SPECIAL EVENT – LECTURE BY THE DIRECTOR OF THE YALE OCD RESEARCH CLINIC (June 16, 2026)
As part of our Lecture Series, we were honored to host a presentation by Christopher Pittenger, MD, PhD, director of the Yale OCD Research Clinic. Dr. Pittenger gave an overview of OCD and discussed how cognitive-behavioral therapy affects the brain.
This special event was held on the evening of Tuesday, June 16, 2026, at 6:30 pm in the Cohen Auditorium at the Yale Child Study Center, 230 S. Frontage Road, NIHB E-02, New Haven, CT. Doors open at 6:00 pm.
Dr. Pittenger earned his MD and PhD degrees from Columbia University, where his graduate work was done with Nobel Prize recipient Eric Kandel. He returned to Yale University, his undergraduate alma mater, for residency and research training in psychiatry in 2003. He joined the faculty as an Assistant Professor in 2007 and is now Elizabeth Mears and House Jameson Professor of Psychiatry, Professor of Psychology and in the Child Study Center, and Deputy Chair for Translational Research in the Department of Psychiatry.
Dr. Pittenger has always been fascinated by the question of how the brain, a complex but ultimately a physical structure, creates thought, feeling, consciousness, and other aspects of the mind. As a psychiatrist, he is additionally focused on how these processes go wrong—how brain dysregulation leads to dysregulated cognition, emotion, and behavior and to mental suffering, and how advancing our understanding of these relationships can guide us to new strategies to alleviate that suffering.
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/.
OCD 101 AWARENESS EVENT (May 5, 2026)
SPECIAL ZOOM EVENT – THE INTERSECTION OF FAITH AND OCD
As part of our continuing Lecture Series, we were honored to host a virtual Zoom event featuring a presentation by Rev. Dr. Katie O’Dunne on Thursday, March 19, 2026, at 7:00 pm. Katie spoke about a topic that sits at the heart of many individuals’ recovery journeys: The Intersection of Religious Faith and OCD.
Katie founded and leads an inclusive virtual community for those navigating faith and OCD, called Stick with the Ick (formerly Faith & Mental Health Integrative Services). The organization helps individuals with OCD and related disorders live into their faith traditions as they navigate evidence-based treatment.
An ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, Katie spent 7 years as the Academy Chaplain and Chair of Religious Studies at Woodward Academy in Atlanta, simultaneously consulting on interfaith programming nationwide. Drawing on this experience, she educates clinicians and clergy, promoting culturally responsive treatment across religious/spiritual traditions.
Katie is a Lead Advocate for the IOCDF and leads the IOCDF Faith & OCD Action Council. She consults on Religion & OCD with OCDI Texas and received Vanderbilt’s Doctor of Ministry Award for Distinction in Integrative Care Practices. She is a frequent presenter at the IOCDF annual conferences and is the host of the Faith & OCD Roundtable series on IOCDF’s YouTube channel.
This event has been transcribed and recorded. Links to the transcription and recordings are below:
Online OCD Camp (January 31–February 1, 2026)
The Online OCD Camp sponsored by Mclean OCD Institute 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, and 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
