The Orange County Speaker Series is being held on Saturday, May 3, 2025 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: OCD SoCal Speaker Series – Orange County Tickets via EventBrite
There are 12 presenters for the event. To read each speaker’s bio, please visit: https://ocdsocal.org/4066/information-on-the-12-presenters-for-the-orange-county-speaker-series-being-held-on-saturday-may-3rd-10am-3pm/
Here are the event’s presentations in alphabetical order by the presenter’s first name:
Invasive and Non-Invasive Neuromodulation Treatments for OCD – Adam Frank, M.D., Ph.D. http://ocdsocal.org/about-us/board-of-directors/ and Sepehr “Sheperd” Aziz, D.O. https://keck.usc.edu/faculty-search/sheperd-aziz/
This presentation will provide an overview of FDA-approved neuromodulation approaches that can be used for refractory OCD. Topics will include TMS, DBS, and surgical approaches. While the talk will be geared towards clinicians, the information will be presented broadly for anyone interested in learning about these treatment modalities.
Why Some People Thrive in OCD Therapy & Others Struggle: 8 Winning Behaviors in Successful Treatment – Chris Trondsen, LMFT https://www.gatewayocd.com/chris-trondsen/
The majority of people with OCD who enter treatment will have a successful outcome, resulting in reduced OCD symptoms, improved mental insight, and regained control of their lives. This success is not just a possibility but a realistic outcome for many. So what is it that those successful in treatment do differently than people who struggle to manage the disorder?
This presentation will focus on the top 8 personal characteristics held by individuals who thrive in OCD therapy. Understanding and enhancing these essential behaviors is key to recovery from the disorder, and attendees will be well-prepared to do so after this session.
Supporting Someone with OCD: Navigating Treatment and Home Life – Curtis Hsia, Ph.D. https://ocanxietycenter.com/bio/
Life with OCD is difficult; supporting someone with OCD can be just as challenging. This discussion will cover topics that often arise in working with patients’ families. Topics of discussion will include: Finding an appropriate provider, clinical issues (differential diagnosis, treatment plan, familial involvement), and family issues (accommodation vs enabling, setting boundaries). This will be followed by examples of good and suboptimal situations, and an open Q&A period.
Taboo Obsessions and Mental Compulsions – Kelley Franke, LMFT https://centerforocd.com, Kevin Foss, MFT https://calocd.com, and Lauren Rosen, LMFT https://theobsessivemind.com
Taboo topics are common fodder for OCD, adding increased secrecy and shame to a disorder already fraught with stigma. And since individuals dealing with these intrusive thoughts often struggle to share them, they often turn toward mental (or covert) compulsions to cope with their anxiety.
In light of this, our presentation will give voice to the obsessions that many fear are unspeakable. We’ll explore how hidden rituals manifest within taboo themes and examine how evidence-based approaches—including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Self-Compassion—can offer meaningful support.
Escaping The Guilt And Shame Of OCD – Kevin Foss, MFT https://calocd.com
OCD sufferers know all too well the sense that they think and feel differently than others. Feeling that you’re bad, broken, or at fault can seem impossible to resist, or be accepted as a forgone conclusion. Spiraling into the darkness of shame and guilt brings self-contempt, rejection, isolation, and depression which saps motivation, perseverance, and hope of OCD and anxiety recovery.
In this presentation, we will discuss the many ways shame and guilt create the self-reinforcing cycle of emotional isolation through perceived self-protection. We will discuss the language and behaviors that maintain shame and guilt. Most importantly, we will highlight life changing skills to boost self-compassion, vulnerability, and connection.
Kimberley Quinlan, LMFT https://kimberleyquinlan-lmft.com
More information on Kimberley Quinlan, LMFT’s talk coming soon!
Utilizing Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) in the Treatment of OCD – Matt Codde, LCSW https://www.restoredminds.com
In this discussion, we’ll explore how Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) offers a radically different, empowering approach in the treatment of OCD & intrusive thoughts—one rooted in psychological flexibility, instead of control. You’ll learn why resisting your thoughts and feelings often makes them worse, and how ACT helps people find peace through acceptance, presence, and values-based living. Whether you’re a clinician, someone with lived experience, or just curious, this presentation will help you understand how to successfully implement Acceptance & Commitment Therapy in your life.
