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.
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!
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!
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.
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
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.
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.
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.
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!
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 new, extended deadline for proposals is Monday, May 19, 2025.
See the Proposal Form for Answers to FAQs. We hope you consider submitting a proposal!
Registration is open for OCD SoCal’s Orange County Speaker Series. The event is happening at Orange Coast College, 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa, CA 92626 on Saturday, May 3, 2025 from 10am – 3pm PT. A catered lunch, beverages, and parking are provided. For more information and to register for the event, click here: OCD SoCal Speaker Series Orange County Ticket Registration – EventBrite. Here are the event’s speakers in alphabetical order by first name:
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.
Bio: Barbara Van Noppen, Ph.D. is the Vice Chair for Faculty Development, Director of Well-being, and Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and the Behavioral Sciences at University of Southern California (USC), Keck School of Medicine, Los Angeles. Dr. Van Noppen is co-Director (with Adam Frank, MD) of the OCD Treatment and Research Program at Keck Medicine, USC. As an internationally recognized specialist in cognitive behavioral therapy and family-based treatment, Dr. Van Noppen has treated OCD for 39 years and “coined” the term “Family Accommodation” for OCD in 1990.
She teaches and supervises in the residency training program at LA General Medical Center, serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of the International OCD Foundation, the Scientific Advisory Committee of The Canadian Institute for Obsessive Compulsive Disorders (CIOCD) and International Accreditation Task Force. Dr. Van Noppen is most well known for her contributions in OCD family treatment, particularly the development of a Multifamily Behavioral Treatment (MFBT), Family Accommodation Scale (FAS), group CBT for OCD and she has numerous publications and clinical research in these areas. In addition, Dr. Van Noppen is a faculty member for the Behavioral Therapy Training Institute of the International OCD Foundation, and is on editorial boards for peer reviewed journal articles on OCD.
Bio: Chris Trondsen suffered with severe OCD, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), major depressive disorder, along with the anxiety that came with these disorders, until receiving specialized treatment. No longer under the control of the disorders, Chris now works as a licensed clinician in the mental health field, treating OCD, BDD, and related disorders at The Gateway Institute in Costa Mesa, California. Chris has shared his story of recovery on the Montel Williams Show, Dr. Drew, Fox 5 San Diego, Vox, Vice, Buzzfeed, NBC, Wondermind, as well as speaking at International OCD Foudnation (IOCDF) annual conferences. He is Vice President of OCD Southern California and also serves on the Board of Directors of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF). Additionally, he is one of the IOCDF’s lead advocates publicly sharing his recovery story. He is also a leader of multiple IOCDF Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and created the Young Adult Track at the annual IOCDF conference. He hosts a livestream (“Ask The Experts” and “Lunch and Learn”) every Wednesday, from 9am – 10am PT for the IOCDF.
Bio: Curtis Hsia is a SoCal native, having completed his undergraduate degree at UCLA. He earned his Ph.D. at Hofstra University, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Boston University’s Center for Anxiety and Related Disorders. Dr. Hsia then held a professorship at Azusa Pacific University for a decade before founding the OC Anxiety Center. He has been involved with the OCD community since his internship in 1998 at the Bio-Behavioral Institute, and has authored over a dozen peer reviewed articles, and presented over a hundred workshops, symposia, paper and poster presentations domestically and internationally, and is active with the International OCD Foundation.
Bio: Kelley Franke is the Director at The Center for OCD, a private practice specializing in Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, with a focus on Exposure & Response Prevention, in adults, adolescents, and children suffering from OCD, and other Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders. Kelley completed her master’s in clinical psychology from Pepperdine University. She received her initial training at The OCD Center of Los Angeles. Additionally, she received training in Dialectical Behavioral Therapy from Behavioral Tech Research through The Linehan Institute. Kelley is also the co-host of Purely OCD and has spoken at numerous conferences specifically related to the treatment of OCD.
Bio: Kevin Foss, MFT, is the director of the California OCD and Anxiety Treatment Center in Fullerton, CA. His clinical specialization spans the full range of the anxiety spectrum. In addition to speaking on various aspects of OC-spectrum disorders and writing for Psychology Today, he is the host of the FearCast Podcast, a question and answer based show about OCD and anxiety.
Bio: Kimberley Quinlan, LMFT, is dedicated to providing outstanding therapy and counseling for those with OCD and related disorders, eating disorders, and body focused repetitive disorders (BFRBs). Her approach is both collaborative and compassionate. Kimberley has extensive training in cognitive-behavioral therapy and exposure response prevention (ERP) for OCD and OCD-related disorders. Additionally, she teaches other clinicians how to provide quality CBT and ERP for OCD and OCD related disorders. Kimberley also hosts the “Your Anxiety Toolkit” podcast!
Bio: Lauren Rosen is a psychotherapist and the director of the Center for the Obsessive Mind, an outpatient clinic serving individuals in California, Florida, Utah, Nevada and Oregon. Lauren specializes in treating OCD, Anxiety Disorders & Eating Disorders and supports people using Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure & Response Prevention and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Lauren has her BA and MA in Psychology from UCLA and Antioch University, trained at the OCD Center of LA and is a certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. In addition to her work as a therapist, Lauren co-hosts the Purely OCD Podcast and does social media advocacy.
Bio: Matt Codde is a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in helping people overcome OCD & Anxiety-Related disorders. Matt is the founder of the online platform Restored Minds, the host of the OCD & Anxiety Show, and the author of From Stuck to Unstuck. Matt offers a unique approach to treatment that draws from both personal and clinical experience. You can connect with Matt through his website www.restoredminds.com.
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.
Bio: Dr. Sepehr “Sheperd” Aziz is a physician and currently Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine and Behavioral Sciences, where he works in an outpatient psychiatry clinic seeing university students on campus. He completed his general psychiatry residency training at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMass), and a subspecialty fellowship in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) where he worked in the OCD and Tic disorders specialty clinic. His research experience includes clinical trials of stimulant medications for ADHD and esketamine for refractory depression. In addition to English, he speaks fluent Persian. His approach to psychiatry is integrative, individualized, and culturally-informed.
Bio: Dr. Stephanie Davis is a licensed psychologist who runs a private practice in Orange County specializing in OCD, anxiety disorders, and misophonia. She began her clinical career counseling young adult populations at universities (BYU, Texas A&M, and St. Edward’s). While there she led anxiety and OCD groups, supervised graduate students in their clinical work, and supervised employees at a university crisis hotline. To further solidify her specialization in anxiety disorders and OCD, Dr. Davis completed a second post-doctoral position at the Orange County Anxiety Center and continued working there until opening her private practice. Dr. Davis offers consultation services to clinicians and is a frequent speaker at conferences and community events addressing OCD and anxiety-related concerns.
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We look forward to seeing everyone at the OC event. Make sure to register before the price goes up after the early bird discounted cost, or the event is sold out! For more information and to register for the event, click here: OCD SoCal Speaker Series Orange County Ticket Registration – EventBrite.
A reminder, OCD Southern California is offering 3 CEs for LCSW, LMFT, LPCC, and Psychologists who attend the CE track of this event!
