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Uma R. Chatterjee, M.S., MHPS

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Uma R. Chatterjee, M.S., MHPS

Home
About
Research
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- Upcoming Events
- Past Events
Press
Podcast
Support
Contact

© 2024 Uma R. Chatterjee, M.S., MHPS

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🌍 HAPPY INTERNATIONAL DAY OF WOMEN & GIRLS IN S

🌍 HAPPY INTERNATIONAL DAY OF WOMEN & GIRLS IN SCIENCE! 🧬🔬

👩🏾‍🔬 Why is representation & inclusion (of not just women, but ALL groups of humans) so important in science?

Because research questions come from the humans that are conducting the research - the scientists.

Research questions ultimately come from the interests, perspectives, & experiences (lived & otherwise) of the scientists training & practicing in the field.

So… the questions being asked, & the hypotheses being explored, are only as good as the PEOPLE who are asking them.

And we need SO much more perspective from women - so that we can ask better questions, find better (& more inclusive) answers, and serve FAR more of us through science. 🙌🏾

🌟TO ALL WOMEN, today & every day -
You belong.
Your voices matter.
Your experiences matter.
Your perspectives are invaluable.
Your existence makes science more valid.
You deserve to come exactly as you are.
You are so worthy & beyond capable.
💞💫

☀️ Some of the MANY amazing women scientists who inspire me: @thepathphd @nature.neuroscience.phd @femme_in_stem @disabledinstem @rose_neuro @abandoning.certainty @lizzilovesyou @katybjornson @dani_ande_ @ray_of_purls @ashtonbarber @carli.adventures @yael.carmel @neuro_melody @phd_in_goat_farming @ocddoodles @ocd_science @emilycribas @zarmeenzzz @psychedbrainsci @maya.evohr @schmitzzie @katesadler77 @keishalately @dr.heatherkbeasley & (one of the my greatest heroes + mentors not on IG) Dr. Carolyn Rodríguez 🙏🏾 Thank you all for being who you are, to me & the world! 🫶🏾

For most of my life, OCD robbed me of my self-trus

For most of my life, OCD robbed me of my self-trust — it viciously attacked my memory, my self-esteem, my abilities, my worth… and I just could not ever believe in myself. At its worst, OCD had me completely paralyzed.

💡One of the most profound parts of OCD treatment through ERP (exposure with response prevention, the gold-standard treatment for OCD) has been building a relationship of trust and belief in myself for the very first time. ERP has shown me how OCD used to control every facet of my life… and how treatment could help me SEE my intrusive thoughts for what they actually were - OCD, not ME. ☀️

Through treatment, taking these risks - inching toward trusting myself, daring to believe in myself - have been life-changing. And this year, more than ever, I’m committed to my recovery through continued ERP & really, truly trusting + believing in myself. Living my life with the power of hope & belief. And as hard as it is with OCD… I can do hard things. I deserve this, and you do TOO. ❤️🫶🏾

Proper treatment helped me learn to manage OCD and transformed my life. This can be the year you begin to conquer OCD and do the things you want and love, too. And NOCD @treatmyocd can help. With NOCD, you can work with a therapist who specializes in ERP to help you learn to manage OCD not just this year, but long-term! 💪🏾

📲 Book a free 15-minute call at nocd.com to learn more and get started with OCD treatment.

🧠 It’s never too late to start taking your life back from OCD. Remember, January is for resolutions, but conquering OCD is bigger than a resolution—it’s forever! ☀️

I’m ELATED to share the upcoming launch of our p

I’m ELATED to share the upcoming launch of our project, OCD and The Brain 🧠 - I’ll be co-hosting the launch event this Saturday 1/27 at 10am EST! 🎬🎉

💻 @OCDAndTheBrain is an inter-disciplinary engagement project that co-produced an engaging and interactive online toolkit for people living with OCD and their parents to learn more about the brain and OCD. The purpose of the project is to overcome the disconnect between what the latest OCD neurobiology research is focusing on, and communicating research effectively to the OCD community!

