As part of our Lecture Series, we were honored to host a virtual Zoom event featuring a presentation by Ethan S. Smith, a National OCD Advocate, on Wednesday, June 18, 2025 at 7:30 pm.
Ethan shared his personal journey with OCD and discussed the challenges of media portrayal and public perception of the disorder. He emphasized the importance of proper treatment, including exposure and response prevention therapy (ERP), and addressed the global disparities in OCD awareness and treatment. The presentation also covered topics such as addressing stigma, supporting family members with OCD, and the progress made in OCD awareness and representation in media over the years.
Ethan currently lives in the Los Angeles and Atlanta areas, working as a writer/director/producer, known for Dexter (2006), I Love You, Man (2009), and Recount (2008), and as an OCD advocate and consultant.
He was born with OCD and struggled the majority of his life until receiving life-changing treatment in 2010.
Ethan was the keynote speaker at the 2014 Annual OCD Conference in Los Angeles. He served as an IOCDF National Spokesperson from 2015–2017, as the IOCDF National Ambassador from 2018–2020, received the inaugural IOCDF Legacy Award in 2025, and currently serves as an IOCDF National Advocate. He’s devoted his life to reducing stigma around OCD and mental health, to education, and to supporting the OCD community.
Click here to view Ethan Smith’s 2014 Keynote at the IOCDF Annual OCD Conference.
This event has been recorded. Links to the recordings are below: