A HUGE thank you to everyone who came out for our San Diego One Million Steps for OCD Walk! Thanks to your overwhelming support, this was our largest walk ever, with over 120 walkers helping us build community and raise awareness for OCD. We also raised nearly $3,000 to support OCD awareness and resources! We had many clinicians attend and make themselves available to answer questions, and wonderful volunteers who ensured that the event went smoothly. Special thank you to the La Jolla Shores Hotel, who generously donated the use of their beautiful Garden Patio to host us. Walkers completed a 2 mile walk along the ocean, engaging with people on the boardwalk who asked questions, and stopping to take photos at the iconic Scripps Pier.
Join us in Orange County, this Saturday, June 28, from 10am to 1pm (with 9:30am being registration). This is for the International OCD Foundation’s “1 Million Steps 4 OCD Walk” happening at the Costa Mesa Marriot hotel at 500 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA 92626!
To register and attend the OC “1 Million Steps for OCD Walk,” click here: Orange County Walk
Details about the walk below, after our speaker highlight! Following the walk, 4 of our local OCD clinicians, some with lived experience, will present a Question-and-Answer panel – ask them anything about OCD! They will also highlight some hot topics and discuss how to get better from OCD. Bring your questions! Here are more details about the panel, followed by logistical information on the walk:
Chris Trondsen, LMFT, (https://www.gatewayocd.com/chris-trondsen/) suffered with severe OCD, body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), major depressive disorder, along with the anxiety that came with these disorders, 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, Wondermind, as well as speaking at International OCD Foudnation (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 publicly sharing his recovery story. He is also a leader of multiple IOCDF Special Interest Groups (SIGs) and created the Young Adult Track at the annual IOCDF conference. He hosts a livestream (“Ask The Experts” and “Lunch and Learn”) every Wednesday, from 9am – 10am PT for the IOCDF.
Elena Fasan, MSW, LCSW, (https://childrensocdandanxiety.com) is licensed in the state of California, and can provide online therapy in Arizona, Colorado, Wyoming, Florida, and internationally, in any country other than Canada. She became a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) and founded the Children’s OCD & Anxiety Collective because of her strong desire to offer help to young people who are suffering from the symptoms of OCD, anxiety, and related disorders. She feels incredibly fortunate to have found her calling and is passionate about the work she does with her clients and their families. After graduate school, Elena received extensive training in the provision of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) while working as a therapist at UCLA’s Child and Adolescent OCD Intensive Outpatient Treatment Program and then at the OCD Center of Los Angeles, where she was employed for eight years. Elena brings a developmental perspective to her work, having earned a BA in Child and Adolescent Development before pursuing a Master of Social Work. She is also an adjunct professor in the Department of Child and Adolescent Development at California State University, Northridge.
Lauren Rosen, LMFT, (https://theobsessivemind.com) is a psychotherapist and the director of the Center for the Obsessive Mind, an outpatient clinic serving individuals in California, Florida, Utah, Nevada and Oregon. Lauren specializes in treating OCD, Anxiety Disorders & Eating Disorders and supports people using Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure & Response Prevention and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Lauren has her BA and MA in Psychology from UCLA and Antioch University, trained at the OCD Center of LA and is a certified Intuitive Eating Counselor. In addition to her work as a therapist, Lauren co-hosts the Purely OCD Podcast and does social media advocacy.
Michelle Malloy, MFT, PMH-C, (https://oc-therapy.com/about-us) completed her Bachelor’s Degree at UCLA in Psychology and went on to earn a Master’s Degree in Clinical Psychology from Cal State Fullerton. She has worked in mental health for over twenty years. She received training from the UCLA Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Clinic and Western Youth Services. Michelle has completed the Behavioral Therapy Training Institute (BTTI)’s general and pediatric training programs through the International OCD Foundation and specializes in using cognitive-behavioral therapy and exposure and response prevention to treat OCD. She also treats generalized anxiety, panic disorder, and eating disorders. Additionally, she is certified in perinatal mental health and EMDR trained.
— Walk info:
Our walk will take place at the Marriott Hotel at 500 Anton Boulevard, Costa Mesa, California.
Please join us in the Lakeview Salon and Terrace on the first floor of the hotel, past the bar and lobby. Look out for signage and volunteers.
Following registration and t-shirt distribution at 9:30 AM, the Opening Ceremony will begin at 10:00 AM. The walk will start at 10:30 AM.
The walk route is a one-mile loop around the Sparkling Pond. The walkway is flat and paved. Walk at your own pace, bring your friends and your dogs and meet new members of the community!
The walk will be followed by speakers with lived experience, a Q&A and light refreshments. Final remarks and an opportunity drawing at 1:00 PM.
The fee for parking in the Marriot Costa Mesa parking structure has been waived for the Orange County OCD Walk. Please see the concierge prior to leaving for parking validation.
While we prefer that you pre-register, walk-ins are very welcome!
