Dear TLC Community,

We are pleased to share that the TLC Foundation for BFRBs is partnering with the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF) to expand and strengthen support for the BFRB community. This collaboration ensures that the progress, research, and connections built over the past 35 years will continue to grow within a larger, well-resourced organization deeply committed to OCD and related disorders, including BFRBs.

After careful consideration, the Board of Directors has made the difficult acknowledgement that we can no longer continue operating as a standalone organization. This is not a decision made lightly, but one grounded in deep care for the people and purpose that have shaped TLC over the years. Although our joining with IOCDF will greatly expand the resources available to the BFRB community, we recognize and acknowledge the disappointment, shock, and sadness this news may bring.

Although this decision was incredibly difficult, we want to share how this partnership will allow the mission and community we have built together to continue and grow.

Through this partnership, the BFRB community will gain access to enhanced resources, educational programming, professional training, and a vibrant annual conference, supported by IOCDF’s global network of clinicians, researchers, and advocates. This is an incredible opportunity to carry forward the work that began with TLC and to reach even more individuals and families worldwide.

Thanks to the dedication of our community, TLC has accomplished extraordinary things over the past 35 years: building a thriving online platform, spearheading the BFRB Precision Medicine Initiative (BPMI), raising over $2 million for groundbreaking research, and hosting annual conferences that have connected thousands of people seeking hope and understanding. Together, we have laid a strong foundation for what comes next. Even with these many successes, TLC has reached a pivotal moment in its history. Thanks to the generosity of our community, we’ve come far, but it’s become increasingly challenging to sustain and expand programs like our annual conference to meet the growing needs of the BFRB community.

While this marks the closing of a long and successful chapter for our BFRB community, it also opens another that will help us ensure you receive the resources, support, and advocacy you deserve. The IOCDF is a long-standing, trusted, and leading authority in the field of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and related disorders, including BFRBs. The Foundation is already known to many of you, with a strong reputation for advancing research, providing clinical training, and supporting those with lived experience. With thousands of volunteers and more than 70 partner organizations worldwide, the IOCDF has an impressive reach, engaging with more than 3 million people annually online. IOCDF is eager to deepen their work with the BFRB community – both by welcoming and including TLC’s clinical experts and individuals with lived experience into their community, and partnering with other mission-aligned organizations familiar to our community. Importantly, the IOCDF is more than just a respected organization. It is a warm and family-friendly community where people feel supported and included throughout the world. With their broader reach and resources, IOCDF is well-positioned to increase awareness of BFRBs, provide greater support to families and individuals, and both learn from and partner with the BFRB community to create a new roadmap that best serves everyone.

We encourage you to visit IOCDF’s page on BFRBs and sign up for their related email alerts. This page is the first of many resources to come.

In the coming months, TLC will be winding down its operations as the IOCDF begins to gradually ramp up resources dedicated to the BFRB community, including hosting programming for the BFRB lived experience community and clinicians at their annual conference in Seattle in July 2026. The TLC website will remain visible and accessible through the end of Summer 2026 to allow for a smooth transition of resources and information. If you are currently listed in TLC’s online provider directory, we will be contacting you separately with more details about your listing and next steps.

We also know how important community connection is during times of transition. To help preserve the sense of support that TLC groups have offered, a volunteer team has created a Discord community where individuals can stay connected. Please note that this community is not affiliated with TLC or the IOCDF, but is a volunteer-run space for peer support and connection. Please review our FAQ below to learn more about these changes and specific programs and resources.

Change can often be challenging, but we believe this plan offers the best path forward to ensure that the voices, needs, and experiences of the BFRB community remain at the center of meaningful work.

With gratitude for all we have built together and optimism for what lies ahead,

TLC Foundation for BFRBs Board of Directors
John Piacentini, Ph.D., ABPP
Suzanne Mouton-Odum, Ph.D.
Fred Penzel, Ph.D.
Barbara O. Rothbaum, Ph.D., ABPP
Melinda Stanley, Ph.D.