NOTE: OCD Southern California just announced upcoming virtual and local in-person events happening in September and October of 2024 that are available to anyone from anywhere who are interested. They include virtual support groups, OCD Awareness Week events, and “One Million Steps for OCD Walks!” For more information, click on this link or visit our home page of the website: http://ocdsocal.org/3919/upcoming-virtual-and-in-person-ocd-events-for-september-and-october/
Registration is Now Open for the In-Person, 2024 April Speakers Series!
OCD Southern California is happy to announce the return of the Speakers Series this April 2024! There will be more speakers this year and CEs (continuing education credits for licensed mental health professionals) will be offered at the Orange County events!
These low-cost ($15 per person), 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. Note: The San Diego, Inland Empire, and Los Angeles Speaker Series are now sold out. The Orange County location has limited capacity and is close to filling up as well. If you are interested, please register as soon as possible!
For the agenda and program of the Orange County Speakers Series, including each presentation’s title and description, please click here:
4/6 Orange County Speakers Series: CLICK HERE FOR PRESENTATION TITLES AND DESCRIPTION
For information on each Speakers Series location’s presenters, including their names, clinical titles, websites, and bios, please click here:
4/6 Orange County Speakers Series: CLICK HERE FOR PRESENTERS’ INFORMATION
4/7 Inland Empire Speakers Series: CLICK HERE FOR PRESENTERS’ INFORMATION
4/20 San Diego Speakers Series: CLICK HERE FOR PRESENTERS’ INFORMATION
4/21 Los Angeles Speakers Series: CLICK HERE FOR PRESENTERS’ INFORMATION
Note: Each location has its own unique Eventbrite sign-up page. For each venue’s specific registration link, see below. Also, scroll down for more information on the Speakers Series events below the flyers and registration links!
CLICK HERE to sign-up for the Orange County Speakers Series!
Talks for the general public will be presented throughout the day. This event will offer 3 CE credits to clinicians. Beverages and a catered lunch will be provided, and the hotel parking fee has been waived. For more information and to register, click on the link directly below.
The Inland Empire Speakers Series is Sold Out.
The event will be held from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM. Lunch will be provided. Presenters will include OCD specialists and individuals with OCD. For more information and to register, click on the link directly below.
The San Diego Speakers Series is Sold Out.
This event will be at the Mira Mesa Library in San Diego from 10:00 AM – 1:30 PM. Lunch will be served. For more information and to register, click on the link directly below.
The Los Angeles Speakers Series is Sold Out.
This event is being held at Embark Behavioral Health in Woodland Hills from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM. Lunch will be served. For more information and to register, click on the link directly below.
For each event, registration is $15 per individual. The low-cost sign-up will aid our non-profit in covering venue, food, and parking costs. Each event will offer food and beverages. (Please note, OCD SoCal does not want registration costs to prevent you or your family from attending. Please email us at info@ocdsocal.org and ask us for a scholarship, which will waive registration costs).
This year we are thrilled to announce that we are providing 3 CE credits to clinicians at the Orange County location. We welcome OCD therapists as well as non-OCD clinicians who would like to learn about OCD treatment. The cost to attend for CE credits is $45.00. CE credits are for continuing education activities for clinicians; these are not for the general public.
Registration links:
Orange County: Register HERE to sign-up for the Orange County Speakers Series!
Inland Empire: The Inland Empire Speakers Series is Sold Out.
San Diego: The San Diego Speakers Series is Sold Out.
Los Angeles: The Los Angeles Speakers Series is Sold Out.
We will present the Speakers Series at four locations in Southern California. Join us on Saturday, April 6 in Orange County, and on Sunday, April 7 in the Inland Empire. San Diego will hold its event on Saturday, April 20 and the Los Angeles event will take place on Sunday, April 21.
These events are open to individuals with OCD, their family members and loved ones, mental health providers, students, and the general public. Please join us at your local event, or feel free to attend all four!
If you have additional questions, please contact us at info@ocdsocal.org. We hope to see you at our Speakers Series this April!
To learn more about our generous sponsors for the Orange County Speakers Series event, please visit: SPONSORS OF OUR ORANGE COUNTY SPEAKERS SERIES!
One Million Steps for OCD Walk 2024!
