OCD SoCal presents our official program, which includes descriptions of the orientation, keynote, 40 breakout sessions, and conference wrap-up. We look forward to seeing you there– all are welcome, from anywhere across the globe! Email us with any questions: info@OCDSoCal.org. Please scroll through the rest of our website for more information on the conference.
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You can also view the larger version of the conference program here:
There are two exciting reasons to WATCH our new 6th Annual OCD Virtual Conference promotional video:
Learn more about our Saturday, April 30th virtual OCD conference from a special message from OCD SoCal’s president Melissa Mose, LMFT!
See some clips from the conference keynote from last year (2021)’s virtual conference to get an idea of what to expect at this year’s event! It features the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)’s national and lead advocates Ethan Smith, Liz McIngvlae, Valerie Andrews, Tom Smalley, and Chris Trondsen.
OCD SoCal presents our official agenda, which lays out the day’s events, including the time slot each of the 40 breakout session is being offered. We look forward to seeing you there and email us with any questions: info@OCDSoCal.org! Please scroll through the rest of our website for more information on the conference, including descriptions of each breakout session and the keynote!
Real Stories. Real People. Meet our keynote speakers kicking off our April 30, 2022 conference!
Cost: $35.00 for general admission. Cost is per screen. Scholarship tickets available for free admission. Contact us for a complimentary ticket here: info@ocdsocal.org. To register for the conference: Register via our EventBrite link here.
As for the keynote speakers: We are thrilled to present a panel consisting of people with OCD and their loved ones, who have been successful in the recovery of OCD, as our keynote speakers: Ethan S. Smith and Rev. Katie O’Dunne, Shannon Shy, Susan Boaz and Meg Dailey, Alexandra Reynolds, and Kendall and Chase Williams. OCD Southern California’s Vice President, Chris Trondsen, will moderate the keynote.
We are pleased to introduce our keynote panel of speakers:
Alexandra Reynolds is currently a stay-at-home mom to a beautiful son. She graduated from Kennesaw State University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and turned her passion for mental health and advocacy into a challenging and rewarding career as a Domestic Violence Victim Advocate serving the Latinx and immigrant populations. As a first-generation Puerto Rican, Alexandra has been living with OCD since the age of 6 but was unable to access appropriate diagnosis and treatment until the age of 35. She lives with the additional diagnoses of major depression and complex PTSD. Alexandra is passionate about breaking the stigma around mental illness and using her lived experience to help others. She believes culture and community are important intersections in mental health and is dedicated to advocating from a place of inclusivity, compassion, and learning.
Ethan Smith and Rev. Katie O’Dunne are an adult couple who both have OCD. Katie and Ethan met through OCD advocacy and quickly became best friends. However, their friendship turned to love during the pandemic in their own personal “COVID love story.” They began to connect far beyond their OCD, finding commonality in their passion for life, helping others, and making a difference in the world. Katie and Ethan have supported one another through the highs and lows of OCD (and life), learning healthy ways to authentically support one another without offering accommodation or reassurance. They truly believe that they are the healthiest, happiest versions of themselves when they are together…and that their connection far surpasses their experience with OCD. Ethan and Katie are currently both national and lead advocates for the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF).
Kendall and Chase Williams are mother and son who will share their long journey from treatment resistance to higher education. Chase was diagnosed with OCD and started receiving treatment in his late teens. Chase was able to participate in both intensive treatment and individual therapy, but Chase was very resistant to treatment and spent many years living with severe OCD. At one point, Kendall had no choice but to ask Chase to leave home; it was still many years until he was willing to once again try treatment. After a long struggle with OCD, Chase is moving forward with life. Two years ago Chase joined a choir performing at Carnegie Hall and is currently attending Berkley with a scholarship.
Shannon Shy is a retired United States Marine who is presently a civilian attorney with the Department of the Navy. A certified peer recovery specialist, he has written three books on overcoming OCD and provided peer support to hundreds of sufferers globally since 2016. Shannon served on the Board of Directors for the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) from 2011 to 2018, when he resigned to go serve in Afghanistan as a civilian advisor. Shannon provided the Keynote address at the IOCDF Conference in 2010 in Washington DC. He and his wife, Debbie, have three children and two grandchildren, and live in Dale City, Virginia.
Susan Boaz is mother to Megan Dailey, a young adult with OCD and PANS. Susan is the Current IOCDF Board President, and the Executive Director of the PANDAS Physician Network. She raises funds for Pediatric OCD, and for research and physician education regarding PANDAS. She works to educate physicians and parents, and to bring together doctors and researchers across the world. Megan is an undergraduate student at the University of North Carolina studying psychology. She has been a part of the IOCDF community since 2009 after she was diagnosed with OCD and PANDAS when she was six years old. Now, she is passionate about telling her story to help other kids suffering the same way she did. After graduation, she hopes to attend graduate school and get her PhD in clinical psychology so that she may continue helping children diagnosed with OCD.
Chris Trondsen, MS, AMFT, APCC, will moderate the panel. Chris suffered from undiagnosed, severe OCD and BDD from childhood. Following treatment, Chris began advocating for mental health and shared his story on TV, newspapers and podcasts. Chris began speaking at Annual OCD Conferences, including giving the keynote with his mom at the 2011 conference. He also helped start the Young Adult Track at the annual conference.
Each of these speakers is a person impacted by OCD who has had a unique journey of support and recovery. They look forward to sharing their stories with the OCD community.
About this event
Following the keynote speakers, there will be a total of 40 break-out sessions offered during four consecutive time slots. Ten breakout sessions will be offered during each time slot; there will be seven presentations available for CE units during the conference. More information about our presentations, led by some of the top OCD experts in the United States, are posted on our website here: Description of the 40 conference breakout sessions. The conference will end with a Summary Q&A Panel.
Up to 5 continuing education credits (CEs) for mental health professionals are available for LMFT, LPCC, LCSW and psychologists.
To obtain CEs, the cost for the conference entrance is $35 and the cost for the CEs is $50 for a total of $85.
