Published

SAVE THE DATE! The Proposal System will Open on Monday, April 6, to Submit Talks for our November Online OCD Conference!

The Online OCD Conference, A Global Event—hosted by OCD SoCal, is coming BACK this year! Thank you for making last year’s event so successful and demanding its return! SAVE THE DATE because starting Monday, April 6, we are opening the proposal system and accepting proposals for our November 7-8, 2026 conference!

OCD Southern California has been hosting conferences since 2015, and in 2021, OCD SoCal created the Online OCD Conference and transitioned to a virtual platform. This year’s event will be held Saturday and Sunday, November 7-8, 2026.

Our conference has been a cornerstone for global collaboration, bringing together experts, innovators, and thought leaders from around the world.

Whether you’re a seasoned speaker or new to presenting, we invite you to participate in the OCD Online Conference. This globally connected event brings together varied voices from around the world. Our proposal system will officially open on Monday, April 6! We welcome innovative ideas, fresh perspectives, and research that resonates across borders from mental health providers, researchers, individuals with lived experience and their families, and others interested in speaking on OCD and related disorders.

If you would like to speak at this conference, please keep checking our website for more information on how to submit a proposal starting Monday, April 6.

The deadline for proposals is Wednesday, May 20, 2026.

When opened, the Proposal Form will have answers to FAQs. We hope you consider submitting a proposal! 

Here are some stats from our previous conference evaluations that will help you brainstorm potential topics to submit on starting Monday, April 6:

2025 Conference Attendee Information:

Nearly 1400 attendees (N = 1382)

At least 15 countries 

At least 39 US states

Session Information:

53 sessions

  • 1 Keynote
  • 46 Break Outs
  • 5 After Hours
  • 1 Wrap Up Panel

29 CE sessions

Speaker Information: 

112 speakers

Satisfaction:

97.2% of attendees gained something useful (agree or strongly agree)

96.5% of attendees plan to attend future conferences (agree or strongly agree)

Affordability & Accessibility:

Nearly 80% of attendees (79.6%) said that its affordability (low costs/scholarships) influenced decision to attend conference (somewhat, a little, a great deal)

Nearly half of attendees (47.7%) had never attended an OCD conference before (neither in person nor online

What are people asking for more of?

Topics:

OCD Subtypes

Comorbidities (especially trauma, OCPD, ASD)

OCRDs

Identity/culture
Kids

Talks that incorporate:

Accessing treatment & concrete resources

Case Examples/Hands On/Practical Strategies

Published

SAVE THE DATE! On Saturday, May 30th, the OCD Southern California, In-Person Speaker Series is back!

OCD Southern California is happy to announce the return of the Speakers Series in 2026! What is new this year is that OCD SoCal is holding one Speakers Series event in one location. We invite everyone in Southern California (and beyond!) to join us under one roof!

This low-cost, in-person event happening from 10am to 3pm on Saturday, May 30, 2026, 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. 

These events are for individuals with OCD, their family members, spouses, 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 offering talks therapists interested in learning more about the diagnosis and treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

Beverages and a catered lunch will be provided.  Parking is free.

More information will be provided soon on the agenda, the program, the registration date and the registration process. Registration is not yet open, but will be opening soon!

For further information on the Speakers Series, please contact us through email at info@ocdsocal.org.

Once again, we will be hosting one Speaker Series event this year and invite all of the Southern California OCD community to join us and connect in one location!

Published

The Tibergs: “The Lessons We’ve Learned Along the Way” at this Saturday, Feb. 14th’s Family & Loved One’s OCD Support Group!

Chris Trondsen, LMFT, a clinician with OCD, and his mom, Liz Trondsen, are excited to remind you about our February, virtual, free Family and Loved Ones OCD Support Group. 

It will be held this Saturday, February 14 for two hours, from 11 AM – 1 PM PST. To receive the Zoom link for this support group, please email info@ocdsocal.org.

We are excited to announce that we are going back to basics and have invited a family to discuss their OCD journey. Dianne and her husband, Matt Tiberg are parents of a teenage daughter. Their daughter suffers from OCD, as well as emetophobia (fear of throwing up). Dianne and Matt will discuss what they did as parents when symptoms first appeared, how they helped their daughter navigate treatment, and their new role now that their daughter is doing well.

They will share with you what they did right and what mistakes they made in an effort to help you navigate supporting a loved one with OCD. 

The Tibergs will also address the sudden onset of their daughter’s OCD from a PANS / PANDAS infection. 

By attending this support group, you will feel a sense of hope and recognize you are not alone in this journey. Come and learn from a family that has successfully traveled this road.

The first hour will be dedicated to hearing their remarkable recovery journey.  The second hour will be an open Q&A session where anyone can ask questions. You do not want to miss February’s support group!

We will see you this Sat, February 14th from 11 AM -1 PM PST!

The event is open to loved ones, family members and spouses of someone with OCD, as well as people with OCD—or anyone else interested. Anyone from anywhere can join!

In order to foster a safe community, we do not record the support group. This allows attendees the opportunity to share their experiences and ask questions in a safe space. We encourage you to attend or listen in to the support group live on Saturday.

To receive the Zoom link for this support group, please email info@ocdsocal.org.

The support group facilitators:

Chris Trondsen suffered with severe OCD and body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) until receiving specialized treatment. No longer under the control of the disorders, Chris is now a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) at the Gateway Institute in Costa Mesa.  He received his bachelor’s degree in human development and psychology from California State University, Long Beach. Additionally, Chris earned a Master of Science (M.S.) Degree in Counseling at California State University, Fullerton.  Chris is on the Board of Directors for the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), as well as in leadership for four of their special interest groups (SIG) including the BDD SIG, Trauma & Grief SIG, and others. He also currently serves as the Vice President of the IOCDF’s Southern California Affiliate (OCD Southern California – OCD So Cal), leading efforts in OCD awareness and education in the local community. Chris is a national speaker on OCD and was the keynote speaker at the International OCD Foundation’s yearly conference in 2011. He continues to be a regular presenter at the IOCDF’s annual conferences. At the annual conference, Chris helped create the Young Adult Track, which is now an essential part of the conference’s program.

Website: Chris Trondsen: LMFT & OCD Specialist – The Gateway Institute

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 Family Support Group online that brings families and people with OCD together to provide support, suggestions and hope to one another. Liz graduated from CSULB with a bachelor’s in science in Dietetics and Food Administration and completed her dietetic internship in Detroit, Michigan.  Liz spent her career working in hospitals, as a Food Service Director and a Clinical Nutrition Manager.  Since retiring in 2024, Liz has focused her interests on nutrition and mental health.  With the others on this panel, she has presented twice at the IOCDF conference and presents an update annually to the Family and Loved One’s OCD Support Group. 

Website: https://ocdsocal.org/about-us/board-of-directors/