Best-Attended West Coast Conference in 18 Years Proves Life Changing for Many of the Nearly 1,000 Registrants

Chris Trondsen and his mother, Elizabeth, dared to believe that they could overcome Chris’s OCD. After a diagnosis of OCD so severe that he would never have friends, live on his own, or hold a job, they pulled together, found effective treatment, and persevered.

Minutes before Chris and Elizabeth told their emotional story during the Conference’s Keynote Address, IOCDF Board President Diane Davey announced that this “Dare to Believe” theme would be the main focus of this year’s OCD Awareness Week and beyond. As such, the Trondsen’s story of a mother and son battling OCD was a fitting centerpiece of a conference filled with people and sessions that dared to believe that together they could beat OCD.

As always, the heroes of this year’s conference were the children, teens, and adults with OCD who dared to believe that this conference could change their lives. Many braved travel and social anxiety to attend this conference for the first time and, for many, it was one of the best decisions they ever made.

Eight of these adults with OCD started their conference experience two days early by participating in Dr. Reid Wilson’s pre-conference OCD Treatment Group. This was the second year that Dr. Wilson offered this program and he was again able to make a large, positive impact in a very short amount of time. As he did last year, Dr. Wilson donated the entire proceeds from the program, more than $4,000, directly to the IOCDF.

Two individuals who personify the theme of “Dare to Believe” are Dr. Edna Foa, the first ever recipient of the IOCDF Outstanding Career Achievement Award, and Dr. Fred Penzel, this year’s recipient of the Patricia Perkins IOCDF Service Award. Both of these awards were presented during this year’s Keynote Address. Dr. Foa and Dr. Penzel have dedicated their lives to the belief that there are treatments that work for OCD and other anxiety disorders. >

The content and experiences offered through our sessions are the backbone of our conference and we are so thankful to our speakers and support group leaders who donated their time and expertise as part of over 100 talks and nearly two dozen support groups. Highlights for adults with OCD and their families included previous favorites such as Dr. Jonathan Grayson’s “Annual Virtual Camping Trip,” Dr. Patrick McGrath’s “Don’t Try Harder, Try Different,” and Dr. Barbara Van Noppen’s “Life After OCD.” We also had dozens of new and innovative sessions, such as; Jim and Rachael Hatton’s “Panel Discussion on the Impact of OCD on Couples”, Jeff Bell’s “Turning Adversity Into Advocacy,” and Dr. Penzel and John Moore’s “OCD Animation Festival.” Mr. Moore has even created a website linking together all of the films presented during the festival.

A record number of kids and teens attended the conference this year and took part in experiential programs such as Jennifer Wells’ “Can Harry Potter Cure OCD?” and Dr. Spielman’s “Third Annual Kids and Teens Fashion Show and Karaoke.” One of the most memorable parts of this year’s conference was seeing a group of about a dozen kids and teens sitting around on the floor laughing together as the conference came to a close. Seeing these breakthroughs is what makes all of our hard work worth it.

One of the most unique aspects of our conference is that the entire OCD community comes together for these three days. That community includes mental health professionals and, whether new to the field or highly experienced, this conference again provided a wealth of clinical information for them.

Less experienced clinicians had several workshops to choose from this year, including a 3-part introduction to OCD diagnosis and treatment led by Dr. Throstur Bjorgvinsson and “Careers in OCD: Which Path Makes Sense to Me?” moderated by Dr. Charles Mansueto. For experienced clinicians, our Advanced Behavior Therapy Training Institute, “Cruel Reflections: What You Need to Know About Treating Body Dysmorphic Disorder” was presented by Dr. Sabine Wilhelm, one of the world’s leading experts on BDD. Nearly 50 therapists, nurses, and physicians attended this program. Other advanced programs included “Neurosurgery Update 2011”, “Troubleshooting in CBT for OCD: A Clinician’s Forum”, and “Teletherapy and Videoconferencing in OCD Treatment.”

Both groups of professionals were also presented with outstanding sessions on PANDAS, hoarding task forces, glutamate medications and upcoming changes in the DSM-V.

Finally, we would like to also thank our dedicated volunteers, gracious sponsors, exhibitors and advertisers for making this conference possible. Their support of this program allows us to reach more people and to improve the experience of everyone in attendance. Thank you!

We look forward to seeing you in Downtown Chicago, July 27-29, 2012 for our 19th Annual Conference!