OCD Southern California is proud to present our virtual Speaker Series event happening live on Saturday, May 13, 2023, from 11am to 1pm PST! This event will feature a psychiatrist, three OCD specialists, an individual with OCD, and a mother of a son with OCD. The goal of the event is to provide education and resources to aid you in your or your loved one’s journey of recovery. Additionally, the goal is to answer as many of attendees’ questions about the presentations or about your own experience with your OCD or a loved one you are supporting. This event is for individuals with OCD, their family and loved ones, and mental health treatment providers.
To join the event, simply email: info@ocdsocal.org and request to join our mailing list. We are then mailing out the Zoom link for Saturday’s event. If you are already signed up to our mailing list, that email with the Zoom link will already be sent to you.
You do not need to register for the event. Just simply click on the Zoom link provided on the day and time of the event and we will see you there! We suggest you log into the event 15 minutes early.
Here is more information on the speakers, as well as the title and description of the talks:
“Getting Into the Mindset Needed for You or Your Loved One’s Treatment” – Chris Trondsen, LMFT, and Liz Trondsen
Presentation description: Receiving an OCD diagnosis can be both difficult and life changing. You (or your loved one) finally has a name for the intrusive thoughts and the rituals consuming your life. This presentation is led by Chris, an individual with OCD, and his mother, Liz, who was instrumental in his recovery journey. Together, they will lay out the mindset someone with OCD needs to be in, as well as their family members and loved ones, in order to be successful in treatment. Presentations often lay out the specifics of ERP and OCD treatment. This talk instead will lay out the mindset one needs to be in so they can either do, or support someone doing, the OCD treatment, so the individual with OCD can return to living a successful life.
Chris Trondsen, LMFT, APCC
Website: http://ocdsocal.org/about-us/board-of-directors/
Bio: Chris Trondsen suffered with severe OCD and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) 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, and speaking at 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. He is also a leader of multiple IOCDF Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and created the Young Adult Track at the annual IOCDF conference.
Liz Trondsen
Website: http://ocdsocal.org/about-us/board-of-directors/
Bio: Liz Trondsen is the mother of a son with mental illness. When her son, Chris, was diagnosed at age twenty, she was able to locate a treatment center in Los Angeles where he received excellent cognitive behavioral therapy. From a young man consumed with obsessions and compulsions, Liz watched her son regain his life, graduate college, and now work to help others fight this disorder. Liz helps to facilitate a virtual Family and Loved One’s OCD Support Group that brings families and people with OCD together to provide support, suggestions, and hope to one another.
“Family Accommodation in OCD” – Melissa Mose, LMFT
Presentation description: Receiving an OCD diagnosis can be both difficult and life changing. You (or your loved one) finally has a name for the intrusive thoughts and the rituals consuming your life. This presentation is led by Chris, an individual with OCD, and his mother, Liz, who was instrumental in his recovery journey. Together, they will lay out the mindset someone with OCD needs to be in, as well as their family members and loved ones, in order to be successful in treatment. Presentation often lay out treatment specifics, this talk instead will lay out the mindset one needs to be in so they can return to living a successful life.
In an effort to cope with challenging situations to help the person with OCD, families engage in behaviors that perpetuate OCD symptoms and interfere with treatment. Family accommodation worsens OCD symptoms, leaving family members feeling frustrated and at odds with one another. You will be provided information on what is family accommodation and how to use conversations, discussions, verbal contracting, and the support of your loved one’s treatment provider to eliminate family accommodation. This is an essential ingredient in family-based treatment for OCD.
Melissa Mose, LMFT
Website: http://ocdsocal.org/about-us/board-of-directors/
Bio: Melissa Mose is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist who runs a private practice in Calabasas, CA. Melissa has advocated for those affected by OCD both as a clinician and as the parent of a child who experienced the debilitating symptoms of OCD as a result of a strep infection. Melissa specializes in working with anxiety disorders including OCD and OC spectrum disorders. Working with adolescents and their families has been Melissa’s primary focus since she began her work as an intern in 1992.
“An Overview of Medication Treatment for OCD” – Dr. Sepehr “Sheperd” Aziz, D.O.
Presentation description: Receiving an OCD diagnosis can be both difficult and life changing. You (or your loved one) finally has a name for the intrusive thoughts and the rituals consuming your life. This presentation is led by Chris, an individual with OCD, and his mother, Liz, who was instrumental in his recovery journey. Together, they will lay out the mindset someone with OCD needs to be in, as well as their family members and loved ones, in order to be successful in treatment. Presentation often lay out treatment specifics, this talk instead will lay out the mindset one needs to be in so they can return to living a successful life.
There are many treatment options for OCD including therapy, medications, and neuromodulation. This talk will present the basics about 1st- and 2nd-line medications used in treating OCD, including expected response, time to response, and side effects. Additionally, the talk will provide an overview of neuromodulation techniques for OCD, including treatments like transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).
Dr. Sepehr “Sheperd” Aziz, D.O.
Website: http://ocdsocal.org/about-us/board-of-directors/
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.
“OCD Doesn’t Have Your Best Interest At Heart” – Patrick McGrath, Ph.D.
Presentation description: Receiving an OCD diagnosis can be both difficult and life changing. You (or your loved one) finally has a name for the intrusive thoughts and the rituals consuming your life. This presentation is led by Chris, an individual with OCD, and his mother, Liz, who was instrumental in his recovery journey. Together, they will lay out the mindset someone with OCD needs to be in, as well as their family members and loved ones, in order to be successful in treatment. Presentation often lay out treatment specifics, this talk instead will lay out the mindset one needs to be in so they can return to living a successful life.
If OCD was really good for you then I would prescribe it to people. Instead, OCD lies to you and tells you that it is very important to follow all of its directions. This is a lie! If OCD was helpful, then you would not be attending educational events and support groups, like the one OCD SoCal is offering on May 13th. Instead, you would be telling everyone else that life would be better with OCD versus without it. Come hear a talk by our guest presenter, Dr. Patrick McGrath, as he lays out the need for those with OCD to stop treating it like a helpful coping skill and to see it as the insidious mental health condition it is!
Patrick McGrath, Ph.D.
Website: http://www.treatmyocd.com
Bio: Dr. McGrath is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist and the Chief Clinical Officer at NOCD. He is a member of the Scientific and Clinical Advisory Boards of the International OCD Foundation, a Fellow of the Association for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies, and the author of “The OCD Answer Book” and “Don’t Try Harder, Try Different.”
The event’s agenda:
The event will start promptly at 11am PST. After a quick welcome, each of the above speakers will present on their topic. Then, the remaining time will offer attendees a chance to ask these experts questions either based on their presentation topics or a personal question regarding your current struggles with OCD. The event will conclude with a goodbye, shared contact info from the day’s speakers, and an update on future events from OCD Southern California.
We look forward to seeing you on Saturday, May 13th at 11am PST! If you have any questions, please email us at: info@ocdsocal.org!
