An Affiliate of the International OCD Foundation
An NPR/ProPublica investigation found that therapists, psychologists and psychiatrists who join insurance networks often leave, largely because of challenges from insurers to get reimbursed for treatment. Click here to watch the video.
They studied, honed their skills and opened practices, joining health insurance networks that put them within reach of people who couldn’t afford to pay for sessions out of pocket. So did hundreds of other psychologists, psychiatrists and therapists who shared their experiences. But one after another, they confronted a system set up to squeeze them out. Although federal law requires insurers to provide the same access to mental and physical health care, these companies have been caught, time and again, shortchanging customers with mental illness — restricting coverage and delaying or denying treatment. Click here to read the article.
We are excited to announce that we are holding a “Meet and Greet” event on Thursday, September 26, 2024. This event aims to raise awareness and educate the community about OCD. This will be a wonderful opportunity for the affiliate to meet with people who wish to learn more about OCD. This event is ideal for individuals and families living with OCD, as well as family members and supporters of those suffering from OCD.
The event will be held at:
Acton Public Library
Grady Thomas Room
60 Old Boston Post Road
Old Saybrook, CT 06475
Time: 6:00pm to 7:30pm
This event is free. Refreshments will be provided.
Please RSVP to ct.ocdf@gmail.com if you’re interested in attending.
Download the event flyer.
Link to the survey: https://mun.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_0IfpyDnwpATBnJs
Click here to download the study’s flyer.
We are presenting a colloquium – “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Getting Help and Support for Recovery” – on Wednesday, October 9, 2024 at Sacred Heart University (SHU) in Fairfield, CT. Christina J. Taylor, Ph.D., OCD Connecticut Clinical Board Advisor, and OCD Connecticut board members will discuss the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of OCD. The presentation is sponsored by The Human Journey Colloquia 2024 Series and is free and open to the public.
The panel will be held at 2:00 PM in the Loris Forum in the Martire Building at SHU, 5401 Park Avenue, Fairfield, CT.
Christina J. Taylor, Ph.D., OCD Connecticut Clinical Board Advisor, and OCD Connecticut board members are presenting a virtual workshop – “Evidence-Based Treatment for OCD – Strategies for Improving Access to Care” – at the Connecticut Psychological Association’s 38th Annual Convention on Thursday, November 7th, 2024, 6:30 pm – 8:00 pm. For more information, you can visit the convention’s website at https://connpsych.org/convention.
Together with the Fairfield County OCD Support Group, we have organized an informal social gathering on Wednesday, August 28th. The gathering will take place at Pistachio Café 2, located at 1245 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT at 6:00pm (the cafe closes at 8:30pm). This is a decent sized spot with indoor and outdoor seating, and metered street parking. Please note there are two Pistachio Cafes in New Haven. We’ll be meeting at the one on Chapel Street, not the one on Whalley Avenue. This get-together will allow us to connect and support each other face-to-face in a relaxed environment. For more information, you can contact Amy at amyastro@gmail.com.
Together with the Fairfield County OCD Support Group, we have organized an informal social gathering on Tuesday, July 23rd. The gathering will take place at Maison Mathis Cafe, located at 304 Elm St, New Haven, CT at 6:00pm (the cafe closes at 9:00pm). This is a decent-sized location with indoor and outdoor seating. Metered street parking and a paid parking lot are in the center island. This get-together will allow us to connect and support each other face-to-face in a relaxed environment. For more information, you can contact Amy at amyastro@gmail.com.
In this NYU Langone Insights on Psychiatry podcast, Dr. Christopher Pittenger, Professor of Psychiatry at the Yale School of Medicine and Director of the Yale OCD Research Clinic, is interviewed about the biology and treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), including novel potential treatments such as psychedelics, neurofeedback, glutamate modulators, and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Also discussed is why OCD is so underdiagnosed and what clinicians can do to spot it.
Dr. Pittenger was a guest speaker at a recent OCD Connecticut Lecture Series event at Yale on June 18, 2024, where he discussed the same topics. Click here to go to the podcast.
Dr. Pittenger, a renowned psychiatry researcher, is a leading figure in the field. He earned his MD and Ph.D. from Columbia University and later returned to Yale University, his undergraduate alma mater, for research and residency. Pittenger’s research focuses on the brain’s role in creating thought, feeling, and consciousness, as well as how brain dysregulation leads to mental suffering. His work has been particularly focused on OCD and Tourette syndrome, and the cortico-basal ganglia circuitry. He co-founded the Yale Program for Psychedelic Science, focusing on how molecules like psilocybin and LSD can teach us about brain and behavior, potentially leading to new treatments for neuropsychiatric pathology. Pittenger is a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the International OCD Foundation and OCD Connecticut, and a Fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, American Psychiatric Association, and American Neurological Association.
Dr. Pittenger’s website is https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/christopher-pittenger/.
The Yale OCD Research Clinic website is https://medicine.yale.edu/psychiatry/ocd/.