🧬 This toolkit shares the current scientific understanding about OCD and the brain, research techniques used to explore OCD and the brain, and information about evidence-based treatments and how they might work in the brain.

👩🏾‍🔬 On this project, I served as a scientific contributor and a community gatekeeper. I harnessed both of my identities as an OCD patient and neuroscientist to help shape the project, provide accessible research information, co-produce the toolkit, and bridge conversations between the research team and lived experience communities!

📖 I also spearheaded a special resource on the toolkit called “OCD Brain Research 101”, where we explain all of the many ways how OCD neuroscience is conducted - from human neuroimaging to clinical trials to studying neurons & OCD genes, and everything in between! This resource will help educate the OCD community on the MANY ways OCD research is conducted - how they all work, their strengths and limitations, and how they all come together! ☀️

It has been a privilege & joy to work with the amazing researchers & lived experience community members from @ucl @wellcometrust @iocdf @ocdaction over the past year! I’m so grateful to the whole team for embracing the needs & voices of the lived experience community and creating an unparalleled form of science communication that will help SO many. 🌏

🌟 JOIN US on Saturday 1/27 at 10am ET for our livestream launch event - We can’t wait for this project to be in your hands! 📲 Link in bio for the launch livestream 🔗

☀️ Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) ther

☀️ Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) therapy has helped save my life after 25 years of severe, untreated OCD — and I’m so thankful to ERP for the life I get to live now! 🙏🏾

Before finding evidence-based treatment for OCD, I went over 2 decades seeing 15+ mental health professionals, with most treatments not working for me and even making my OCD worse. At my worst, I was admitted twice to psychiatric hospitals… with no subsequent change or improvement after. The hopelessness & darkness I felt from feeling like a complete lost cause, like nobody could help me & I could never get better… that pain still harrows me.

Right around the average 14-17 years it takes for most OCD patients to finally receive a correct diagnosis & proper treatment — after 25 years of untreated OCD & 13 years of misdiagnosis + mistreatment, I FINALLY found ERP treatment & an OCD specialist. It was terrifying to put my hope + faith into yet another attempt at recovery, after decades of perceived “failure”… but I’m SO glad that I did.

Because today, ~4 years into ERP - my life is entirely transformed. I live a life that I never, in my wildest dreams, thought possible for me. 🌈

After being confined to my house, unable to purchase groceries, unable to even turn the lights on, failed out of school with a 1.83 GPA, a prisoner to my mental + physical compulsions, convinced that I was a horrific person causing everyone’s suffering, & waiting to die…

I’ve now earned 2 degrees, am a 4.0 neuroscience Ph.D student, pursuing my dreams & living my purpose, able to function & living a FULL, beautiful life. I’m still in ERP multiple days a week, continuing on my path of recovery - and I wouldn’t trade that for the world, because the freedom, the hope, is EVERYTHING. 🥹❤️

Now it’s your turn to join in - why are you grateful for ERP? Snap a pic with your own sign showcasing one way ERP changed your life, share it on Instagram, & make sure to tag @treatmyocd so NOCD can feature your story! 🤳🏽

This holiday season, every post that tags @treatmyocd translates to a $10 donation from NOCD to the nonprofit @OCDGamechangers. Let’s unite to bring hope and help to the OCD community! 🧡 #GratefulForERP

✨NEW YEAR REFLECTIONS // Personally, I don’t p

✨NEW YEAR REFLECTIONS // Personally, I don’t participate in New Year’s resolutions or “new year, new me” - my experience of the new year is of reflection on change. 🫧

For me, this time around the New Year is a profound reminder — of how much things can change in just 1 year. A “year” is simply a subjective 12-month period of time to which I personally don’t assign expectations or value… but it *does* serve as a convenient, built-in period of reflection on change. 🦋

My life today is *nothing* that I could’ve predicted last year, even just 12 months ago. What I’m doing with my life, where I’m living, what I’ve achieved + done… but much more importantly — how I feel, how I’ve grown, the amount of new progress I’ve made in intensive mental illness treatment with a new provider, how much I’ve overcome. ➡️

Last year, I had literally ZERO access to all of these changes being possible for me. This time last year, I was in the middle of a 3-week-long intensive IV Ketamine treatment, torturous & extreme as a desperate resort of change. I was truly feeling a new level of seemingly inescapable hopelessness & su!c!d@l every single day. I wouldn’t wish that upon anyone.

