It’s hard to believe that the 19th Annual Conference in Chicago is only a week away.  The IOCDF offices are a flurry of activity today, as we get ready to travel from Boston to the midwest to see you all next week.

In the meantime, we have a great post today from Alison Farquhar, the mother of a son with OCD and Tourette’s, who discusses the effect that their first IOCDF conference had on both her and her son, and talks about what she’s looking forward to in Chicago next week.

Please note that we are still accepting online registrations through Monday morning at 9am ET, and then after that we will be accepting walk-in registrations at the conference in Chicago. For more information, visit the Conference page online at ocfoundation.org/conference. Continue reading →

Michael Levine’s OCD first emerged in the 3rd grade. His family was lucky enough to find a therapist knowledgeable about OCD and Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy who helped Michael slowly, but surely, gain control of his compulsions and his life. Now 15 and a sophomore in high school, Michael is one of five teens (along with fellow blog contributor Jack Lindley) that make up the Teen Success Panel at this year’s conference in Chicago.  This panel is great because it shares a number of unique perspectives, but all with the common thread of hope. In today’s post, we talk to Michael about his early experiences at IOCDF conferences, and what he’s excited to see this year.

Also, just a reminder that it’s not too late to register for the conference!  We are on track to make this one of the best attended conferences yet! We hope you will join us… Click here to register. Continue reading →

Liz Trondsen, whose son has OCD and BDD, has been attending the IOCDF Annual Conference since 2003. She initially attended the conference as a parent seeking out as much information as she could about the disorders, and to learn how she could play a role in her son Chris’ treatment process. Since then, Liz and Chris have become advocates for families struggling with OCD and related disorders, and were the Keynote speakers at last year’s Conference in San Diego, CA. She also now serves on the Conference Planning Committee.

In today’s blog post, Christina Albano interviews Liz and discusses her initial thoughts about the IOCDF Annual Conference and why she was compelled to go, and how the conference has benefited her whole family in confronting and conquering OCD. Continue reading →