NOTE: These events below are just some of the virtual and in-person offerings from OCD Southern California. Each year we host our Speaker Series, an in-person event featuring presentations by OCD specialists from the Southern California area. We also join the IOCDF in hosting “One Million Steps for OCD Walks” in various counties in SoCal. We also host The Online OCD Conference, a Global low-cost, virtual event in November–with this year it being held Saturday, November 7 and Sunday, November 8. More details to come but below is information on the conference and other upcoming events.
Please check this page frequently, as well as our home page, as we announce information on our Speaker Series, participation in the International OCD Foundation’s “One Million Steps for OCD” walks, OCD Awareness Week events, holiday party, online conference, and even more events! Scroll down to learn more about our featured events and how you can register to be in attendance!
The 2026 In-Person Speaker Series Event
https://ocdspeakerseries.eventbrite.com
Register Today for OCD SoCal’s Saturday, May 30th, 10am – 3pm, In-Person Speaker Series! We are currently offering discounted, early-bird registration so sign up today!
OCD Southern California is happy to announce that registration is now open for the 2026 OCD SoCal Speakers Series!
We are also pleased to announce that we will be offering 3 Continuing Education credit for professionals (LMFTs, LPCCs, LCSWs, and psychologists)!
To register for this event, click on: https://ocdspeakerseries.eventbrite.com.
What is new this year is that OCD SoCal is holding one Speakers Series event in one central location at Orange Coast College! We invite everyone in Southern California to join us under one roof!
This low-cost, in-person event 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 and loved ones, mental health providers, students and the general public. Talks for the general public will be presented throughout the day.
Ticket Prices:
Early Bird Tickets (ends April 20): $10.00
General Admission (ends May 14): $15.00
May 15 – May 30: $18.00
We are pleased that we are able to provide 3 CE credits for clinicians (LMFT, LPCC, LCSW and psychologists). Please register using the Professional Ticket at a cost of $45.00.
Beverages and a catered lunch will be provided. Parking is free. Thank you to OCD Anxiety Centers for sponsoring the catered lunch.
More information will be provided soon on the agenda, the program and the speakers on the Speaker Series page on our website: ocdsocal.org/speakerseries
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 in a central location and invite all of the Southern California OCD community to join us and connect in one location!
To register for this event, click on: https://ocdspeakerseries.eventbrite.com.
To learn more about the 23 presenters speaking at our Sat., May 30th OCD Southern California Speaker Series, please click here: https://ocdsocal.org/4914/meet-the-23-presenters-speaking-on-saturday-may-30th-at-our-in-person-ocd-socal-speaker-series/
Here is the agenda for the event that includes a rundown of the day’s events, titles of the presentations, and details of the break-out sessions being offered (click on the image to enlarge):
The 2026 Online OCD Conference, A Global Event
OCD Southern California is excited to announce that the Online OCD Conference, A Global Event, is returning this year!
After last year’s successful event, we are excited to announce that the 2026 conference will return on Saturday, November 7th, and Sunday, November 8th!
1,400 people attended last year from around the world, and we had presentations on OCD treatments, medications, improving treatment outcomes, different evidence-based therapies, how to become an OCD advocate, building an OCD community, combating procrastination and perfectionism, and more. There were talks for everyone in the OCD community.
We heard from many of you that this was the first OCD conference you were able to attend, and, just like last year, registration costs will be low, and scholarships will be offered.
We are currently in the planning stages. We heard from you through last year’s conference surveys about what you want for this year’s conference, and we are making sure to include changes that reflect your feedback! This year’s conference will be bigger and more impactful, and we hope you’ll save the date so you can join us live!
OCD Southern California has hosted both in-person and virtual conferences since 2015. For over a decade, we have worked to offer programming and community to individuals and families impacted by OCD–both locally and to attendees online. OCD SoCal is once again hosting a global conference featuring presenters from around the world!
