We are so excited to have several of our team members not only attending, but also speaking at the International OCD Foundation’s Annual OCD Conference this summer in Chicago.
Below are sessions and activities where Not Alone Notes Writers can be found!
Exhibit Hall
Thanks to generous donations from the folks below, Not Alone Notes will once again have a table in the conference Exhibit Hall.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
We are thrilled to further connect with the OCD community, and to meet so many of you! We will also have coloring books for sale and giveaways, so come visit us!
Write Notes of Support and Make Weepuls with Not Alone Notes
Morgan Rondinelli, Molly Fishback, and Briana Godin
Thursday, July 10 at 6pm
Not Alone Notes mails free, handwritten notes to others with OCD year-round, to remind them they aren’t alone, encourage hope, and dispense resources. Join us in the Creativity Corner to write your own note for someone in treatment. Whether you write a heartfelt message, craft a poem, or draw a picture, your note can make a difference! We will also be making adorable Weepul friends, with encouraging messages for them to hold. Take your Weepuls home as conference souvenirs, pass some along to a friend, or even hide one for another unsuspecting conference attendee to find! Unsure if you should come? Google “Weepuls,” and you’ll be convinced. All supplies provided, so just bring your creativity.
What to Expect When You’re Exposing: Navigating Common Therapist and Client Fears about Starting ERP
Violet Talsma, with Dr. Nicholas Farrell, Dr. Stacy Welch, and Dr. Bradley Riemann
Friday, July 11 at 8am
Given that exposure and response prevention (ERP) involves confronting fears and stopping actions that bring temporary relief (i.e., compulsions), there are often concerns shared by the client who will begin ERP and the therapist who will deliver it. In fact, research shows that during initial ERP sessions, both clients and therapists experience high levels of apprehension. Whereas concerns about beginning ERP are expected and understandable, they can limit the overall effectiveness of ERP if not managed successfully. This presentation will describe common concerns about ERP shared by both clients and therapists as well as how these concerns can negatively influence a course of treatment. The presenters will also impart proven strategies to overcome initial hesitation about ERP via live demonstrations.
Self-Advocacy Within Treatment and Beyond
Molly Fishback, Morgan Rondinelli, Lisa Giuffre, and Violet Talsma, with Dr. Lisa Coyne
Friday, July 11 at 9:45am
Ahh! Independence! It can be a scary word, but it’s an important step in treatment, especially for young adults. We know ourselves best! Self-advocacy can be practiced, both with parents/guardians and treatment providers. This session will cover skills like aligning therapeutic goals, communicating comfort levels for doing exposures, or even switching therapists if the current one doesn’t feel like a good fit. With parents, we’ll cover advocating for different or more treatment, educating them about our experiences, and transitioning responsibility of care to ourselves. Utilizing personal experiences, role play, and professional tips, this session aims to help you get the most out of YOUR treatment!
OCD Go! Gotta catch em all!
Briana Godin, with Noemi Tsai, Dr. Lauren Breithaupt, and Dr. Ginny Fullerton
Friday, July 11 at 2:30pm
OCD can show up in sneaky ways, making it hard to identify and catch. In this interactive session, participants will learn techniques and ways to identify what things might be OCD and different ways to battle them. In addition to learning techniques, participants will be engaging in a fun OCD Go! (Like Pokémon GO) scavenger hunt game where they will get to use their newly learned techniques to catch their OCD characters.
Cool Tools: Creating a Coping Box
Lisa Giuffre and Violet Talsma
Saturday, July 12 at 11:30am
In Cool Tools: Creating a Coping Box, you’ll explore coping skills to help manage thoughts and the emotions that come with them. You’ll decorate your own personalized box and fill it with a variety of fun, portable, and helpful tools designed to support you wherever you go. Choose from an array of worksheets, engaging activities, and creative resources—all provided for you—to build a toolbox that’s all yours! By the end of the session, you’ll have a collection of coping strategies to take home and use anytime you need a boost. Cool Tools is all about empowering you with super awesome skills to handle challenges with confidence!
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