Each year, the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) sponsors “One Million Steps For OCD” walks around the country to bring together members of the local OCD communities to raise awareness, hope, and funds to the support the important programs of the IOCDF and partnering local affiliates, including OCD Southern California.
Join OCD SoCal for our “One Million Steps For OCD” walks in San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange County, Santa Barbara, or Inland Empire this June to raise awareness, hope, and funds to the support the IOCDF and OCD Southern California!
Schedule for all walks is as follows:
Check in, onsite registration, and t-shirt distribution
Opening remarks and group photo (opt-in)
Walk Picnic, presentations, and community mingle events
(For specific start times for each activity, please visit each individual location’s registration page since times vary based on location)
Registration Links: (Note: These are registration links and walk info for 2023. 2024 walk information will be updated soon!)
San Diego Walk
Saturday, June 3, 2023 at 9:00am
La Jolla Shores Hotel, Garden Patio | 8110 Camino Del Oro, La Jolla, CA 92037
Los Angeles Walk
Sunday, June 4, 2023 at 10:30am
Pan Pacific Park | 7600 Beverly Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036
Orange County Walk
Saturday, June 29, 2024 at 9:30am
Costa Mesa Marriott | 500 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Orange County – register here!
Inland Empire Walk
Saturday, June 24, 2023 at 10:00am
Olympic Park, West Pavilion | 6010 Southwestern St. Chino, CA 91710
Inland Empire – register here!
Main walk registration page to look for walks under a person or team name, visit: https://iocdf.org/programs/ocdwalk/search/
OCD SoCal is proud to partner with the IOCDF in hosting walks in San Diego, Los Angeles, Orange County, Santa Barbara, and Inland Empire. You can learn more about the history of the “One Million Steps For OCD” walk and how to get involved in your local OCD SoCal walk by visiting the IOCDF website.
So sign up today and join us as we spread OCD awareness to our local communities!
OCD Southern California Conference
OCD SoCal hosts an annual OCD Southern California Conference. The conference is an opportunity to learn more about OCD and its treatment, provide support for individuals with OCD and their families, and gain practical knowledge about a variety of issues that may arise with OCD and OCD-related disorders. This event is designed for individuals affected by OCD and their families, clinicians, researchers, and students interested in learning more about OCD.
OCD Southern California’s 6th Annual (Virtual) 2022 Conference!
OCD SoCal is hosting our upcoming 6th Annual OCD Conference (virtually) on Saturday, April 30, 2022 from 9am – 6pm PST!
Last year nearly 1,200 people from all over the world attended live and watched the recordings from our conference! Attendees enjoyed talks from therapists, psychiatrists, people with OCD + their family members & OCD advocates.
Talks included presentations on navigating OCD treatment, medications, family accommodation, skin picking, hair pulling, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), new OCD treatments, exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), OCD apps, virtual treatment, OCD documentaries & more!
For more information on our 2022 conference, please visit our website page that includes the agenda, where you can learn about the speakers and presentations that will be held on Saturday, April 30, 2022. Additionally, learn more about our keynote speakers by visiting our website page that includes a bio of each of our keynote speakers. To register for the conference, for additional information, information on earning CEs, and to learn about our panel of keynote speakers, please visit our EventBrite page here: OCD Southern California’s Official EventBrite Page.
Our official 6th Annual Virtual OCD Conference program, which covers the day’s events, can be viewed here!
Want to see what happens at OCD SoCal’s annual conference? For our 2017 conference, the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) was live on Facebook video streaming keynote speakers. You can watch the keynote talk from our conference here. In 2021, the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)’s five national and lead advocates were our keynote speakers at our 5th annual conference. You can watch Ethan S. Smith, Elizabeth McIngvale, Ph.D., Valerie Andrews, Tom Smalley, M.S., CSCS, and Chris Trondsen, M.S., AMFT, APCC, share their triumphant story here.
OCD Awareness Week
Each year, during the second full week in October, OCD SoCal sponsors events across southern California designed to raise awareness about OCD and OCD-related disorders, as well as their treatment. You can learn more about the history of OCD Awareness Week and associated events across the country here.
OCD Southern California’s OCD Awareness Week Event 2024!
Come back to see what OCD SoCal has in-store for OCD Awareness Week 2024!