The conference is for people with OCD and their family members, spouses, parents, and loved ones who support them. This conference is also for professionals and educators who want to learn more about the OCD and related disorders community and how to support those impacted. For professionals seeking continuing education credits, we offer CEs through the University of Southern California (USC) and the OCD Training School at a low cost!
We hope you can clear your calendars and attend live from Saturday, November 7th, through Sunday, November 8th! The conference runs from 9am to 6:30pm PST (including after-hours community discussion groups and interactive events) on Saturday, the 7th, and from 9am to 3pm PST on Sunday, the 8th.
If you cannot join the conference live, registering will allow you to watch each presentation recording for up to 60 days after the event, at your convenience!
More information to come, but we hope you mark your calendars for the weekend of November 7th and 8th and join OCD SoCal’s global, Online OCD Conference this year! See you there!
Email us with any questions or to get on our mailing list: info@ocdsocal.org!
Our free, virtual Family and Loved Ones OCD Support Group
Chris Trondsen, LMFT, a clinician with OCD, and his mom, Liz, are excited to remind you about our August virtual, free Family and Loved Ones OCD Support Group.
The support group is held every second Saturday of the month. Our next group is Saturday, August 8th, from 11am to 1pm PT. Please read the information for the August 8th Family & Loved Ones’ OCD Support Group:
For the month of August, we are excited to offer a special presentation with a panel of OCD experts. For the first part, Nathan Peterson, LCSW, who runs a successful practice in Texas, has over 26 million views on his OCD educational YouTube channel, and recently wrote a book, “Your OCD Will Hate This Book” will be doing a presentation for family members, loved ones, spouses, and siblings of someone with OCD titled, “The Do’s and Don’ts of OCD support”. This presentation will suggest evidence-based interventions that someone loving a person with OCD can do to support their loved one as they navigate their treatment journey. These do’s will provide the type of support that will make it more likely that your loved one gets the most out of treatment and helps restore balance in your family. The don’ts will be a list of things that often feel useful but actually can interfere with the work your loved one is doing in therapy.
After that, there has been a request to discuss common co-occurring disorders that many of your loved ones experience in addition to OCD that often makes treatment challenging. We’re splitting up these co-occurring disorders into two presentations; August 8th will be Part One.
Michelle Massi, LMFT, who owns her own practice in Los Angeles, California, is a (Behavior Therapy Training Institute) BTTI faculty member, and runs the largest consulting and community group for OCD therapists. She will discuss the intersection of OCD and depression. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5 (DSM) states that about 65% of people with OCD will also have a depressive disorder. Co-occurring depression is one of the most common disorders that people with OCD experience.
Doctor Rebecca Sachs is a sought-after speaker on topics related to the treatment of OCD and autism. She has been a featured presenter at the IOCDF conference, a guest on the IOCDF livestreams, and is on the faculty of the IOCDF’s BTTI. She will discuss the intersection of OCD and Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). There is a high rate of co-occurrence of OCD and autism, which requires the treatment to be modified. Due to the traits of autism and the symptoms of OCD having similarities, it is important that your loved one works with a provider with expertise in both.
Finally, Dr. Christina Dichiara who, during her training, was mentored by Dr. Edna Foa, who established exposure and response therapy (ERP) as the gold standard evidenced based treatment for OCD, is an expert on OCD and PTSD. With nearly two decades of experience, she will talk about how posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and trauma impact the treatment of OCD.
Each individual will give a presentation where they will discuss the co-occurring disorder and how it differs from OCD, how having both can make OCD more challenging to treat, and how OCD treatment is modified to address these co-occurring disorders. This presentation will provide greater insight if your loved one has a diagnosis of one of these co-occurring disorders. If they don’t, you may see that your loved one is actually also experiencing the co-occurring disorder but has never been diagnosed.
The presentations will be followed by a Q&A session with all four presenters. The presenters will address questions family members of loved ones have about OCD or these related disorders. You can ask questions about the specific topics brought up in group, or general questions about your family’s experience with OCD. This group is perfect for family members, loved ones, spouses, siblings, or anybody supporting somebody with OCD to learn how to best support them, as well as getting information on common co-occurring disorders that may be relevant to your situation.
