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Click here to complete the referral form to participate in this class.
Click here to download the study’s flyer.

Zane Gonzalez, kicker for the NFL’s Washington Commanders, lives with OCD, a condition that intertwines his daily routines and professional life. Whether it’s brushing his teeth, setting an alarm, or preparing for a high-stakes playoff kick, his life revolves around repetitive rituals that he cannot escape. These urges, like adjusting his socks and helmet repeatedly before a game, may seem odd or comical to others but are essential for him to feel “just right.” While OCD can be exhausting and isolating, Gonzalez channels its demands into his craft, treating every kick — from an extra point to a game-winning field goal — as a routine perfected through muscle memory and precise mental patterns.

For Gonzalez, OCD paradoxically helps calm his nerves during the most stressful moments of his career, such as his 37-yard playoff-winning field goal against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Despite the visible quirks, which have now become a source of curiosity for teammates, Gonzalez’s ability to perform under pressure is nothing short of inspirational. Experts highlight how most OCD sufferers endure their struggles in private, making his openness and success remarkable. As Gonzalez prepares for another critical game on Sunday, January 26, 2025, with a potential Super Bowl berth on the line, his journey reflects the resilience required to live and thrive with OCD, turning a perceived limitation into a unique advantage.

To read the entire article on the Washington Post website, click here.

Kevin Turner is a comedian and mental health advocate who uses his platform to share his experiences with OCD and related challenges. Diagnosed with OCD years after being misdiagnosed with anxiety during his time in the military, Kevin now incorporates his journey into his comedy routines. His show, Obsessive Comedy Disorder, blends dark humor and personal stories to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and encourage conversations about mental health. Through his performances, he highlights the importance of therapy and support while helping audiences laugh at life’s messier, uncomfortable realities.

Kevin’s approach is both therapeutic and purposeful, using comedy as a form of exposure therapy to confront his intrusive thoughts and share his vulnerabilities. He credits organizations like the IOCDF and ADAA, as well as personal connections like his supportive aunt, who has OCD similar to his and is a member of IOCDF, for helping him navigate his mental health journey. For Kevin, the most rewarding part of his work is when people tell him after shows that his honesty helped them feel less alone or recognize their own struggles. His goal is to foster understanding, encourage treatment, and find healing—one joke at a time.

To read Kevin’s article on the Anxiety & Depression Association of America (ADAA) website, click here.

The Online OCD Camp is a weekend full of interactive sessions, educational activities, and FUN for youth aged 6-17 who have OCD or a sibling with OCD. In addition to programming for elementary, middle, & high schoolers, OCD Camp also offers support for caregivers and families, including strategies and education about caring for a child with OCD and socialization with families with similar experiences.

You can choose from four audience tracks:

• Elementary Schoolers (Suggested Ages: 6–11)
• Middle Schoolers (Suggested Ages: 12–14)
• High Schoolers (Suggested Ages: 15–17)
• Parents and Caregivers

Registration Fees: $75 for your entire family. Click here for more information.

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.

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.

What do you think of when you hear the term “OCD”?

In pop culture, people with obsessive-compulsive disorder are often portrayed as meticulous to an extreme degree. They’re highly organized, perfectionistic, or germophobic — like Jack Nicholson’s character in the film “As Good As It Gets”, who tosses out bars of soap after using them once.

Depictions like that aren’t inaccurate, but they’re not the whole story.

Research shows that 1 in 40 American adults have OCD or will develop it at some point in their lives, according to the International OCD Foundation. Although the term “OCD” is often used casually, the disorder must be diagnosed by a medical professional.

NPR wanted to take a closer look at how people with OCD cope with it every day. Click here to read the article.

November 23–24, 2024 (Saturday–Sunday)

The 2024 Online OCD Conference sponsored by StopOCD is back for its fifth straight year!

#OnlineOCDCon features two full days of live, interactive programming for those with lived experience, family members, and therapists who work with OCD.

And it’s all accessible right from your home. No matter where you are, you’re welcome to join us for two days of presentations, support groups, after-hours activities, and more.

Meet and spend time with others who are impacted by OCD and related disorders — and OCD clinicians and researchers!

Please note, the Online OCD Conference only features programming for individuals 18 years or older. For virtual resources for youth impacted by OCD, check out the Online OCD Camp taking place Feb 1-2, 2025. Learn more about OCD Camp.

The Online OCD Conference is organized by the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF), a donor-supported nonprofit supporting all those impacted by OCD and related disorders.

The mission of the IOCDF is to ensure that no one affected by OCD and related disorders suffers alone. Our community provides help, healing, and hope. Our vision is that everyone impacted by OCD and related disorders has immediate access to effective treatment and support.

The IOCDF provides up-to-date education and resources, strengthens community engagement, delivers quality professional training, and advances groundbreaking research.

After the event ends, everything will be accessible for 60 days, so you can make this conference count. We hope to see you there!

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.