Reconceptualizing OCD Through a ND Affirming Lens
Presented by
B. Lourenco, LMHCThis continuing education workshop offers a different way of viewing OCD through a non-pathologizing lens, a holistic view that honors the strengths of the OC brain.
Overview
6 CES Recorded: May, 2026
With the rise of the Neurodiversity-Affirming movement, the field of psychology has had to grapple with the ever-growing knowledge that it got it wrong with Autism and ADHD. This course asks: What if we’ve gotten OCD wrong, too? What if OCD is part of the innate neurodivergent umbrella that needs support and accommodation instead of treatments that often end up feeling like a game of whack-a-mole?
B Lourenco uses a combination of lived experience and scientific research to analyze and assess the current understanding of and framework for OCD and its treatment. This continuing education workshop offers a different way of viewing OCD through a non-pathologizing lens, a holistic view that honors the strengths of the OC brain. This workshop will also cover ways to provide care for clients using a blend of modalities that offer affirming support. If you live or work with OCD, this class will absolutely leave you questioning what you thought you knew!
Workshop Objectives:
Compare and contrast the medical model and the reconceptualization of OCD Describe the purpose of the OC brain through a non-pathologizing lens Identify ways that the OC brain may have supported early human survival Describe the impact of trauma and/or core fears on the experience of OCD Define what shifts an OC brain into an experience of OCD Learn how to support OCD through a combination of I-CBT, ACT, and IFS
About the Presenter
B Lourenco is a licensed mental health counselor, educator, advocate, and activist. B has been working in community support for 15 years and is committed to social change on all system levels. Seeing mental health as a way to serve the community, she earned a Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology, with a Systems Emphasis, in 2015 and began her private practice in 2017. B has also worked in the public school system, providing support to students with behavioral issues that made attending school challenging for them. Highly trained in Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), B became a district-wide expert in supporting neurodivergent students. It was during this work that she began to be critical of the current models of support for neurodivergence, including ABA. Making the shift from the medical to the affirming model has allowed her to finally identify her own neurodivergence, including Autism and ADHD. Combining her lived experience of neurodivergence, along with years of anti-oppression work, B is passionate about helping others untangle themselves from harmful practices and align themselves with those that instead support marginalized communities. In addition to her work in neurodiversity, B is also a sex and relationship therapist, specializing in ethical non-monogamy and kink exploration. She has been a speaker on panels and podcasts, as well as facilitating therapeutic workshops in her area of Washington State.