And my goodness, am I glad that I’m around to have experienced the power of change since. Things are by no means perfect - hence why I’m still in intensive treatment - but the upward spiral, the changes I’ve experienced in this 12-month period, I could not be more grateful for. 🥹🙏🏾

“The only constant in life is change” — a truth that, at my worst, is often clouded by deep suffering. 🌥️ So for me, reflecting on change is medicine to my recurrent hopelessness & pain. ☀️

I’m grateful to be here, alive — continuing to experience the power of time + change. 🌈 And I share this for anyone out there feeling the desolation of hopelessness & pain too - you are not alone. Change will not bring about a perfect life, because a “perfect” life doesn’t exist — but change WILL come, however it looks relative to your current experience… and I hope more than anything that you allow yourself to experience it, to experience more of what this life has to offer. You deserve it & you are so worthy. 🦋🫶🏾💗

👩🏾‍🔬 LIFE UPDATE: I’ve officially cho

👩🏾‍🔬 LIFE UPDATE: I’ve officially chosen my thesis lab + advisor for my Ph.D — Dr. Michael Cahill’s lab! 🧠🧬🎉

Choosing a thesis lab & advisor is a paramount decision not only for the 5-7 years of my Ph.D, but for the rest of my scientific career. The work I do in this lab will profoundly shape me & teach me to:
💊 rigorously + independently formulate, test, & interpret + answer complex research questions
💊 train on techniques, skills, & methods to answer said questions
💊 become an expert (?!) in my specific field of study

☝🏾That all is true for *everyone* in my position! For me *specifically* though — I came to grad school with VERY specific questions, motivations & requirements of my lab + advisor.

In sum, I required a space that was not only focused on psychiatric neurobiology, intellectually stimulating & excited me to work every day, but ALSO:
🎗️fully accepts me for who I am with my lived experiences & my personal motivations to do this work
🎗️ fosters a space of openness, communication & honesty about our full human selves beyond science
🎗️ encourages & empowers all of the advocacy work I do outside of the lab
🎗️ supports me pursuing my own research ideas about OCD & pursuing new projects within + outside the lab
🎗️ most importantly: provides a VERY safe, supportive, inclusive, & accessible lab environment + space to accommodate my needs as someone living with chronic physical + mental illnesses & disabilities

I would’ve been lucky to find ONE great lab; Yet I was privileged to have ALL 3 rotation labs be incredible experiences, making this decision even more difficult (in the best way)!

In the end, I chose the Cahill lab because it was everything above (!!!), & it just felt… right. As hard as the decision was, I’ve never felt so calm + grounded in making it☀️

I’m so excited to share this big news with ya’ll!🥹 EVERYTHING I do is entirely driven by reducing unnecessary suffering of people w/ OCD & severe psychiatric disorders - & I’m so grateful to share my research path to doing this! Full update coming on @AChatWithUma 🥰

👉🏾 Swipe through to read about the Cahill lab & my future work! 🧬 I’m SO ecstatic & hopeful for the future! 🤗❤️

My very first American College of Neuropsychopharm

My very first American College of Neuropsychopharmacology (ACNP) meeting was an absolute DREAM come true! 🧠💊💫

The ACNP Annual Meeting is one of the world’s leading forums for the exchange of cutting edge scientific information about the brain, behavior, and psychotropic drugs. Every year, ACNP brings the world’s most distinguished leaders in basic, clinical, and translational neuroscience + psychiatry research to share, discuss, & learn about our field’s future. In short, ACNP is everything I care about as a researcher 🤩

