Posts Tagged with International OCD Foundation

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Special Guest, Dr. C. Alec Pollard, Will Discuss His New Book at this Saturday, 8/10’s Family and Loved One’s OCD Support Group!

This Saturday, August 10th from 11-1pm PST, Dr. C. Alec Pollard will be the guest at the free, virtual Family & Loved One’s OCD Support Group! Alec Pollard, Ph.D., who just received the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)’s Outstanding Achievement Award, will be discussing his book “When A Loved One Won’t Seek Mental Health Treatment!”

This is a must attend for family members and loved ones of an individual who either doesn’t accept their OCD diagnosis, refuses to seek treatment, or attends treatment, but doesn’t put much work into it. Additionally, he will discuss common treatment barriers that will be valuable for people with OCD to hear.

Email info@ocdsocal.org and ask for the free Zoom link and we look forward to seeing you this Saturday! 👋🏼

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Join OCD SoCal’s in person Affiliate Meeting at the Orlando, Florida IOCDF Annual Conference!

You are invited! For any of our members who are attending the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)’s Annual OCD Conference in Orlando, Florida, which is happening July 25-28, please join us for the annual OCD SoCal meeting at the conference! Meet the OCD SoCal Board of Directors, fellow members, and have your opinions heard! Find out what is coming up for the affiliate in 2025 and share your ideas! The meeting is also in the conference program.

OCD SoCal General Interest Meeting
Friday, July 26, 12:45 pm – 2:15 pm ET
Silver Spring Room

If you are not signed up for the conference, there is still time. This year the conference is also offering a virtual option. For more information, see below:

29th Annual OCD Conference
July 25–28, 2024 | Hyatt Regency Orlando
For all those impacted by OCD and related disorders, mental health professionals, and researchers.

The Annual OCD Conference is the largest national event focused solely on obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and related disorders. This extraordinary event brings together individuals with OCD, their loved ones, and mental health professionals under the same roof with the goal of educating attendees about the latest treatments, research, and practice in OCD and related disorders.

For further information: OCD Conference 2024

For the first time, there will be a Virtual option!  For more information, click here.

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Join Us Saturday, May 11 at 11am PST for Our Virtual, Speakers Series Event Featuring Guest Speakers!

OCD Southern California is excited to offer an exciting event this Saturday, May 11, from 11 AM to 2 PM PST! For the month of April, over 350 people attended OCD SoCal’s in-person Speakers Series events, and we are excited to present this Saturday’s virtual Speakers Series event open to anyone from anywhere!

This free, virtual event is perfect for people with OCD and related disorders, family members and loved ones supporting someone with OCD, as well as anyone interested in learning more about OCD.

The event will feature 6 presenters and 4 presentations. We will then open it up for an extended Q&A, where you can ask these OCD experts any questions about your particular struggle with OCD, your family’s struggle with OCD, and listen to questions asked by others going through similar struggles.

The presentations will last the first half of the event and then the second half will be the Q & A. Scroll below the presenter’s information and talk titles and descriptions. If you are not on our mailing list, please email: info@ocdsocal.org to ask for the event’s Zoom link. See you this Saturday!

Presentation: Family Accommodation Across the Lifespan – Support for Family Members, Loved Ones, and Romantic Partners – Melissa Mose, LMFT (https://www.melissamosemft.com/meet-melissa/), Andrew Cohen, LMFT (https://www.cohenocdtherapy.com/andrew-cohen-bio), and Danielle Cohen, LMFT (https://www.cohenocdtherapy.com/danielle-cohen-ms-lmft)

Loving and supporting someone with OCD is both gratifying and can be challenging. This talk is specifically for family members, loved ones, and romantic partners supporting someone with OCD. The talk will dive into ways loved ones often accommodate the OCD, which in turn just strengthens the OCD—often causing conflict within the family or relationship. There will also be a discussion on how to create a relationship outside of OCD. This talk will give tangible strategies to those supporting someone with OCD on how to reduce family accommodations, strengthen the relationship, practice self-care, and supporting a loved one across the lifespan!  