Tips for Parents to Manage Childhood Anxiety and OCD – Michelle Malloy, MFT, PMH-C https://oc-therapy.com/about-us
Are you a parent finding it difficult to figure out how to best support your loved one’s OCD? This presentation is aimed at helping parents to support their children of all ages, while reducing parental support for their OCD behaviors. Utilizing techniques from SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions), this talk aids parents in differing anxiety from behavioral issues, learning tools in how to support anxious children, learning how to increase support while reducing accommodations, and finding out how to make small changes that lead to big and successful outcomes! This talk is for parents of adults, young adults, teens, and young children.
The Limits of Logic: Using Insight and Action to Treat OCD – Stephanie Davis, Ph.D. https://www.drdavistherapy.com/
In this talk, we’ll explore why simply applying logic often falls short, and how we can more effectively use thinking skills in OCD treatment. We’ll discuss approaches like cognitive defusion and values-based awareness. We’ll also discuss how to “pull back the curtain” on the ways OCD convinces us of inflated risk—learning to differentiate between what’s possible and what’s probable. Finally, we’ll touch on the role of behavioral change and how to apply action for lasting progress.
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CE Talks for Professionals: For clinicians interested in earning 3 CEs, these are the following CE presentations:
Differential Diagnosis and Functional Analysis: Understanding Your Patient – Curtis Hsia, Ph.D. https://ocanxietycenter.com/bio/
Treatment of OCD has been well established and while the nuances are complex, the general application is well documented. In clinical settings one of the overlooked aspects is proper assessment. Very often misdiagnoses occur, both in regards to the correct disorder, and even within OCD how the obsessions affect the compulsions.
In this lecture, participants will learn the basics of differential diagnosis, functional analysis and construction of a treatment protocol. Examples will be given as well as case examples from the participants will be discussed.
[CE Talk for Licensed Clinicians]
Family Accommodation in OCD: Identification and Clinical Application – Barbara Van Noppen, Ph.D. http://ocdsocal.org/about-us/board-of-directors/ and Stephanie Davis, Ph.D. http://www.drdavistherapy.com/
Family accommodation predicts poorer therapeutic outcomes and is associated with greater OCD impairment. This presentation will explain accommodation behaviors through the lens of functional behavioral analysis. Specific types of family accommodation in OCD will be identified along with validated measures. We will then discuss methods of accommodation reduction that can be used for child through adult populations including common language, family contracts, and motivational scripts. Video will be used to demonstrate behavioral family contracting. We will end with a discussion of child methodologies including the Supportive Parenting for Anxious Emotions program (SPACE) and token economies.
[CE Talk for Licensed Clinicians]
Troubleshooting Common Roadblocks in Successful OCD Treatment with Advanced Therapeutic Interventions – Chris Trondsen, LMFT https://www.gatewayocd.com/chris-trondsen/
As clinicians, we are taught manualized Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) with Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, clients often do not fit neatly into treatment plans from start to finish, leading clinicians to think on the fly and offer solutions to these treatment roadblocks.
This CE talk looks at common challenges in the therapeutic process, including co-occurring disorders, family accommodations, medication changes, treatment resistance, a lack of motivation, secondary gains, clients reducing sessions prematurely (i.e., clients deciding to end therapy before the agreed-upon time), stagnation, and other common behaviors and mindsets that hinder a client from entering the recovery phase of treatment.
To conclude the presentation, bring questions regarding the common roadblocks you experience when working with complex cases to the question-and-answer segment that will conclude the presentation.
[CE Talk for Licensed Clinicians]
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We look forward to seeing everyone at the OC event. Make sure to register before the price goes up after the early bird discounted cost (last day is Sunday, April 20th), or before the event is sold out! For more information and to register for the event, click here: OCD SoCal Speaker Series Orange County Ticket Registration – EventBrite.
A reminder, OCD Southern California is offering 3 CEs for LCSW, LMFT, LPCC, and Psychologists who attend the CE track of this event!