OCD Southern California is excited to announce that the Online OCD Conference, A Global Event, is returning this year!
After last year’s successful event, we are excited to announce that the 2026 conference will return on Saturday, November 7th, and Sunday, November 8th!
1,400 people attended last year from around the world, and we had presentations on OCD treatments, medications, improving treatment outcomes, different evidence-based therapies, how to become an OCD advocate, building an OCD community, combating procrastination and perfectionism, and more. There were talks for everyone in the OCD community.
We heard from many of you that this was the first OCD conference you were able to attend, and, just like last year, registration costs will be low, and scholarships will be offered.
We are currently in the planning stages. We heard from you through last year’s conference surveys about what you want for this year’s conference, and we are making sure to include changes that reflect your feedback! This year’s conference will be bigger and more impactful, and we hope you’ll save the date so you can join us live!
OCD Southern California has hosted both in-person and virtual conferences since 2015. For over a decade, we have worked to offer programming and community to individuals and families impacted by OCD–both locally and to attendees online. OCD SoCal is once again hosting a global conference featuring presenters from around the world!
The conference is for people with OCD and their family members, spouses, parents, and loved ones who support them. This conference is also for professionals and educators who want to learn more about the OCD and related disorders community and how to support those impacted. For professionals seeking continuing education credits, we offer CEs through the University of Southern California (USC) and the OCD Training School at a low cost!
We hope you can clear your calendars and attend live from Saturday, November 7th, through Sunday, November 8th! The conference runs from 9am to 6:30pm PST (including after-hours community discussion groups and interactive events) on Saturday, the 7th, and from 9am to 3pm PST on Sunday, the 8th.
If you cannot join the conference live, registering will allow you to watch each presentation recording for up to 60 days after the event, at your convenience!
More information to come, but we hope you mark your calendars for the weekend of November 7th and 8th and join OCD SoCal’s global, Online OCD Conference this year! See you there!
Email us with any questions or to get on our mailing list: info@ocdsocal.org!
OCD Southern California, an official affiliate of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), is always honored to participate in the “One Million Steps for OCD Walks” each year. This year, we kicked off our first OCD SoCal walk on Saturday, June 6th at the La Jolla Shores Hotel in San Diego, CA!
Attendees included OCD SoCal board members, members of our San Diego Regional Council, volunteers, people with OCD, their family and friends, and more! They all reported having a great time at the OCD Awareness Walk in San Diego including representing their official walk t-shirts with pride, visiting the info booths, and mingling with others in similar situations with OCD.
Around 100 walkers joined the event and raised approximately $2,400 to support IOCDF’s programs and outreach efforts. Thank you to everyone who showed up, donated, and helped create a successful event!
For more information on the “One Million Steps for OCD Walks,” including upcoming walks in the Southern California area, please stay tuned to our website or visit the IOCDF’s official walk webpage at https://iocdf.org/programs/ocd-walk/!
Chris Trondsen, LMFT, a clinician with OCD, and his mom, Liz, are excited to remind you about our June virtual, free, 2-hour Family and Loved Ones OCD Support Group. To join, simply email info@ocdsocal.org and ask for the Zoom link.
The support group is held every second Saturday of the month. Our next group is this Saturday, June 13th, from 11am to 1pm PT!
Please read the information for June 13th Family & Loved Ones’ OCD Support Group:
Are you finding it difficult to maintain a loving relationship with the person in your life with OCD while at the same time creating boundaries so as not to give in to the disorder? As a supporter of a loved one with OCD, one of the most difficult challenges is balancing having a close relationship with them while at the same time reducing accommodations, reassurance giving, and enabling of OCD. This topic is the main focus of our 2-hour support group for family members and loved ones this upcoming Saturday, June 13th, from 11am to 1pm PDT.
Whether you are a parent of a young child, a teenager, a young adult, or a full-grown adult, this talk is for you.
Are you a spouse or in a relationship with someone who has OCD, or a sibling or loved one? This talk also has you covered! You, too, are trying to maintain a tight-knit relationship with someone you care for deeply but are also finding that you receive pushback when you refuse to drop your boundaries to give in to your loved one’s anxious demands.
We are joined by two special guest speakers, expert clinicians Jennifer O’Connor, Ph.D., and Elena Fasan, MSW, LCSW, who will focus the discussion on the delicate balance of supporting your loved one without enabling or interfering with their treatment.