Note: Below is the information from last year’s OCD Awareness Week Event (2021). For details of OCD Southern California’s 2024 OCD Awareness Week (Sunday, October 13 – Saturday, October 19, 2024) events, please check this page for updates closer to awareness week. Thank you!
Watch 2021’s OCD Virtual Awareness Week Event and download the resources provided by clicking here!
OCD SoCal is Hosting A Free, 2-Hour Virtual Event Featuring 5 Talks from 11 Speakers!
To join the event, email us at: info@ocdsocal.org letting us know you would like to attend the event!
On Saturday, October 16, 2021, from 10am to 12 noon PST, OCD Southern California offers a free and interactive virtual event to celebrate OCD Awareness Week 2021! This event includes presentations from members of the OCD SoCal board discussing various OCD topics: exposure and response prevention treatment, OCD medications, reducing family accommodation, a lived-experience panel consisting of individuals in recovery from OCD, and a presentation from Kim Quinlan, LMFT, the author of the new book, “The Self-Compassion Workbook for OCD.”
The agenda of the event is as follows:
After an introduction by our board members, the presentations will begin and last for the first half of the event:
“Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) for OCD” – Evelyn Gould, Ph.D., BCBA-D
Exposure and response prevention therapy is the gold-standard treatment for OCD. OCD SoCal board member Evelyn Gould, Ph.D., BCBA-D will cover the basics of ERP, including creating a hierarchy, facing uncertainty, and using the treatment modality to reduce anxiety around obsessions and compulsions.
“Medications for OCD” – Dr. Sepehr “Sheperd” Aziz, D.O.
Psychiatrist Dr. Sepehr Aziz will discuss the various medications and pharmacological interventions found effective in managing OCD symptoms. In addition, he will discuss the differences in medication classes, proper med doses, the effectiveness of meds, and the future of OCD medications.
“How a Family Member Can Best Support a Loved One with OCD” – Melissa Mose, LMFT and Barbara Van Noppen, Ph.D., LCSW
The ‘Kids, Teens, and Family’ talk will address how both the experience of –and the treatment for– OCD in kids and teens is different than it is for adults. In this context, we will define family accommodation and illustrate how it impacts children and the course of OCD and how parents can manage their own confusion, fears, and challenges. When anxiety is viewed as a cyclic and systemic phenomenon, treatment options that include family members become more effective. Concrete skills, tools, contracts, and other methods will be introduced.
“Our Journey With Overcoming OCD” – Chris Trondsen, M.S., AMFT, APCC, Liz Trondsen, Patricia Bosvay, Shannon Switzer, and Andrew Cohen, LMFT
This panel gives an opportunity to hear personal stories from individuals in recovery from OCD and stories from family members who have supported loved ones on the recovery journey. You will hear what has been supportive, what has been unhelpful, and how to tap into your motivation for recovery. You will walk away from this panel inspired and hopeful!
“Learn How Self-Compassion Can Help Supercharge Your OCD Recovery!” – Kim Quinlan, LMFT
Finally, the event will conclude with a presentation from a special guest, Kimberley Quinlan, LMFT. She will be discussing her newly released book, “The Self-Compassion Workbook for OCD.” In this interactive presentation, you will learn why having self-compassion is crucial for OCD recovery. Additionally, how the practice of self-compassion can actually help with motivation and willingness to engage in exposure and response prevention will be discussed. We will also cover the core concepts of self-compassion and some of the common roadblocks that people with OCD experience when it comes to practicing self-compassion.
The second half of the event will feature a Q&A segment with each of the speakers available to answer any questions you may have!
We will then conclude with a message from our board members.
Since this event is virtual, all are welcome to attend–from anywhere! The event is perfect for individuals with OCD, their family and loved ones, and professionals wanting to learn more about treating people with OCD. It is also a fantastic opportunity to educate the public on OCD. Please also invite family and loved ones who would benefit from learning more about this disorder.
We will be sending out the specific link to the event for those on our OCD SoCal mailing list. If you or someone you feel would be interested in attending are not on that list, please email us at: info@OCDSoCal.org.
OCD Awareness Week 2021 is from Sunday, October 10 until Saturday, October 16, 2021, with our event landing on the final day of awareness week!
We look forward to seeing you there!