ACNP is a “closed” meeting & usually attended by principal investigators & senior clinicians who are “members,” plus select post-doctoral fellows & very senior graduate students. And yet, I had the extreme honor + privilege of attending as a FIRST-year Ph.D student… for the best possible reason 🥹 Because an ACNP member, a senior investigator who follows me on social media, knew of all of my science communication, advocacy, & research efforts within the field… and decided to extend an invite to me! 🤯

The reason & chain of events leading to my attendance are incredibly meaningful to me for so many reasons. It was an amazing experience to be actively included & uplifted *because* of the work I do in the world - and for countless of my scientific heroes, the people who inspired me to do this, spending time w/ me & treating me as a peer in an environment where I was, by all accounts, the “youngest” in terms of my academic standing. It was such an honor to be invited by a member who believes in my present & future contributions to the field. It really cemented into me that I belong here, in this field fully as a scientist, & that I can maybe… do this.

I left ACNP with the inspiration of about 10 lifetimes’ worth of science to do, and a whole lot of clarity around what I want my Ph.D research to look like! It was the greatest gift to have this experience at this crucial & formative part of my grad school career. I couldn’t be more ecstatic & hopeful about the future, plus the SO many wild collaborations that were born & fostered there! ✨ AND TONS of iconic podcast guests for @AChatWithUma coming 🎊🎙️ I can’t wait to share more!!! 🥰🫶🏾☀️

📲 Join me TODAY on @iocdf’s IG Live for a con

📲 Join me TODAY on @iocdf’s IG Live for a conversation on Winter Wellness! 💙

We’ll reflect on the past year of recovery + hopes for next year, and we’ll talk on holiday blues, added stigma, and so much more. ☃️ Featuring some absolutely wonderful guests & advocates whom I can’t wait to hear from! And of course, I’ll answer any questions you have. 🥰

See y’all at 12pm ET // 9am PT today! ❄️🫶🏾

Speaking, advocating, exhibiting, & connecting at

Speaking, advocating, exhibiting, & connecting at @ABRCMS 2023 was an experience of a LIFETIME! 🎗️☀️🧠

I had the privilege of co-presenting our @DisabledInSTEM panel — Lessons From Disabled Scientists — alongside my amazing friends, Alyssa Paparella & Callie Mahrer. We spoke at length about our experiences navigating research + academia with multiple disabilities, both visible AND invisible - physical, cognitive, psychological, + more. We spoke transparently about the barriers discrimination we oftentimes face, including pervasive stigma, lack of accommodations + accessibility, undue standards, & so much more.

We were expecting maybe… 5 people to attend? And were just grateful to even shed light on the conversation at such an incredible conference. To our surprise, we had a big + FULLY packed room, full of not just fellow disabled scientists but ALLIES! We had so much engagement + questions that we would’ve needed 6 hours to answer. I’m mindblown by the power of allyship & community that can come from honest, unfiltered advocacy. 🥹

Some of the most powerful experiences I had were of countless attendees sharing with me that they’d never met someone who ALSO talked about how debilitating psychological disabilities can be… *especially* the numerous folks who said I was the first scientist they’d EVER met who openly talked about having obsessive-compulsive disorder 🥹 We shared so many tears of solidarity & compassion with each other, deeply understanding our shared silent suffering.

THAT is why I do what I do. Because I’m NOT the only one, & I’m done with others living in silence due to unwarranted shame, stigma, & barriers. And for me, I’d rather speak up, out of love for myself & my communities, & face consequences, than continue to pretend until I burn out in this system.