Here is more information on the presentation, including the title and description:
Supportive Parenting in OCD: How to Stand Up to OCD While Holding onto Your Relationship with Your Loved One
Parents are the most powerful resource for their child with OCD during their recovery process, but it can be very difficult to stand up to OCD’s demands while still holding onto a strong relationship with your loved one. The presenters will explore common reasons why parents and other caregivers struggle to reduce accommodations and support at-home exposures, even when the importance of these steps is well understood.
A clear formula for supportive parenting will be offered, along with an opportunity to practice supportive communication through role playing. Attendees will leave with a greater understanding of how to reduce OCD’s presence in their children’s lives, no matter their age or if they do or don’t live at home and boost their confidence in their ability to cope with distress—all while maintaining a strong emotional connection with them. Additionally, there will be a discussion on how to be a supportive spouse, sibling, or family member to someone with OCD, and the unique challenges that come with these roles.
Learn more about the special guest presenters for our June support group:
Dr. Jennifer O’Connor is a licensed clinical psychologist and an expert in the field of anxiety and eating disorder treatment. Dr. O’Connor has been featured as an anxiety specialist on the Anderson Cooper Show, CNN Headline News, and A&E’s “Obsessed,” a TV series documenting CBT treatment of individuals with OCD. Dr. O’Connor trained at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles/ USC’s Keck School of Medicine where she specialized in pediatric and adolescent mental health. Dr. O’Connor then served as a direct patient care psychologist for 7 years in hospital and residential care settings, treating eating and anxiety disorders in children, teens and adults before transitioning to private practice in San Clemente. She has been practicing as a licensed psychologist since 2005 and has served as Adjunct Faculty at University of West Alabama Online Counseling and Psychology Program since 2010. Dr. O’Connor relies on evidenced-based practices including exposure therapy, acceptance and commitment therapy, and dialectical behavior therapy to help her clients discover freedom in their daily lives.
Elena Fasan (she/her) is an LCSW and psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of OCD, anxiety disorders, and related disorders in children, adolescents, and emerging adults. She is the founder and director of the Children’s OCD & Anxiety Collective and sees clients in person in Pasadena, CA, and virtually in CA, WA, FL, and some international countries. Elena trained at UCLA’s Child and Adolescent OCD Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program at the Semel Institute and worked at the OCD Center of Los Angeles as a staff therapist before going into private practice. She is passionate about providing evidence-based treatment grounded in CBT, including ERP, ACT, HRT, ComB, and SPACE and advocating for young people diagnosed with OCD and related disorders. Elena also has a special interest in educating and helping parents, caregivers, and others who support those young people. Her background in childcare and her academic study of child and adolescent development and then social work inform her work and collaboration with clients, parents, and families. She is also an educator, with experience working as an adjunct lecturer in the Department of Child and Adolescent Development at California State University, Northridge, her undergraduate alma mater.
—
We look forward to seeing you this Saturday! To join, simply email info@ocdsocal.org and ask for the Zoom link.
To register for this event, click on: https://ocdspeakerseries.eventbrite.com. You can register online if tickets are show to still be available OR you can register onsite. We heard from some of you that you prefer to register onsite, at the venue. We have saved tickets for walk-ins. Please show up to the venue and register at the check-in desk on the 3rd floor of the College Center Building!
For further information on the Speakers Series, please contact us through email at info@ocdsocal.org.
What: Register Today for OCD SoCal’s In-Person Speaker Series! This low-cost, in-person event will feature presentations by local, Southern California OCD treatment providers. They will facilitate panels and presentations on OCD and related disorders. This will also be an excellent opportunity to meet and connect with others in similar situations as you and your family in the local OCD community. What is new this year is that OCD SoCal is holding one Speakers Series event in one central location at Orange Coast College! We invite everyone in Southern California to join us under one roof!
When: Saturday, May 30, 2026, from 10am to 3pm.
Who: This event is for 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. We are also pleased to announce that we will be offering 3 Continuing Education credit for professionals (LMFTs, LPCCs, LCSWs, and psychologists)!
Where: Orange Coast College, 2701 Fairview Rd., Costa Mesa, CA 92626
Cost: $15. Beverages and a catered lunch will be provided. Parking is free. Thank you to OCD Anxiety Centers for sponsoring the catered lunch. Please email info@ocdsocal.org if cost is a prohibitive factor. We never want the cost to prevent anyone from attending an OCD SoCal event; scholarships are available for free entry!
See you at the Speaker Series conference today, Saturday, May 30, 2026, at 10am with registration and on-site check in starting at 9:30am! To register for this event, click on: https://ocdspeakerseries.eventbrite.com.
