OCD Southern California is excited to offer an exciting event this Saturday, May 11, from 11 AM to 2 PM PST! For the month of April, over 350 people attended OCD SoCal’s in-person Speakers Series events, and we are excited to present this Saturday’s virtual Speakers Series event open to anyone from anywhere!
This free, virtual event is perfect for people with OCD and related disorders, family members and loved ones supporting someone with OCD, as well as anyone interested in learning more about OCD.
The event will feature 6 presenters and 4 presentations. We will then open it up for an extended Q&A, where you can ask these OCD experts any questions about your particular struggle with OCD, your family’s struggle with OCD, and listen to questions asked by others going through similar struggles.
The presentations will last the first half of the event and then the second half will be the Q & A. Scroll below the presenter’s information and talk titles and descriptions. If you are not on our mailing list, please email: info@ocdsocal.org to ask for the event’s Zoom link. See you this Saturday!
Presentation: Family Accommodation Across the Lifespan – Support for Family Members, Loved Ones, and Romantic Partners – Melissa Mose, LMFT (https://www.melissamosemft.com/meet-melissa/), Andrew Cohen, LMFT (https://www.cohenocdtherapy.com/andrew-cohen-bio), and Danielle Cohen, LMFT (https://www.cohenocdtherapy.com/danielle-cohen-ms-lmft)
Loving and supporting someone with OCD is both gratifying and can be challenging. This talk is specifically for family members, loved ones, and romantic partners supporting someone with OCD. The talk will dive into ways loved ones often accommodate the OCD, which in turn just strengthens the OCD—often causing conflict within the family or relationship. There will also be a discussion on how to create a relationship outside of OCD. This talk will give tangible strategies to those supporting someone with OCD on how to reduce family accommodations, strengthen the relationship, practice self-care, and supporting a loved one across the lifespan!
Presentation: Recovery From OCD is Possible” – Through OCD, I Lost Myself. Treatment Brought Me Back Stronger! – Chris Trondsen, LMFT (https://www.gatewayocd.com/chris-trondsen/)
People impacted by OCD need hope that recovery from the disorder is possible. Before becoming a clinician specializing in the treatment of OCD, Chris suffered from the disorder himself. He will share how he went from dropping out of college, isolating from friends and family, and becoming housebound to living a full life, advocating for OCD across various media platforms, and helping others recover from OCD.
In addition, Chris will discuss the specific ways OCD impacted his self-view and self-image. He was referred to as a ‘difficult child,’ he became scared of his own thoughts, and became a shell of himself—all at the hands of the disorder. He will then share how treatment helped him build himself back better— allowing him to gain confidence in himself, build resilience, and find a new life’s purpose.
Presentation: Medical Treatments for OCD – Ryan Vidrine, MD (https://www.ryanvmd.com/about-me)
The presentation will Inform attendees about the ins and outs of medication treatment for OCD. Dr. Vidrine will then describe the use of deep TMS for OCD & Deep Brain Stimulation. Lastly, he will briefly mention upcoming or novel treatments such as Ketamine or psychedelics for OCD.
Presentation: Igniting Willpower: Separating Fact from Fiction in Motivation. – Nathaniel Van Kirk, Ph.D. (https://www.mcleanhospital.org/profile/nathaniel-van-kirk)
Getting better from OCD is challenging and takes a lot of motivation and dedication. This talk will first debunk some common motivational myths that can lead to burn out and hopelessness. After addressing these common myths, the talk will then provide attendees with strategies for building motivation around OCD treatment. If you are struggling with motivation in your own recovery, you will not want to miss this presentation!
We look forward to seeing you at the free, virtual event this Saturday! Please email us with any questions you may have: info@ocdsocal.org