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Getting Unstuck: Hard-to-Identify OCD Symptoms that Can Prevent Treatment Progress
Presented by
Brian Crites, LMFT & Litsa Tanner, LMFT
Friday, September 18th, 2026
9:00 am - 12:00 pm PT
2.5 CEs - On Zoom
Course Description
Everybody knows about contamination and excessive washing OCD, however, the lesser known, and harder to differentiate subtypes of OCD, such as harm, sexual, and suicidal obsessions, can cause treatment challenges, and stump even the most seasoned of clinicians. This presentation will help clinicians gain the knowledge and confidence necessary to differentiate between OCD and other mental health disorders with similar presentations. This will enable therapists to identify and engage the most effective treatments for their clients, leading to better outcomes, less client drop outs, and less therapist burnout. This course is appropriate for all clinicians of all experience levels.
Educational Goals
This training will explain the difference between OCD and other similar clinical presentations. The presenters will discuss client presentations where treatment of OCD is contraindicated using non-specialized interventions.
Learning Objectives
At the conclusion of this presentation, participants will be able to:
- Differentiate between OCD and other mental health conditions with similar features (Autism, GAD, Suicidal Ideation, Homicidal Ideation, Pedophilia,
Psychosis and other delusional disorders).
- Identify client symptoms that indicate need for referral to an OCD specialist are indicated, and how to discuss the referral with their client.
- Name 3 different evidence-based treatments shown to be effective in treating OCD.
- Explain why common interventions (i.e. reframing, cognitive restructuring, and normalizing) can be contraindicated in the treatment of OCD.
- Assess and determine when common treatments for other anxiety disorders are ineffective due to co-occurring OCD symptoms.
- Differentiate between cultural religious practices and clinically significant compulsive behavior.
- Recognize OCD presentations of compulsive doubting of sexual identity versus genuine sexual identify exploration.
- Identify clinically significant compulsive cleaning and grooming compared to culturally informed cleanliness habits.
- Differentiate between concerns informed by historical and intergenerational trauma vs. obsessive fears about persecution or danger.
About Our Speakers
Brian Crites, LMFT
Brian Crites, LMFT has been specializing in working with anxiety disorders and OCD since 2014. He began his career at Santa Rosa Center for CBT where he received extensive training in the treatment of anxiety disorders, OCD, and OC spectrum disorders including Trichotillomania and Compulsive Skin Picking. Outside of working at SRCBT, he has worked at Kaiser Permanente's Child Psychiatry Department where he facilitated their OCD group therapy for adolescents, and where he provided extensive trainings on the diagnosis and treatment of OCD. Additionally, he is a member of IOCDF as well as The Trichotillomania Learning Center and has presented at their annual conference. Brian has served on the Board of Directors of RECAMFT since 2025.
Litsa Tanner, LMFT
Litsa Tanner, LMFT began her career as a therapist in 1998, treating children, adolescents, and adults. Although she has used a variety of therapeutic approaches over the years, she has always been drawn to the practical skills based nature of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies (CBT). Consistently she found that when using CBT, her clients got better faster and reported higher levels of overall satisfaction with their therapy. Over time she began to focus her personal development as a therapist predominantly in the use of CBT and continues to do so today. She feels that the learning process as a therapist never ends. She consults regularly with experts in the field and attends advanced trainings in CBT in order to provide the highest quality of services possible.She received advanced training in the treatment of OCD from Drs. Paul and Arna Munford, and was a clinical staff member at the Cognitive Behavior Therapy Center for OCD & Anxiety. She is also a graduate of the Trichotillomania Learning Center Professional Training Institute.
Location
Zoom Meeting. Requires pre-registration with Zoom using the instructions provided in your RECAMFT confirmation email in order to get your personal Zoom Join Link.
Registration
RSVP here. Please note that once you have RSVP'd for this event, you will receive a link to register for the Zoom Meeting. You must complete this second Zoom-registration step to gain access to the event link.
Pricing
1) Registration for All RECAMFT Members - no charge
2) Reciprocal registration for members of Marin CAMFT (CODE REQUIRED) - no charge
3) Other CAMFT Members - Licensed - $37.50
4) Other CAMFT Members - Pre-Licensed - $17.50
5) Non-CAMFT Members (therapists who are not members of CAMFT) - $45.00
Training Schedule and Attendance Requirements
Please note, this is a 2.5-CE training, comprised of two and a half hours of training plus time for RECAMFT announcements and a break. You must be logged on at the beginning of the training, be present during the event (including responding to attendance checks by coming on camera, verbally replying, and/or replying in the chat), and stay logged on for the full duration, to end at 12:00pm, in order to earn the CEs. If your camera is off the entire time, and RECAMFT cannot verify you were physically present at your computer throughout the training, then RECAMFT cannot issue a CE certificate, as we would not be able to show that the BBS requirements for your participation were met.
Recording
RECAMFT intends to record this event, and assuming no technical hurdles, will be producing it as an on-demand course to be published at the RECAMFT CE Center, including the ability to earn CEs. RECAMFT members will have access there for free. Non-members and reciprocal chapter members will be able to purchase access. Access to the recording is not included with any registration for this "live" (real-time on Zoom) training. If you know that you will not be able to attend on the event date listed above, please do not register for this training and instead wait until the on-demand version is published. Registrations are managed separately and cannot be transferred.
Image by Berna at Pexels.
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Redwood Empire Chapter CAMFT (Provider #57173) is approved by the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists to sponsor continuing education for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs. Redwood Empire Chapter CAMFT maintains responsibility for this program/course and its content.
- Disability Accommodation: To request an accommodation for a disability, please email info@recamft.org.
- Refunds: Refunds may be requested up to 7 days before the event by contacting info@recamft.org. No refunds are given beginning 7 days prior to the event. If a registrant cannot attend the event due to a mandatory evacuation or Public Safety Power Shut-off the day of the event, they can request and receive a refund with verification of address.
- CE Certificate: You must be physically present at your computer and watching and/or listening to the training while logged onto the zoom meeting for the entire presentation, and complete a post test and an evaluation to receive your CE credit certificate. Within a week after the conclusion of this educational event, once RECAMFT has processed attendance, an email with a link to the test and evaluation form will be sent to all participants whose physical presence during the online meeting is verified. Once you complete and submit your evaluation, you will have immediate access and be able to print or save your CE Certificate. This course meets the qualifications for 2.5 hrs of continuing education (CE) credit for LMFTs, LCSWs, LPCCs, and/or LEPs as required by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences.
- Notice of Recording: Whenever possible, our CE events are recorded or filmed and may appear on our website. Your participation in this event by registering and attending indicates your approval for your likeness to appear in the recording, if any.
- Grievances: Direct grievances to info@recamft.org, and/or the chapter president at president@recamft.org
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