Roberto Olivardia, Ph.D.

[email protected]

Dr. Roberto Olivardia is a Clinical Psychologist, Lecturer in Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Clinical Associate at McLean Hospital. He maintains a private psychotherapy practice in Lexington, Massachusetts, where he specializes in the treatment of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Executive Functioning Issues, and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD), as well as issues that face students with learning disabilities.  He is an internationally recognized expert in eating disorders and body image problems in boys and men.  He is co-author of The Adonis Complex, the first book of its kind detailing male body image issues.  He has appeared in publications such as TIME, GQ, and Rolling Stone, and has been featured on Good Morning America, CNN, and VH1. He has spoken on numerous webinars and presents at many talks and conferences around the country. He currently serves on the Professional Advisory Boards for Children and Adults with ADHD (CHADD), the Attention Deficit Disorder Association (ADDA),  and the National Association for Males with Eating Disorders and on the Scientific Advisory Board for ADDitude Magazine. He is an active member of Decoding Dyslexia-Massachusetts, an advocacy group promoting the needs of individuals with Dyslexia.  His blog, “Psychologically In Sync”, is featured on the Psychology Today website.  He can be reached at [email protected]

Obsessed and Distracted and Impulsive, OH MY! : Helping Clients with ADHD and/or OCD

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are both characterized by executive functioning deficits in the areas of organization, prioritization, motivation, decision-making and dysregulated attention. In addition, 30% of people with OCD also have ADHD. These diagnostic populations represent a target clientele that benefits greatly from the services of professional organizers. We will cover the basics of the ADHD brain and the OCD brain. Marketing strategies will be reviewed, as well as ways to work effectively and successfully with individuals with ADHD and/or OCD. There will be a focus on hoarding disorder, and the distinction between OCD-related hoarding and ADHD-related hoarding. Ways to bridge relationships between therapists and professional organizers will be reviewed in helping clients with ADHD and/or OCD.

Learning Objectives:
1. Understand the executive functioning issues inherent in clients with ADHD and OCD.
2. Develop marketing strategies and realize ways organizers and coaches can be of great benefit to clients with ADHD and/or OCD.
3. Distinguish between OCD-related hoarding and ADHD-related hoarding.
4. Become familiar with ways to engage and work with clients with both ADHD and OCD.