Scroll below to get information on our presenters.
Nathan Peterson, LCSW, started working with OCD and anxiety-related disorders in 2013. He has worked in outpatient mental health clinics, non-profit agencies, inpatient clinics/hospitals, schools, institutes and in private practice.
He has completed the TLC Foundation training for hair pulling and skin picking. Additionally, he attended and completed the official Behavior Therapy Training Institute (BTTI) for adults and pediatric patients. In his solo practice, he focuses solely on OCD and anxiety-related disorders.
Nathan uses exposure and response prevention when working with OCD/Anxiety, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for generalized anxiety disorder, CBIT for tics and Tourette’s.
Website: http://www.OCDandAnxietyCounseling.com
To view Nathan’s videos on OCD, visit OCD and Anxiety YouTube channel
Michelle Massi, LMFT, is a licensed marriage and family therapist and the founder of Anxiety Therapy LA, specializing in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), anxiety, and panic attacks. She has over 20 years of experience treating these conditions.
Michelle previously worked at the UCLA OCD Adult Intensive Treatment Program as the Associate Clinical Director and at the UCLA Childhood OCD, Anxiety & Tic Disorders Program. She is now a faculty member of the IOCDF’s BTTI and has presented at the IOCDF Conference many times. In addition, she also offers training and consultation to clinicians, clergy members and family members.
Dr. Rebecca Sachs, the founder of CBT Spectrum, has expertise in treating individuals with Autism, Anxiety, and OCD and related disorders.
Using Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT), including Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), and Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy, Dr. Sachs employs research-supported techniques to help a patient develop an action plan.
Dr. Sachs treats patients of all ages, however she has a unique ability to connect with teenagers and young adults.
Board Certified in CBT, Dr. Sachs is often sought out to treat extreme symptoms and complicated cases, and she tailors her approach to each patient’s circumstances.
Dr. Christina DiChiara is the Director of Education and a staff psychologist at the Center for Anxiety & Behavior Therapy (CABT), with almost two decades of focused experience treating trauma, OCD, and anxiety.
Before joining CABT, she trained and served as a staff psychologist at UPenn’s Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety. She has almost a decade of experience working in VA healthcare, predominately as a psychologist on the PTSD Clinical Team at the VA Medical Center in Philadelphia, where she served as the Military Sexual Trauma Coordinator, Evidence-Based Psychotherapy Coordinator, and Telemental Health Co-Coordinator.
She is certified in Exposure and Response Prevention, a certified Prolonged Exposure therapist and supervisor, and a certified Cognitive Processing Therapy provider, with a clinical style that’s all action, collaboration, and heart.
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We look forward to seeing you this Saturday! To join, simply email info@ocdsocal.org and ask for the Zoom link., as well as people with OCD—or anyone else interested.
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/
One Million Steps for OCD Walk
Registration is now open for the San Diego OCD Walk! We will meet at the beautiful La Jolla Shores Hotel and walk down the ocean boardwalk to the Scripps Pier. Join us in raising awareness, fighting stigma, and supporting those affected by OCD. We welcome EVERYONE including individuals with OCD, family, friends, clinicians, researchers, and trainees – it takes a village!
Date: Saturday, June 6, 2026
Time: 9:00am to 12:00pm PT
Location: La Jolla Shores Hotel Garden Patio
La Jolla, CA
This is an amazing event and we don’t want to miss you – sign up today! Registration is FREE, but walkers who raise at least $75 will get a t-shirt!
Upcoming 2026 In-Person and Online Events!
Information coming soon on our upcoming events. In addition to our in-person Speaker Series and opportunity to speak at our November Online OCD Conference, we will hold a virtual Speaker Series, “One Million Steps for OCD” Walks, OCD Awareness Week events, a holiday party, and more. Keep checking our website for up-to-date information on all the events OCD SoCal has to offer!
