Since 1986, the OCF has reached out to tens of thousands of people with OCD, their families, service providers, policymakers and others to raise awareness about the disorder, to help connect people with OCD to treatment providers, and to advance research into more effective treatments. While we have touched many lives and made real progress, the challenges remain enormous, especially since up to 10 million Americans will suffer from OCD at some point in their lives. Sadly, most people with OCD are not promptly or properly diagnosed, and therefore miss out on treatment therapies that can markedly improve their condition and the quality of their lives.

The OCF Speakers Bureau includes people with OCD who understand firsthand the challenges of this disorder, and the importance of effective treatment. Among them are Jeff Bell and Elizabeth McIngvale, who also serve as National Spokespersons for the Foundation, helping to spread our message that while the challenges are great, there is real hope for people with OCD. They are featured in the OCF public awareness campaign, What Does OCD Look Like? Me.

Other speakers include renowned medical and research experts who have treated people with OCD and/or engaged in cutting edge research to understand the causes of the disorder and to find more effective treatments. All of our speakers are trained to provide informative presentations on OCD to a variety of audiences.

Help us increase awareness about and understanding of OCD and the people affected by it so that we can reach more people in more effective ways. If you are interested in booking one of our speakers for your conference, meeting, special event, or media appearance, please contact Mike Spigler at: mspigler[at]ocfoundation.org or 617-973-5801.

Jeff Bell is a nationally-known author, news anchor, and motivational speaker. Since the publication of his OCD memoir, "Rewind, Replay, Repeat," in early 2007, he has traveled extensively, lending his support to numerous mental health organizations, including the OC Foundation, for which he now serves as a National Spokesperson. He is a 2007 recipient of Mental Health America’s prestigious forWARDS Award, for "moving the cause of mental health forward," and is co-founder of the YourGreaterGood.com project, aiming to help motivate others with OCD to tackle the rigors of treatment. Bell is a 20-year veteran of radio and television news and currently co-anchors afternoons at KCBS Radio, the CBS Network’s San Francisco flagship.

Scott Granet, LCSW is an adult & adolescent psychotherapist specializing in the treatment of anxiety disorders. He currently facilitates treatment groups for OC Spectrum Disorders and Panic Disorder at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation in Northern CA along with having a private practice in Redwood City. He has presented on BDD at psychology and dermatology conferences worldwide, and has also taught continuing education classes on OCD and BDD to mental health professionals throughout the U.S. He also helped coordinate the first BDD Conference in North America at UCLA in 2005. In addition to his clinical work, Mr. Granet is President & Co-Founder of the OCF of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Jonathan B. Grayson, Ph.D., Co-Director of the Anxiety and Agoraphobia Treatment Center (AATC), is a nationally-recognized expert in the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. In 1981, he co-organized the first GOAL support group in the country for those suffering from OCD, and continues to volunteer his time to run the group for the Philadelphia Affiliate of the OCD Foundation. Dr. Grayson is the author of Freedom from Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder; A Personalized Recovery Program for Living with Uncertainty. In addition, he is Assistant Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Temple University Medical School. Dr. Grayson has appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Dr. Mehmet Oz's radio program and has been a featured speaker at national conferences such as OCF, ADAA, and ABCT.

Jared Kant is Clinical Research Coordinator at the Massachusetts General Hospital OCD and Related Disorders Program. Diagnosed with OCD at age 11, Jared experienced many of the most excruciating manifestations of this illness: dread of deadly germs and diseases, intrusive harming fears, scrupulosity, the unrelenting need to count and check things and a persistent, nagging doubt that overshadowed every aspect of his life. He authored The Thought That Counts, a personal tale of trial and ultimate triumph, in which he described the inner world of a young person plagued by OCD.

Elizabeth McIngvale is the founder of Peace of Mind, a non-profit organization which raises money for obsessive-compulsive disorder research and education. She was diagnosed with OCD at the age of 12, and at age 18 became the national spokesperson for the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation. She lives in Houston, Texas and is the daughter of area businessman Jim McIngvale and his wife Linda. At one point doctors believed McIngvale's OCD was too severe to be treatable. Her rituals included having to repeat menial tasks 42 times, an obsession with religious symbolism, and washing her hands over 100 times a day. She eventually found help through The Menninger Clinic and, now coping relatively well, devotes much of her time and resources to Peace of Mind.

McIngvale has appeared nationally on Dr. Phil, CNN, Today Show, Good Morning America, and Inside Edition. She is also the of OCD for the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation's print and TV ad campaign.

