Conference Attendees During Jeffrey Sparr of PeaceLove’s Keynote Presentation
Thank you to everyone who attended our 4th annual OCD conference on Saturday, March 30, 2019! We had 380 attendees, making this our largest attended conference. The conference could not have been this successful without the support from the OCD community, both in southern California and the attendees who came from outside our local area!
Conference attendees gave us nothing but positive feedback about our keynote presenter, Jeffrey Sparr, from PeaceLove. As seen in the picture below, Jeffrey shared his struggles with OCD and incorporated expressive arts, an activity that has helped him throughout his battle with the disorder. He even participated in expressive arts during the presentation by painting on stage! His presentation concluded with the audience members doing their own expressive arts activities!
Jeffrey Sparr of PeaceLove
During lunch, attendees were able to be part of regional support groups and meet other individuals with OCD and their loved one’s in their local areas. Following lunch, attendees were then able to attend two of the eight offered breakout sessions with presenters discussing OCD topics including treatment, stigma, personal stories, and more!
The event concluded with a clinician Q&A segment involving speakers from each of the break-out sessions. An opportunity drawing concluded our event, with attendees walking away with prizes that included hotel stays, wallets and purses, and gift cards.
We appreciate everyone who made the event successful. We hope to have everyone return for our next conference, including new attendees! It will be held in March of 2020. See you next year!
OCDeconstruct is a free online conference designed to give those with OCD, and their loved ones, the information needed to understand key concepts related to the disorder so they can get a productive start on treatment.
During the conference, six therapists will present on topics including intrusive thoughts, ERP, family dynamics, medicine and more.
OCDeconstruct happens on Saturday, April 13, at 9am PST (12pm EST / 5pm GMT) and will run about 4 hours.
Take advantage of this amazing opportunity to learn about obsessive-compulsive disorder from six of the leading experts for FREE and from the convenience of your home or office!
Agenda: 10 AM: Registration and Clinician Breakfast 10:45 AM: Welcome and Introduction of Board Members 11:00 AM: Keynote- Jeff Sparr of PeaceLove 12:30 PM: Lunch and Breakout Groups 1:45 PM: First Breakout Session 3:00 PM: Second Breakout Session 4:00 PM: Conference Wrap-Up and Opportunity Drawing
At the conclusion of lunch, conference attendees will attend two of the following break out sessions (one at 1:45 PM and a second at 3:00 PM):
Creating an OCD Contract: Help Me Help You Stephanie Davis, Ph.D. In this didactic presentation we’ll discuss how accommodating behavior (eg. reassurance, ritual participation, routine modification) may be the biggest stumbling block to recovery. We’ll talk about the alternatives: non-accommodating language and natural behavioral consequences. We’ll choose a volunteer to do a live example of putting together an OCD contract. You’ll leave with new ideas about how to challenge OCD as a team.
What’s in Your Toolbox? A 101 Guide for Successful Treatment of OCD Ally Sequeira, Ph.D. and Naomi Zwecker, Ph.D. This presentation will review the key ingredients for successful management of OCD symptoms. We will not only cover the most crucial element of OCD treatment, exposure and response prevention, but we will also discuss other skills that can be extremely important in the treatment process including cognitive restructuring, mindfulness, self-compassion and values work. We will then put this new knowledge to the test with a fun game of Jeopardy!
OCD: There’s an APP for That! Gerald Tarlow, Ph.D., ABPP and Christopher Mulligan, LCSW There is overwhelming evidence that OCD can be treated effectively. Recently, many apps and web-based treatments for OCD have become available. However, very few of these programs have been subject to research to determine the effectiveness of the program. This presentation will attempt to identify the best apps or web-based programs for OCD. Information will be provided on how to obtain the apps, the compatibility with different mobile operating systems and the cost.
Speaking of Medications: Patients Discuss Their Experience with Medications for OCD/ Deep Brain Stimulation for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: Current Evidence and Future Directions Sean Sassano, M.D. and Darrin J. Lee, MD, PhD In this breakout session, a panel of patients will discuss their experiences with medications for OCD and respond to questions from audience members. Dr. Sassano will facilitate discussion and provide answers to clinical questions. Also during this talk, Dr. Lee will be reviewing the current indications and outcomes of deep brain stimulation for OCD. He will be discussing the multidisciplinary approach to treating OCD and the procedure in detail, including the risks and benefits of surgery. The talk will also include a comparison of neuromodulation treatments, including deep brain stimulation, transcranial magnetic stimulation, and lesioning procedures.
Managing OCD Roadblocks: Creative and Effective Tools to Tackle ERP Cassandra Moore, LMFT, Paul DePompo, Psy.D., ABPP, Kimberley Quinlan, LMFT and Jessica Serber, MA OCD treatment seems simple (facing your fears and refraining from ritualizing), but it is rarely easy! Treatment effectiveness suffers when people do not climb to the top of their hierarchy. Collaborate with us as we discuss creative ways to work toward the very top of your fears, as we share effective exposure tools tailored to you or your clients. All are welcome.
OCD Spectrum & OC-Related Disorders Sanjaya Saxena, M.D. This presentation will provide an overview of the OCD Spectrum concept and describe OC-Related Disorders, including Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), Trichotillomania, Skin-Picking, Tourette Syndrome, and Hoarding Disorder.
OCD Success Panel: An Interactive Workshop Chris Trondsen, MFTT, Stephen Smith, and Matt Codde, LCSW OCD is a disabling disorder, and often the treatment can be daunting. The workshop facilitators have both been successful in treatment, and would like to share their successful journeys and motivating strategies to help others succeed. Participants will have the opportunity to practice five successful strategies the workshop leaders utilized while in treatment.
En Route to Recovery and Health: How to Stay on the Path Through OCD Kevin Robert Foss, MFT and Martin Hsia, Psy.D. Join Kevin and Martin, your conductors and tour guides for your trip down recovery lane. Together, we’ll talk about all of the road blocks, detours, backseat drivers, and other obstacles that anxiety and OCD throws at us to derail our progress. Most importantly, attendees will learn the skills to 1) stay motivated to engage in treatment, and 2) educate, advocate, and engage with our support networks to ensure we stay on track to our destination.