I thought advocacy this blunt & public would be to my professional detriment & I was okay with that. What I DIDN’T expect… were the number of life-changing opportunities that the community would offer me after attending our presentation. I still can’t wrap my head around the things to come 🥹🫶🏾

Thank you @ABRCMS & our community for endlessly supporting me! Can’t wait to share more 💓

🌟JOIN US in Phoenix this week for our @ABRCMS 2

🌟JOIN US in Phoenix this week for our @ABRCMS 2023 session — Lessons From Disabled Scientists — on Fri. 11/17 at 11:15am! 🎗️

🥼ABOUT THE SESSION:
Over 25% of America's population identifies as disabled, yet this population is not represented in the same proportion in STEM fields. To address this issue, conversations that center disabled advocates are required to move forward the field to raise awareness of barriers that current disabled students and scientists face.

Through this session, multiple disabled scientists will share their journey and experiences of how to navigate this difficult space. Attending this session will allow all members to walk out of the room with broader horizons to understand how disabled scientists are currently treated in STEM, along with tips of creating more inclusive and accessible environments that they can employ at their home institutions.

🎤 ABOUT THE SPEAKERS:

👩‍🔬 Uma R. Chatterjee, M.S., MHPS: Neuroscience Ph.D Student - University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine & Public Health | @IOCDF Advocate

👩‍🔬 Callie Mahrer, M.S. - Clinical Translational Science Ph.D Student - University of Arizona College of Medicine

👩‍🔬 Alyssa Paparella, B.A. - Cancer & Cell Biology Ph.D Candidate, Baylor College of Medicine | @DisabledInStem Founder

We can’t wait to meet you in Phoenix this week! 🫂 In-person & VIRTUAL attendance available - info at abrcms.org + link in bio 🔗

🌟JOIN ME & The Intercollegiate Psychedelics Net

🌟JOIN ME & The Intercollegiate Psychedelics Network for our Wonderland conference panel — ‘So, You Want To Join The Psychedelic Field?’ on Sat. 11/11 at 11:30am! 🧠🍄

🗣️ ABOUT THE SPEAKER: Uma R. Chatterjee, M.S., MHPS is a neuroscientist & Mental Health Peer Specialist. She’s currently a Neuroscience Ph.D student at UW-Madison. Her research studies the effects of psychedelic-assisted therapy on comorbid OCD & PTSD. Her lived experiences with OCD, PTSD, cancer, & disabilities serve as the bedrock of her research & advocacy, carried out through her work as an organizer, science communicator, & podcast host of @AChatWithUma. She serves as co-director of the Intercollegiate Psychedelics Network.

🎤 ABOUT THE PANEL: Discover your pathway in the burgeoning field of psychedelic studies with our event, “So, You Want To Join The Psychedelic Field?” The landscape of psychedelic scholarship has dramatically transformed in the last decade, leading to countless new career paths & opportunities. Whether your interests lie in research, medicine, law, or business within psychedelics, our event aims to illuminate the diverse career options available, & the strategic steps to access them. This session is specially designed for students seeking guidance, support, & resources in their professional journey through the psychedelic ecosystem.

Learn about the types of graduate school programs (PhD, MD, MBA, etc.), how to become a strong candidate, & strategies to excel in graduate school. We’ll also spotlight strategies to expand your network & available professional development opportunities. A panel of current & recent graduate students from various disciplines will be on-hand for a robust Q&A session. So, if you’re considering a professional role within the psychedelic space but unsure of your next steps, join us to help map out your course. Hosted by @intercollegiatepsychedelics, a student-led non-profit empowering the next generation of psychedelic professionals & leaders, this is your opportunity to unlock the doors to a rewarding future in the psychedelic ecosystem.

🎟️ See you at @wonderlandconference next weekend! 🎉 Link in bio for more info 🔗

📣 ANNOUNCING: “OCD myths and realities, with

📣 ANNOUNCING: “OCD myths and realities, with Dean McKay, PhD, and Uma Chatterjee” — our episode of Speaking of Psychology, the American Psychological Association (APA)‘s flagship podcast, is now LIVE! 🎧

From @apa_org : ‘Have you heard people say, “I’m so OCD”? There are a lot of myths around obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). In reality, it’s a multifaceted mental health disorder that seriously affects people’s lives—but is also treatable with evidence-based therapies. Psychologist Dean McKay, PhD, and OCD advocate Uma Chatterjee talk about what OCD is, how it differs from the stereotypes, why it is so often misunderstood and misdiagnosed, and what effective treatments are available.’

