The 2026 International OCD Conference

The 2026 International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) conference was held here in Seattle. The IOCDF provides invaluable support for the community of researchers, service providers and people suffering from hoarding disorder who aim to understand and fight this miserable mental illness. I would have WALKED to it each day, 16 miles each way, if I’d had to, that’s how excited I was to able to join this amazing group of researchers and providers, especially since the Seattle conference had been scheduled for 2020 and cancelled for COVID.

It was one of the most exhilarating weekends of my life. I was finally face-to-face with people whose books I own: Dr. Christiana Bratiotis, Dr. Randy Frost, Dr. David Tolin, Dr. Michael Tompkins. People whose lectures I’ve attended: Becca Belofsky, Dr. Bratiotis, Marnie Cooper, Dr. Frost, Ceci Garrott, Lightening the Load Counseling, Lee Shuer, Mutual Support Consulting, Dr. Kiara Timpano, Dr. Tolin, Dr. Tompkins. People whose posts I follow: Marnie. Colleagues I’d never met in-person: Janene Pastor, Aria Environmental, right here in the Pacific NorthWest, a pioneer in trying to standardize compassionate set-up and maintenance methods in pest management services, Jennifer Snyder, CPO®, Neat as a Pin, Melissa Autry, CSA, CPO®, CPO-CD®, America’s Most Organized. And too many other people to list, and probably too many cross-references I’ve missed (researchers who co-authored the books, blogposters who freely give away support tools…).

I had the honor, pleasure and thrill of sitting on the panel Supporting Severe Clutter in the Home: Practical Tools, Strategies, and Interdisciplinary Perspectives with clinician Lindsay Bacala, RSW, Supportive Well-Being, Jennifer mentioned above, and Anne Pagano, LCSW, ACSW, BCD, C-ASWCM, Aging Remix. I was scared to death and still haven’t watched the recording (never will). Might try to offer an extended version of my 15-minutes-of-fame in NYC next year – hey, a chance to go back home?????

I left with hope that a growing number of highly intelligent, creative, curious people are trying to find causes of and treatments for this insidious mental illness. I left with confidence that it’s increasingly well-understood that assistance for the people suffering from hoarding disorder – those with the illness itself, and everyone affected – is best supplied by professionals in many industries cooperating as closely as possible. I left with books – accidently bought a second copy of something I already owned in my exuberance. Not-so-secretly, maybe my highlight of the whole fabulous thing – I had breakfast with one of my idols on Sunday morning, who approached me as I quietly munched on a muffin in a corner of the Exhibit Hall. I felt like a rock star groupie invited backstage.

View Of Downtown Seattle From Window