Presentation: Recovery From OCD is Possible” – Through OCD, I Lost Myself. Treatment Brought Me Back Stronger! – Chris Trondsen, LMFT (https://www.gatewayocd.com/chris-trondsen/)

People impacted by OCD need hope that recovery from the disorder is possible. Before becoming a clinician specializing in the treatment of OCD, Chris suffered from the disorder himself. He will share how he went from dropping out of college, isolating from friends and family, and becoming housebound to living a full life, advocating for OCD across various media platforms, and helping others recover from OCD.

In addition, Chris will discuss the specific ways OCD impacted his self-view and self-image. He was referred to as a ‘difficult child,’ he became scared of his own thoughts, and became a shell of himself—all at the hands of the disorder. He will then share how treatment helped him build himself back better— allowing him to gain confidence in himself, build resilience, and find a new life’s purpose.

Presentation: Medical Treatments for OCD – Ryan Vidrine, MD (https://www.ryanvmd.com/about-me)

The presentation will Inform attendees about the ins and outs of medication treatment for OCD. Dr. Vidrine will then describe the use of deep TMS for OCD & Deep Brain Stimulation. Lastly, he will briefly mention upcoming or novel treatments such as Ketamine or psychedelics for OCD. 

Presentation: Igniting Willpower: Separating Fact from Fiction in Motivation. – Nathaniel Van Kirk, Ph.D. (https://www.mcleanhospital.org/profile/nathaniel-van-kirk)

Getting better from OCD is challenging and takes a lot of motivation and dedication. This talk will first debunk some common motivational myths that can lead to burn out and hopelessness. After addressing these common myths, the talk will then provide attendees with strategies for building motivation around OCD treatment. If you are struggling with motivation in your own recovery, you will not want to miss this presentation!

We look forward to seeing you at the free, virtual event this Saturday! Please email us with any questions you may have: info@ocdsocal.org

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INFORMATION ON THE PRESENTERS FOR THE INLAND EMPIRE SPEAKER SERIES BEING HELD ON SUNDAY, APRIL 7TH, 10AM – 2PM!

Registration is open for OCD SoCal’s Inland Empire Speaker Series. The event is happening at the Chino Hills Community Center at 14250 Peyton Dr., Chino Hills, CA, 91709 on Sunday April 7, 2024 from 10am – 2pm PST. A lunch, beverages, and parking are provided. For more information and to register for the event, click here: The Inland Empire Speakers Series is Sold Out.. Here are the event’s speakers in alphabetical order by first name:

Chris Trondsen, LMFT

Website: https://www.gatewayocd.com/chris-trondsen/

Bio: 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 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 PST, with co-host Dr. Liz McIngvale.

Melinda Ramos

Bio: Melinda Ramos is a death care worker, small business owner, and proud mom to a small
black pug named, Juelz. She enjoys watching wrestling with her pug, thrift store
shopping and creating art. Her biggest pet peeve is when folks use OCD as an
adjective. OCD isn’t a cute quirk, it’s a debilitating disorder.

Roy Robbins

Bio: Roy Robbins is an ordained Lutheran pastor and has served at Christ Lutheran Chino
for over 8 years. Roy and his wife of 46 years, Jeanine, live in the parsonage and serve
the church as a team. They have two children and 7 grandchildren. Roy is a late life
pastor, worked for many years at Hughes Aircraft Co., and has owned 2 brick and
mortar used bookstores. Roy enjoys reading, watching his beloved (while suffering)
Anaheim Ducks and spending time with family. His dream is to write a book explaining
to the world that OCD is not a joke or a funny little quirk.

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We look forward to seeing everyone at the IE event. Make sure to register before the event is sold out! For more information and to register for the event, click here: The Inland Empire Speakers Series is Sold Out.