It was such an incredible honor to contribute to the American Psychological Association’s *FIRST EVER* episode on obsessive-compulsive disorder! It was such a joy to advocate & educate alongside the incredible Dr. Dean McKay, a pioneering OCD researcher & clinician; and I’m incredibly grateful for the space to share BOTH my story as a survivor, as well as my growing neuropsychopharmacological expertise as a neuroscientist. 🧠 Most of all… I’m honored to uplift the representation of historically-excluded populations within mental health communities at large & increase outreach for marginalized populations. 🌏

With OCD being one of the most misunderstood, stigmatized, & misdiagnosed conditions out there, this episode is more necessary than ever to dispel myths, raise true awareness, educate, & inspire HOPE for diagnosis, treatment + recovery. ☀️

Thank you to the APA & Speaking of Psychology for recognizing this massive need for large-scale OCD advocacy and having Dr. McKay & me on for this robust conversation! So hopeful for this conversation reaching Speaking of Psychology’s millions of listeners around the world, raising much needed awareness, saving lives from the debilitation of OCD. With each conversation like this, our amazing community will lower the average 14-17 years it takes to receive an accurate OCD diagnosis & evidence-based treatment! 🙌🏾

🌟 TUNE IN on all podcast platforms: search “speaking of psychology” + link in my bio! 🔗

My heart is SO full from the 2023 Online OCD Confe

My heart is SO full from the 2023 Online OCD Conference this past weekend. It was such a joy, honor, & privilege to co-present the keynote address! 🥰🙏🏾

Our keynote, spearheaded by the amazing @christrondsen, comprised of sharing 4 OCD stories:
💙 Ian & Hayden Wright: Ian’s story of living with OCD, & Hayden’s story of supporting Ian as a spouse amongst her own mental health struggles
💙 Me (Uma): my story of OCD, cultural stigma, comorbidities, & life through evidence-based treatment
💙 Andrew & Jan Stewart: Andrew’s story of living with OCD, & Jan’s story of supporAndrew as his parent
💙 Valerie & Melvin Andrews: Val’s story of living with OCD, & Melvin’s story of supporting Val as his spouse

The messages of love & support from the amazing attendees have truly blown me away. My hope for this keynote was for others who face isolation, cultural barriers, comorbidities, & other seemingly insurmountable obstacles in recovery, to KNOW that they’re NOT alone.

And in turn… you all showed ME that I’M not alone. It was an experience of catharsis & understanding that I have no words for. 🥹

There is so much grief, pain, & shame that comes from living with obsessive-compulsive disorder… AND the power & healing of community is indescribable. ☀️

It was incredible to witness everyone’s stories from this panel - such testaments to resilience, compassion, & love. 💓 I’m so deeply inspired by this panel & the whole community, every single one of you! Thank you so much to the @IOCDF & @OCDSocal for having us 💙

💻 The keynote & all conference programming will be available for replay for the next 60 days! 🫶🏾 If you want to watch, you can access it at tinyurl.com/ocdcon - linked in my bio 🔗

As I finished week 8 of my 1st semester + started

📣 I’m incredibly honored to share that I will

📣 I’m incredibly honored to share that I will be co-presenting the keynote address at the @IOCDF + @OCDSoCal Online OCD Conference next week! 🥹🥰 - extra special to share as we’re closing out OCD Awareness Week! 💙

From the conference ➡️ “We are thrilled to present a panel consisting of people with OCD and their loved ones, who have been successful in their OCD recovery, as our keynote speakers: Jan Stewart and Andrew Stewart, Uma Chatterjee, Valerie Andrews and Melvin Andrews, and Ian and Hayden Wright. @IOCDF Board Member, Chris Trondsen, will moderate the keynote.