Fugen Neziroglu, Ph.D., ABBP, ABPP is Clinical Director of Bio-Behavioral Institute in Great Neck, New York and Professor at Hofstra and New York University. She is a cognitive behavior therapist who is board certified in Behavior and Cognitive as well as in Clinical Psychology and a fellow of the American Board of Behavioral and Cognitve Psychology. Dr. Neziroglu specializes in obsessive compulsive spectrum disorders and has published over 125 articles in scientific journals and 12 books on obsessive compulsive spectrum disorders that have been translated into several languages. She and her colleague, Dr. Jose Yaryura-Tobias were the first researchers to introduce the concept of spectrum and related disorders in their first book, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Pathogenesis, Diagnosis and Treatment, published in 1980. Again with her colleague, Dr. Yaryura-Tobias, she started the Obsessive Compulsive Society in 1979 in order to actively de-stigmatize OCD and to bring it to the forefront of a recognizable and treatable disorder, a time when only 3 pages in the most notable psychiatric texts were devoted to the disorder. Dr. Neziroglu has devoted her entire professional life to study better methods of treatment for OCD, body dysmorphic disorder, and other spectrum disorders.

Dr. Neziroglu has appeared on numerous national and international TV shows including 20/20, 60 Minutes, Dateline, CNN, Today Show etc. She actively works at dissemination of information to the public by doing interviews for various newspapers, the latest being national coverage on hoarding after her book, Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding was released. She is a member of many national and international societies and is on the Scientific Advisory Board of the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation.

C. Alec Pollard, Ph.D. is Director of the Anxiety Disorders Center at Saint Louis Behavioral Medicine Institute and Professor of Community and Family Medicine at Saint Louis University. He is a member of the Clinical Advisory Board of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America and the Scientific Advisory Board of the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation. He serves on the editorial board or as a reviewer for numerous journals and frequently conducts workshops on the treatment of anxiety disorders. Dr. Pollard has written 85 professional and scientific publications, including two books, Dying of Embarrassment: Help for Social Anxiety and Phobia and The Agoraphobia Workbook. His primary professional interest is the study of innovative methods for improving treatment access and effectiveness.

Sanjaya Saxena, M.D. is the Director of the UC San Diego Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders Program and Professor of Psychiatry in the UCSD School of Medicine. His research focuses on the neurobiology and treatment of OCD and related disorders. He uses functional and structural brain imaging to understand the brain circuits that mediate OCD symptoms, to reveal how effective treatments work in the brain, and to predict response to different types of treatments. Recently, Dr. Saxena has been studying specific subtypes and variants of OCD, such as Compulsive Hoarding and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), to understand their neurobiology and develop better treatments for these disabling conditions. Dr. Saxena serves on the Scientific Advisory Board for the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation and is also active in community education, as well as training of psychiatry residents, medical students, and psychologists. He has received research grants from the NIMH and the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation. He has won awards from the American Psychiatric Association and American Neuropsychiatric Association, and was selected into Best Doctors in America in 2005-2006 and 2007-08. Dr. Saxena also served as the psychiatric consultant for the motion picture, "As Good As It Gets" (Sony Pictures, 1997), in which the lead character, played by Jack Nicholson, suffered from OCD.

Sabine Wilhelm, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor at the Harvard Medical School. She is also Director of the OCD and Related Disorders Program and Director of the Cognitive-Behavior Therapy Program at the Massachusetts General Hospital. Dr. Wilhelm is recognized as a leading researcher in Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), and Tic Disorders, and has published numerous articles, reviews, and chapters on the clinical picture, prevalence, and treatment outcome of these disorders. Currently, Dr. Wilhelm is the principal investigator of several NIMH-funded clinical research studies. In addition, Dr. Wilhelm recently authored a treatment manual for OCD entitled: "Cognitive Therapy for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: A Guide for Professionals". She also recently wrote the self-help book "Feeling Good About the Way You Look: A Program for Overcoming Body Image Problems". Dr. Wilhelm serves on numerous editorial and advisory boards, as well as the Scientific Advisory Board of the Obsessive-Compulsive Foundation, the International Obsessive-Compulsive Cognitions Working Group (OCCWG), and the Tourette Syndrome Association Behavioral Science Consortium. Her areas of clinical and research interest include the development, maintenance, and treatment outcome of OCD, BDD and Tourette Syndrome/Tic Disorders.

Robin Zasio, Psy.D., LCSW, is the Owner and Director of The Anxiety Treatment Center of Sacramento, and The Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center of Sacramento. She specializes in Cognitive Behavior Therapy and Exposure and Response Prevention Techniques, and also has a private practice offering individual, group, and family therapy services. Dr. Zasio is a strong advocate for reaching out to others to raise awareness for proper treatment for OCD and Anxiety Related Disorders, speaking on a national level through media, continuing education workshops, and presentations to local organizations. She was President of the Sacramento Valley Psychological Association from 2003-2005 and remains on the board as Past President and MCEP Chair. Dr. Zasio also serves on the advisory board of the Sacramento Chapter of the National Alliance of the Mentally Ill and is a member of the Obsessive Compulsive Foundation, California Psychological Association, American Psychological association, Trichotillomania Learning Center, and Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies. Dr. Zasio has also appeared as a featured guest on the television program Lifestyle Magazine.