3rd Annual McLean OCD Institute // Houston Breakfast Club
Houston OCD Program
Our 3rd annual McLean OCD Institute // Houston Breakfast Club was held on October 17th, 2014. Members of the McLean OCD Institute // Houston’s team, alongside members of the psychotherapeutic community, joined together for a casual breakfast with short presentations followed by networking opportunities.
Additionally, Dr. Björgvinsson made the exciting first announcement that the McLean OCD Institute // Houston will be relocating to a beautifully designed clinic which is currently being constructed in the Houston Height’s district.
The McLean OCD Institute // Houston invites you to attend our 4th annual McLean OCD Institute // Houston Breakfast Club, coming up in just a short year away. Stay tuned for your invite!
Saharah Shrout, MA, and Thröstur Björgvinsson, PhD, ABPP, welcoming Breakfast Club participants to the morning’s events. Thröstur Björgvinsson, PhD, ABPP, presenting to participants about “CBT for OCD and Anxiety: Focus on Exposure and Response Prevention”Jennifer Sy, PhD illustrates an in vivo contamination exposure of touching a garbage can.Thröstur Björgvinsson, PhD, ABPP, and Liviu Bunaciu, PhD demonstrating spinning in a chair, an interoceptive exposure.Thröstur Björgvinsson, PhD, ABPP, announcing the new McLean OCD Institute // Houston location.Some of the McLean OCD Institute // Houston’s team prior to the beginning of the Breakfast Club event. (from left-to-right: Liviu Bunaciu, PhD; Saharah Shrout, MA; Thröstur Björgvinsson, PhD, ABPP, Emily Anderson, PhD, Sarah Talamas, BA, Eeva Edds, BS, and Christen Sistrunk, MA, LPC)Maggiano’s delicious breakfast being enjoyed by fellow Breakfast Club participantsNetworking prior to the beginning of the Breakfast ClubNetworking prior to the beginning of the Breakfast Club meeting
I was with the team when they were at Menninger and when they closed their doors. I’ve had OCD for the last 12 years of my life and before I went into treatment it had literally taken over every aspect of my life. Every move I made was consumed by OCD. The monster made me suffer with rechecking, reassurance seeking, confessions, contamination fears, sexual obsessions, hit and run fears and pretty much everything but hoarding and scrupulosity. It was extremely hard work, but I can now say I have a life back, when before I wasn’t even sure if I’d be living. They taught me the tools to live my life and keep my OCD manageable. The staff was truly amazing and literally saved my life. Although they will say that it was me who did the hard work, without their caring and kind hearts I would never have been able to do it.