During the conference keynote, the presenters will share their experiences while suffering through their lowest moments with OCD. The speakers will then detail how they fought back to regain control of their lives using the tools of treatment. Additionally, they will highlight the ways their lives have vastly improved now that they are managing the disorder. Finally, attendees will have a chance to ask questions to be answered by our keynote speakers!”

I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to raise awareness for many walks of life + experiences through sharing my story in this way - especially as it relates to my experiences as a 2nd generation South Asian immigrant, cancer survivor, cult survivor, patient with multiple comorbid conditions, neuroscientist + researcher, & more. 🌈

It’s a true privilege + honor to share space with every amazing human on this panel + in this incredible community. 🫶🏾🌎 I can’t wait to see you all next weekend at #OnlineOCDCon & share in this indescribably beautiful experience of community, solidarity, healing, & HOPE. ☀️💓

📣 Join us for our keynote presentation on Saturday Oct. 21 from 6-7pm ET — register at tinyurl.com/ocdcon + link in my bio! 🔗

✨Join us TONIGHT for our OCD Week @IOCDF Livestr

✨Join us TONIGHT for our OCD Week @IOCDF Livestream - Diversity Starts With Us! 💙

Join a diverse group of BIPOC patients, advocates, and clinicians for a discussion about the additional stigmas and barriers that marginalized populations face in accessing treatment, receiving appropriate diagnosis & treatment, and finding community through their OCD recovery. This conversation will address common roadblocks faced by BIPOC patients due to their cultures, racial/ethnic backgrounds, faiths, and intersecting identities, and how these factors have shaped treatment, recovery, and community support.

This event will help raise awareness, improve representation, and break the stigma - and above all, this event will provide an active call to action to have more people from diverse communities and allies join us in improving outcomes for marginalized populations and bridging the gap of inequality.

I’m so grateful to co-host this panel with my twin & partner in (advocacy) crime, @alexandraisobsessed 🫶🏾
And we’re honored to have guests join us tonight: Dr. Carolyn Rodríguez, M.D., Ph.D & Jelani Daniel, M.A., LPC! 🌟

📺 TUNE IN at 7pm ET: iocdf.org/live + link in my bio! 🔗

I’m honored to share that I’ve joined the Boar

I’m honored to share that I’ve joined the Board of Directors at @OCDWisconsin! 💙

It’s extra special to share this announcement during OCD Awareness Week!🎗️ From @OCDWisconsin: OCD Wisconsin is a non-profit organization and the official Wisconsin affiliate of the International OCD Foundation (@IOCDF). Founded in 2014, our goal is to support the mission of the IOCDF in all communities throughout the state of Wisconsin. This is done by connecting families with local resources and fostering a community for those affected by Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and the professionals who treat them. We aim to strengthen the community through programs like Beyond Treatment Network and Ask the Experts in addition to holding events throughout the year to help raise awareness of OCD.

I’m extremely honored and grateful for the opportunity to serve in this role and spearhead + further initiatives of OCD advocacy, education, awareness, and outreach to historically-excluded populations in Wisconsin! 🙏🏾

It was a joy to kick off my term at last weekend’s Wisconsin OCD Walk, alongside some of our board members, amazing friends, & the Wisconsin OCD community. The power + energy of coming together in community for OCD awareness was so palpable - and I’m so grateful to be a part of this incredible movement.✨

🎗️JOIN ME FOR OCD AWARENESS WEEK EVENTS ALL W

🎗️JOIN ME FOR OCD AWARENESS WEEK EVENTS ALL WEEK! 🧠

📣 The second week of October is OCD Awareness week! This OCD Awareness Week l, we invite members of the OCD community to help educate others about the reality of OCD, make a difference and break the stigma around OCD. Join me for advocacy events all week, listed below ⬇️

💙 Mon. 10/9: @AChatWithUma podcast episode — OCD 101 & My Full OCD Story

💙 Mon. 10/9, 8pm ET: @MadeOfMillions OCD Socratic Seminars — BIPOC Representation in the OCD Space