If you have any questions, please contact us at info@ocdsocal.org! We are looking for volunteers for this event. Please email us if you are interested in helping with registration or distributing T-shirts at the event.
OCD Southern California’s Orange County walk will take place at the Marriott Hotel at 500 Anton Boulevard, Costa Mesa, California.
Please join us in the Lakeview Salon and Terrace on the first floor of the hotel, past the bar and lobby. Look out for signage and volunteers.
Following registration and t-shirt distribution at 9:30 AM, the Opening Ceremony will begin at 10:00 AM. The walk will start at 10:30 AM. Coffee will be available when you first arrive.
The walk route is a one-mile loop around the Sparkling Pond. The walkway is flat and paved. Walk at your own pace, bring your friends and your dogs, and meet new members of the OCD community!
The walk will be followed by speakers with lived experience, a Q&A and light refreshments. Final remarks at 1:00 PM.
The fee for parking in the Marriot Costa Mesa parking structure has been waived for the Orange County OCD Walk. Please see the concierge prior to leaving for parking validation.
While we prefer that you pre-register, walk-ins are very welcome! If you pre-register and donate $25, you will receive an official IOCDF walk t-shirt! You can also donate that same amount in person if you would like an official walk shirt!
If you have any questions, please contact us at info@ocdsocal.org and we look forward to seeing you at our Orange County walk at the beautiful Costa Mesa Marriot Hotel! Last year, we had our largest walk yet and we hope you join us in bringing public awareness to OCD, help stomp out mental health stigma, and support the IOCDF and OCD SoCal in our mission to provide resources and research to the OCD community!
We know that OCD is a debilitating disorder and, in order to get better, you need a support team. This upcoming Saturday, June 14, from 11 AM to 1 PM PT, we are putting together an all-star panel consisting of people that represent different parts of a treatment recovery team. This panel will help attendees understand their role and the importance of available resources. This panel will consist of clinicians treating OCD, a psychiatrist, people with OCD, as well as parents, family members, and loved ones of people with the disorder.
There are two ways to join the event. If you are NOT currently on our mailing list and do not receive our email updates, please email: info@ocdsocal.org, and ask for the June 14th Zoom link. Please include all the email addresses you would like the Zoom link to go to. If you ARE ALREADY on our mailing list and DO receive our email updates, we are already sending you the Zoom link on Wednesday, June 11th, and you do not have to do anything additional except just show up when the event begins!
At OCD SoCal, we have been running a free, family and loved one’s support group for the past 13 years every second Saturday of the month. The support group and OCD Southern California are collaborating to bring you this special event!
Our all-star panel includes both experts in the field and people impacted by OCD. Lauren Rosen, LMFT, is a licensed OCD specialist and founder of “The Obsessive Mind” treatment center (https://theobsessivemind.com), and Adam Frank, MD, is a psychiatrist at USC and is on the OCD SoCal Board of Directors (https://iocdf.org/providers/frank-adam-c/); they are both OCD-specialized clinicians in the field. Andrew Cohen, LMFT and Danielle Cohen, LMFT (https://www.cohenocdtherapy.com/) are both licensed OCD clinicians who also have OCD. Additionally, they are married to each other and are representing the role of spouses on our event’s panel. Shannon (Switzer) Jakubowski has OCD and has been receiving evidence-based treatment for the disorder. She will share her personal experience with OCD and how treatment has allowed her to work for NAMI San Diego and be on the OCD SoCal Board of Directors (https://ocdsocal.org/about-us/board-of-directors/). The role of parents is very important when supporting a loved one with OCD, and Carrey Smalley and Matt Garcia will discuss how they both supported their young adult sons navigate treatment and how they now support them as they thrive in their adult lives. Finally, Austin Kang, a 17-year-old high school junior, is a sibling of someone with OCD. His older brother has OCD and received therapy. He will share the role of siblings in OCD treatment.
The panel will be moderated by Chris Trondsen, LMFT, a clinician who also has OCD, and his mom, Liz Trondsen. They both have navigated this journey and will ask questions valuable to anyone who is impacted by OCD and related disorders. They both serve on the board of OCD Southern California (https://ocdsocal.org/about-us/board-of-directors/).
We will start with the panelists having an open, moderated, roundtable discussion about everyone’s role in OCD treatment and how each discipline brings something special to the team. Then we will spend a majority of the time on a Q&A to allow you to ask questions to help navigate your own recovery journey. It’s a major event with a lot of expertise that you don’t want to miss!
On Wednesday, June 11th, we will send out an email with the Zoom link for the event and also have the list of all the speakers. We will re-send the Zoom link early on the morning of the event on June 14th, so if you sign up after the 11th, you will receive the link the morning of the event. We hope to see you there on Saturday, June 14th!
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.
We look forward to seeing you at the event! If you would like to attend, please email info@ocdsocal.org and include any email addresses you want the Zoom link for the event to be sent to. Reminder, if you are already on our mailing list and receive emails from us, we are automatically sending out the link to our subscribers!
