It is being held at Orange Coast College in Orange County. The address is 2701 Fairview Rd., Costa Mesa, CA, 92626. This will be the only Speaker Series event OCD SoCal hosts in 2026, so we encourage people from Los Angeles, San Diego, the Inland Empire, and anyone from anywhere interested, to join us in person on May 30th!
We have 23 presenters (see above pictures and click here for more info:https://ocdsocal.org/4914/meet-the-23-presenters-speaking-on-saturday-may-30th-at-our-in-person-ocd-socal-speaker-series/) and 13 presentations for people with OCD, their family members and loved ones, as well as 3 low-cost CEs available for licensed providers. Trainees, associates, students, and others involved in the mental health field can purchase a general admission ticket and enjoy either the general content or sit in on the CE talks.
You can also go to the specific Speaker Series section of OCD SoCal’s website to learn more about the event: https://ocdsocal.org/programs/speakerseries/. We hope you attend and also share the event with your family, loved ones, and your community!
This is the last week for early-bird pricing ($15), and attendees get free parking, beverages, a catered meal, and access to the slides from each talk. We hope to see many of you there. Thank you to OCD Anxiety Centers for sponsoring the catered lunch.
Our Vice President, Chris Trondsen, LMFT, had the opportunity to be interviewed by The New York Times for their Psych 101 column on the topic of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD)! BDD is an obsessive-compulsive related disorder where individuals fixate on a specific feature or features of their appearance and become obsessed with that body part(s). Over time, they believe these flaws are making them repulsive and disgusting looking to others, and because of this they isolate, become obsessed with “fixing” their appearance, consider themselves ugly, experience severe depression, and may become suicidal.
Chris Trondsen, LMFT, spoke both about his lived experience with the disorder, as well as contributed to the article as a clinician. One of his clients previously suffering from BDD discussed her recovery journey after receiving a BDD diagnosis from Chris Trondsen, LMFT.
The article also features top BDD researchers and offers an explanation to why people with BDD see themselves differently than others. This article is recommended for anyone suffering from BDD, body image disorders, and other disorders that affects how someone feels about their appearance. The article also offers hope to people suffering from BDD that they can get better.
The article is also great for any clinician interested in treating BDD and related image disorders.
Here is a gifted link that allows readers to enjoy the article at no cost for 30 days via the articles author from the New York Times, Christina Caron: Click here to read the article:New York Times article on BDD. Please share the article with anyone who may benefit from this material!
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 6, 2026 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 $75 will get a t-shirt!
The OCD Southern California Speaker Series conference is being held on Saturday, May 30, 2026 from 10am – 3pm PT. Check-in for the event will open at 9:30am. We suggest you arrive early for check-in and then the event will begin promptly at 10am. If you have not registered for the event, there are still low-cost tickets available. Your registration includes a catered meal, beverages, and free parking. For more information and to register, visit: https://ocdspeakerseries.eventbrite.com.
Our event program, which will include full talk descriptions, is coming soon. The program will be posted on the main page of our website, as well as our official Speaker Series page on our website (https://ocdsocal.org/programs/speakerseries/).
Here is the agenda for the event, that includes a rundown of the day’s events, titles of the presentations, and details of the break-out sessions being offered:
Registration: 9:30amPT
The event will be at Orange Coast College located at 2701 Fairview Road, Costa Mesa, CA, 92626. Please park in parking lots C, D and E, which are adjacent to the College Center Building. This is the building where the event is being held. Parking is free on Saturdays (please do not park in staff parking). After parking, please proceed to where the event is being held, in the College Center Building, and go up to the third floor where the check-in desk is located. You do not need to bring your EventBrite ticket; we have the names of everyone who registered and will check you in at the check-in table.
Introduction and Welcome: 10 – 10:15amPT
An OCD Southern California board member (http://ocdsocal.org/about-us/board-of-directors/) will welcome attendees, go over the day’s events, and announce additional important information. Then the event’s presentations will begin.
The event is offering 12 total presentations with a final 13th presentation featuring all of the day’s speakers for an “Ask the Expert” Q&A Panel. If you scroll below, you will notice that the day is split into 4 sessions. During the first 3 sessions there are four talks being offered simultaneously and you can pick which one you would like to attend. Then the Q&A panel is for everyone in attendance.
Again this year, we are offering 3 continuing education credits (CEs) for licensed clinicians (LMFTs, LPCCs, LCSWs, and psychologists). These talks, specifically for mental health providers, will be held in the venue’s ballroom and will be held at the same time as the talks for the general public. NOTE: Pre-licensed trainees, students, and other mental health providers in the field are welcome to attend the CE talks. However, we are not able to offer CE’s to those attendees. Therefore, you can register as a general attendee. We thank USC for sponsoring the CEs!
Treating OCD: Assessment to Maintenance – Curtis Hsia, PhD OC Anxiety Center
Lunch: 12:30pmPT
Orange Coast College is providing a catered lunch and beverages. There will be different food options to choose from; you will select your preferred option at check-in. The lunches are provided in portable dinnerware. We ask you to bring your food into the room of the presentation you are choosing to watch during session three. Thank you to OCD Anxiety Centers for sponsoring the catered lunch.
Maximizing Your Insurance Benefits to Cover OCD Treatment – Michelle Malloy, MFT, PMH-C OC-Therapy and Megan Alberoni, MA, BCBA
More Than OCD: Real Stories of Recovery and Living Fully – Jennie Kuckertz, PhD – Jennie M. Kuckertz, PhD | McLean Hospital, Cathy Agostino, Dylan Mitchell, Gur Yilmaz, and Jarret Lovell.
Ask The Experts: Summary Q&A Panel – All of the event’s presenters
Please join us for an opportunity to ask questions of a panel consisting of all of the event’s presenters. This is an opportunity to ask any of the questions you were unable to ask during the day, or if you were unable to attend one of the presentaitons, that talk’s presenters will be able to answer your questions at this panel. The panel will consist of leading OCD experts and will be held in the ballroom.
Opportunity Drawing
Additionally, for those still in attendance at the end of our OCD Southern California Speaker Series conference event, we will be hosting an opportunity drawing for an opportunity to win gift card prizes! The ticket to win is already included with your registration at no additional cost!
Event Concludes: 3:00pmPT
On your way out, please make sure to sign up for OCD Southern California’s mailing list, our free and virtual Family and Loved One’s OCD Support Group, and complete a quick evaluation of the event.
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We look forward to seeing everyone at the Speaker Series event. Make sure to register before the event is sold out! For more information and to register for the event, click here: https://ocdspeakerseries.eventbrite.com.
A reminder, OCD Southern California is offering 3 CEs for LCSW, LMFT, LPCC, and Psychologists who attend the CE track of this event!