💙 Thurs. 10/12, 7pm ET: @IOCDF Live Stream Panel: Diversity Starts With Us

💙 Sat. 10/14, 12pm ET: @IOCDF Advocate IG Live

💙 Sat. 10/14, 7:30pm ET: @OCDGamechangers Live Advocate Virtual Event

Swipe through for details on all of these events! So excited to join forces & raise awareness about what obsessive-compulsive disorder REALLY is, and how much community, recovery, & support is available to those suffering. 🫶🏾💓

Join us TOMORROW for the Wisconsin 1 Million Steps

Join us TOMORROW for the Wisconsin 1 Million Steps for OCD Walk, hosted by @OCDWisconsin! 👟👣

The One Million Steps for OCD Walk is a community engagement event that allows individuals across the country to connect, share stories, create impact, and show those struggling on their road to recovery that they are not alone. The OCD Walk is an opportunity to raise funds and awareness of what it REALLY means to have OCD.

WHAT INSPIRED THE OCD WALK:

In 2012, Denis Asselin walked over 500 miles — or roughly one million steps — from his home in Cheyney, PA, to Boston, MA, in memory of his son Nathaniel. Nathaniel took his own life at just 24, after a long struggle with severe body dysmorphic disorder (BDD) and OCD. After Nathaniel’s death, Denis decided to embark on a pilgrimage to honor Nathaniel and to raise awareness about the disorder that stole his young son’s life.

On June 5, 2012, Denis completed his walk in Boston, and was greeted by staff of the International OCD Foundation, as well as friends, family, and members of the OCD community at a rally honoring Denis and supporting OCD and BDD awareness. To carry on this tradition, the One Million Steps for OCD Walk was created the following year in the same spirit of raising awareness, funds, and hope. It is in this spirit of hope that we invite you to join us.

🗓️ Walk Schedule:

9 am: Check-In and T-shirt pick up
9:30: Opening Remarks, introductions, and explanation of the Artist booths
9:45: Band begins the march, walk
10:30: Food and water
10:50: Closing remarks/ end of event
11:10: Clean up of the park, take down tents

The walk route is 2 miles along the beautiful Lake Fowler and the community around the lake. Wheelchair accessible. There will be local artisans present selling their artwork.
Food and water available!

Can’t wait to see you there tomorrow and walk alongside you in solidarity for OCD awareness! What a beautiful way to kick off OCD Awareness Week next week, too. 🫶🏾

#WhenEthanWedKatie // September 30, 2023 💍 @rev

#WhenEthanWedKatie // September 30, 2023 💍 @revkrunsbeyondocd @ethwriter 💖

Celebrating Ethan & Katie’s wedding this weekend was truly such an experience of joy, gratitude, and heart-bursting love. This wedding was more than a marriage — it was a culmination of SO much pain finding purpose.

It was a joyful celebration of their journeys, individually and together — of the full spectrum of life: pain, grief, deep suffering, recovery, healing, joy, love, resilience, commitment, & miracles. 💫

Ethan so poignantly shared this day’s significance in writings on his wedding day, screenshotted here. He wrote for himself, and for ALL of us who have lived through such debilitation & suffering - that milestones & moments like these, are miracles we will never take for granted.

And this weekend was an exemplification of exactly that! Community turned family, endless joy & gratitude for life, deep & true love for the people around us, and coming together in full force to love & celebrate these 2 incredible humans that we wish the world for. 💖

It was such a joy to share presence with so many loved ones, and to meet new people to love - all in the name of loving Katie & Ethan! 💞

Ethan & Katie — Thank you both for being the beautiful conduits of love that you are. The community you brought together here exemplifies your magic! You both have been the most loving & supportive big brother + sister I could ever imagine. Thank you for chasing me up the escalator & welcoming me into your lives with open arms - my heart is forever changed by your light & presence. I’m so grateful to know & love you both, together. 💓

Wishing you both the most beautiful life ahead, together - forever and always plus one! 🫶🏾🫶🏾🫶🏾

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