News

As part of our Lecture Series, we were honored to host a virtual Zoom event featuring a presentation by Katie Marrotte, MSW, LCSW, on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, at 7:30 pm.

Katie, a licensed clinical social worker who specializes in the treatment of OCD, discussed the topic of Inference-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for OCD. Inference-based CBT (I-CBT) is an evidence-based treatment of choice for OCD. I-CBT is an upstream modality that targets the obsessional doubt of the OCD cycle. When the obsessional doubt is resolved, then the anxiety and compulsive aspects of OCD do not take place.

Katie is a local therapist and OCD trainer with lived experience. She believes that those suffering from OCD deserve more evidence-based treatment options than just Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP).

She has a Master’s degree in Social Work with a concentration in Health and Mental Health from the University of St. Joseph in West Hartford, Connecticut. Social work focuses not just on pathology, but also examines human development through a lens of policy, social justice, and social welfare, providing a more comprehensive view of factors affecting people on a broader scale. This background in social justice contributes to Katie’s passion for pursuing a more robust set of skills for treating OCD, as well as advocating for multifaceted treatment approaches and competency for OCD specialists.

Katie also runs a private practice (katiemarrotte.com) offering Inference-Based CBT and Exposure Response Prevention for OCD. She believes that the most effective approach for treating OCD should be evidence-based, multifaceted, and, most importantly, informed by the client’s needs.

Katie is also a co-founder of the OCD Training School, a group that offers training for treating OCD and related disorders.

This event has been recorded. Links to the recordings are below:

• Video
• Audio Only

OCD Connecticut is hosting its One Million Steps for OCD Walk sponsored by @iocdf with a community walk during OCD Awareness Week.

The walk is our most important event of the year, bringing together people who want to make a difference in the lives of those affected by OCD. Every step we take and every dollar we raise goes directly toward funding vital research, increasing public awareness, and providing essential resources for individuals and families struggling with OCD.

Date: Saturday, October 18, 2025 at 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM
Location: Jennings Beach in Fairfield, CT

Whether you’re an avid walker or just want to enjoy a day at our beautiful location, we would love for you to be a part of it. You can participate by:

• Walking as an individual.
• Starting a team with your friends and family.
• Donating to a team or an individual if you can’t make it on the day of the event.

Your involvement, no matter how big or small, has a real and lasting impact.

Ready to take the first step? Click the link below to register, create a team, or donate today:
https://support.iocdf.org/event/fairfield-ct-ocd-walk/e704155.

As part of our Lecture Series, we were honored to host a virtual Zoom event featuring a presentation by Reid Wilson, Ph.D., on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at 7:30 pm. The topic of discussion was How to Do Self-Help: Metacognitive Strategies and Tactics.

Dr. Wilson has spent his entire 30-year career in the field of self-help for anxiety disorders and OCD. He is Director of the Anxiety Disorders Treatment Center and is an international expert in the treatment of anxiety disorders, with books translated into nine languages.

In his presentation, Dr. Wilson discussed his book Stop Obsessing!: How to Overcome Your Obsessions and Compulsions and talked about the treatment principles behind OCD and the 6-Moment Game: Strategies & Tactics, a self-paced online course designed to help you take down OCD.

Dr. Wilson, a highly acclaimed author, has written and co-authored several influential books, including Stopping the Noise in Your Head, Don’t Panic, and Stop Obsessing! Dr. Wilson also co-authored Anxious Kids, Anxious Parents, and Playing with Anxiety focusing on children’s mental health.

Beyond his writing, he developed a self-help program for fearful flyers, “Achieving Comfortable Flight”. He also served as the expert for WebMD’s Anxiety and Panic Community. Dr. Wilson’s expertise has led to appearances on major television shows like The Oprah Winfrey Show and Good Morning America, and he was featured as a psychologist on A&E’s “Hoarders.” His significant contributions to the field have been recognized with top awards from both the Anxiety and Depression Association of America and the International OCD Foundation.

Dr. Wilson’s website is anxieties.com.

This event has been recorded. Links to the recordings are below:

• Video
• Audio Only

In celebration of International OCD Awareness Week, Sacred Heart University’s Human Journey Colloquia 2025 Series presents “Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Getting Help and Support for Recovery.”

This free and public event will feature a panel discussion on the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of OCD. The discussion will be led by Dr. Christina Taylor, Professor Emeritus of Psychology at Sacred Heart University and co-facilitator of the Fairfield County OCD Support Group, along with members of the support group.

The panel will be held on Wednesday, October 8, 2025, at 2:00 PM in the Loris Forum of the Martire Building at Sacred Heart University at 5401 Park Ave, Fairfield, CT.

Have you ever had scary thoughts pop into your head that you just couldn’t stop thinking about?

They’re called intrusive thoughts, and they are distressing, repetitive and unwanted. They can be triggered by big life changes or mental health issues.

NPR’s senior visuals producer LA Johnson, who struggled with these thoughts after giving birth to her second child, talks to mental health professionals U’nek Clarke and Brooke Smith about how to manage them. She illustrates her experience and the expert advice in a comic.

Editor’s note: This comic will discuss mental health topics and suicidal ideation. If you are in crisis, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline to connect with a counselor.

To read the entire article on the NPR website, click here.

OCD Connecticut was honored to host a special private screening of ANXIETY CLUB, a new documentary that provides a humorous and heartfelt look at anxiety through the eyes of some of the most brilliant (and anxious) comedians working today. The screening was held on Tuesday, August 19, 2025 at 7:00 pm ET.

ANXIETY CLUB, which had its world premiere in November 2024 at DOC NYC film festival and recently won a Mental Health America Media Award, follows Tiffany Jenkins (a comedian and author with millions of followers) as she undergoes exposure therapy. Meditation teacher Tara Brach, Ph.D leads comedian Joe List through a guided meditation to help him transcend his fears and anxieties. Tiffany, Joe, and comedians Marc Maron, Aparna Nancherla, Mark Normand, Baron Vaughn, and Eva Victor offer candid reflections on their relationship with anxiety through exclusive interviews, standup performances, sketch videos and more. Watch the trailer for ANXIETY CLUB.

After the screening, there was a discussion and Q&A with the film’s director and producer, Wendy Lobel, and comedian Baron Vaughn. You can watch a recording of the discussion and Q&A session here: https://vimeo.com/1112319103/6108cbe6dc.

You can watch the film at https://www.jolt.film/watch/anxietyclub.

Click here to go to the conference website.
Click here to download the conference flyer.