCD and are living fulfilled lives. They have gone on to lead the IOCDF Young Adult Special Interest Group (SIG). Kyle King, Sidney Lodge, Jessie Birnbaum, and Victoria Lane suffered from severe OCD, received evidence-based therapy, and now give back through advocacy, with a few of them becoming therapists specializing in OCD treatment themselves!

They want to focus on what their family and loved ones did that helped their recovery, as well as share what did not work to help guide you on how to support the person in your life with OCD.

The four young adult guest speakers will also share their inspirational stories of how they overcame OCD and answer all your questions! This group will focus on the Q&A, so we will have plenty of time for your questions! This is an excellent opportunity for you to learn. We encourage your loved one with OCD to join us to hear from those in recovery – and for parents and loved ones to find out how they can better help their loved ones on their recovery journey.

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, April 12th, at 11 am PT. Please email us at info@ocdsocal.org to be on our mailing list and receive the April support group’s Zoom link!

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REGISTRATION FOR OCD SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA’S 2025 SPEAKERS SERIES IS NOW OPEN. REGISTER TODAY FOR THESE IN-PERSON EVENTS!

OCD Southern California is happy to announce the return of the Speakers Series in 2025!  Speakers Series events will be held in San Diego in April and Orange County in May.

These free or low-cost, in-person events will feature presentations by local OCD specialist treatment providers. They will facilitate panels and presentations on OCD and related disorders and host a question-and-answer segment. This will also be an excellent opportunity to meet and connect with others in the local OCD community. 

These events are for individuals with OCD, their family members and loved ones, and anyone wanting to learn more about OCD. General talks will be offered, and the Speakers Series will end with a Q&A session featuring many of the day’s speakers. 

A professional tract will be offered at the Orange County location, and clinicians can earn 3 CE credits for the day.

For further information on the Speakers Series, please contact us through email at info@ocdsocal.org. Note, the Inland Empire Speaker Series is happening in October. More information on that event later on this year.

Please scroll below for more information and for the link to register for the San Diego and Orange County events!

The San Diego Speakers Series is Sold Out.

On Saturday, April 26, San Diego will be hosting their event from 10:00 AM to 1:30 PM PST. This FREE event will be held at the Mira Mesa Library at 8405 New Salem Street in San Diego.  Food and Beverages will be provided, and free parking is available.

There will be two panel presentations and a Q&A session at the end. The presentation titles are:

From A to Z: How to Get and Do Effective Treatment for ERP (clinician panel)

Breaking the Cycle: OCD, Family Accommodation and the Path to Support (Family & Loved Ones Panel).

This event is being held in a public library. Therefore, we are not able to charge for tickets to this event. When you register, please consider a donation to help us continue to sponsor free and low cost events such as this one.  

Link: The San Diego Speakers Series is Sold Out. 

LINK: REGISTER for the Orange County Speakers Series Here

Orange County will host a Speakers Series 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.

Early bird registration is $10 per individual. Registration costs will increase to $15.00, beginning April 21. 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 tract 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.

LINK: REGISTER for the Orange County Speakers Series Here

Link: REGISTER for the Los Angeles Speakers Series

Los Angeles will host a Speakers Series on Sunday, May 3 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.  Further information will be provided regarding parking.

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. 

Link: REGISTER for the Los Angeles Speakers Series

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We hope to see you at one — or all three — of our Speaker Series events!

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Family and Loved One’s OCD Support Group (Virtually) on Saturday, March 8 from 11am to 1pm PT!

The Mitchell Family (Dylan, Dewayne, and Jamie) – March’s support group’s special guests

Join us this Saturday, March 8th, from 11 am to 1 pm PT (Pacific Time) for our free, virtual Family and Loved One’s OCD Support Group! It is facilitated by Chris Trondsen, LMFT, a licensed therapist who overcame OCD, along with his mom, Liz Trondsen. To join, email info@ocdsocal.org and ask for the support group Zoom link to be sent! Anyone from anywhere can join!

We are excited to welcome the Mitchell family as our special guests for March’s support group. We know how important it is for you to find hope by hearing that people with OCD get better and live full and fulfilling lives. Also, hearing from parents and loved ones on what they did to support the person in their life with OCD to better ensure they recover from the disorder is important. Dylan, who has OCD, and his parents, Dewayne and Jamie, are excited to share Dylan’s recovery journey.

For Dylan, it all started in the senior year of his college career. Dylan started to struggle, and at the end of college, he was beginning to have a rough time. He noticed something was off when he returned home. In retrospect, his mom, Jamie, says he has had OCD his whole life, but Dylan never really noticed the symptoms until he got older.

It was not until college that he received an OCD diagnosis. He began treatment at The Gateway Institute, where he started getting support from the center’s founder and then began therapy with Chris Trondsen, LMFT.

Through both the treatment tools he was given in therapy and through medication, he was able to begin to live a normal and healthy lifestyle by conquering and facing his fears. Dylan recognized that it was challenging when he was first battling OCD, but he saw there was a light at the end of the tunnel if he worked hard and trusted the process.

After successful treatment, Dylan is now a business development manager for a landscaping company! He’s been successful in managing OCD, and he now feels that he has his whole life in front of him, and the days of struggling with OCD are behind him! Join us next Saturday to hear Dylan’s heroic journey and how his parents both supported him during his OCD recovery journey!

After Dylan and his parents share their recovery story, we will open the group for an interactive question-and-answer segment!

As a reminder, we do not record the support group for privacy reasons. This allows attendees the opportunity to share their experiences and ask questions in a safe space. We encourage you to attend or listen to the support group live on Saturday, March 8th! See you there at 11 am PT.

Email us with any additional questions at info@ocdsocal.org!

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Family and Loved One’s OCD Support Group (Virtually) on Saturday, February 8 from 11am to 1pm PT!

Victoria Lane and her family – February’s support group’s special guests

Join us this Saturday, February 8th, from 11 am to 1 pm PT (Pacific Time) for our free, virtual Family and Loved One’s OCD Support Group! It is facilitated by Chris Trondsen, LMFT, a licensed therapist who overcame OCD, along with his mom, Liz Trondsen. To join, email info@ocdsocal.org and ask for the support group Zoom link to be sent!

For our February support group, we will speak with Victoria–who received treatment for OCD–and her parents! Victoria joins us as a young adult with OCD who is also a Social Work Fellow at the OCD Institute of Texas, one of the top residential treatment centers for OCD in the country. She will be accompanied by her parents, Janan and Bill, who have been integral to her journey.

Victoria was officially diagnosed with OCD at age 20 and underwent intensive treatment. Inspired by her own recovery, she chose to pursue a master’s degree in clinical social work to work with those living with OCD, anxiety, and related disorders– and empower them to regain control of their lives, just as she did. She encourages everyone to understand that while treatment requires hard work, it has the potential to be life-changing. Her parents will share their insights on what was helpful—and what wasn’t—in supporting Victoria through her recovery journey.

After Victoria and her parents share their recovery story, we will open the group for an interactive question-and-answer segment!

As a reminder, we do not record the support group for privacy reasons. This allows attendees the opportunity to share their experiences and ask questions in a safe space. We encourage you to attend or listen to the support group live on Saturday, February 8th! See you there at 11 am PT.

Email us with any additional questions at info@ocdsocal.org!