For people living with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), the road to effective treatment is often long, confusing, and deeply painful. On average, individuals wait 11 years after signs start to develop before receiving appropriate help. During that time, symptoms frequently worsen, tightening their grip on daily life, relationships, and identity itself. Even more sobering: Of those diagnosed with OCD, only about 2% receive evidence-based care.
That gap is not due to a lack of effective treatment. In fact, there is a gold standard.
When it comes to treating OCD and anxiety disorders, decades of research point clearly to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and, for OCD specifically, exposure and response prevention (ERP). ERP helps people confront feared thoughts or situations while resisting compulsive behaviors, gradually reclaiming a sense of control and confidence. The science is clear, but the challenge has always been addressing the full complexity of the person behind the diagnosis.
That’s exactly the gap Sheppard Pratt set out to close.
A Vision Takes Shape
When Jon Hershfield, MFT, an internationally recognized OCD expert, joined Sheppard Pratt in 2020, he and his team were laser-focused on building something different: a program that didn’t just treat OCD in isolation but addressed the whole person experiencing it. Leveraging Sheppard Pratt’s deep clinical expertise, multidisciplinary culture, and longstanding commitment to innovation, that vision became reality.
Enter the OCD program at The Retreat by Sheppard Pratt.
Integrated seamlessly into The Retreat, a private-pay residential program with more than 20 years of excellence, this specialized OCD track offers something rare: Unrestricted access to OCD expertise and in-the-moment clinical support, all within a setting designed for deep, sustained healing.
Here, ERP doesn’t end when a therapy session does. Residents are supported throughout the day as they practice confronting triggers, resisting compulsions, and tolerating uncertainty, skills that must be learned in life, not just talked about in an office.
Treating More Than a Diagnosis
What truly sets Sheppard Pratt’s approach apart is its refusal to reduce people to a checklist of diagnoses.
“OCD isn’t just one problem you remove and send on its way,” Hershfield explains. “It’s often part of a constellation.”
Most individuals who require residential OCD treatment also navigate co-occurring conditions such as trauma, mood disorders, substance use, autism spectrum conditions, or personality traits shaped by years of untreated distress. In many cases, OCD itself has functioned as a kind of shield, protecting someone from deeper emotional pain. Treating OCD without addressing what lies beneath can leave people vulnerable and overwhelmed.
At The Retreat, care is intentionally multidimensional. Along with ERP and CBT, patients may receive acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT); trauma-informed care; family therapy; art therapy; mindfulness practices; and radically open dialectical behavior therapy (RO-DBT), a specialized approach for individuals who struggle with over-control, emotional inhibition, and social disconnection.
Just as important, clinicians work as a unified team. Psychiatrists, therapists, nurses, wellness specialists, and family clinicians collaborate constantly, ensuring that care evolves as the person reveals more of their story. It’s personalized, responsive, and deeply human.
Why This Leadership Matters Now
OCD does not discriminate by age, income, or background. Approximately 25% of cases begin in childhood, yet access to specialized pediatric OCD care is especially limited. Many people need intensive treatment, multiple hours per day, several days per week, to gain real mastery over symptoms. And peer connection is essential; knowing you’re not alone can be transformative.
Sheppard Pratt is committed not only to delivering exceptional care today but to leading the field forward.
Philanthropic support will directly fuel this momentum, allowing The Center for OCD and Anxiety to expand outpatient services for children under 12, develop intensive outpatient and partial hospitalization programs, add specialized therapeutic groups, train the next generation of OCD clinicians, and ultimately build a dedicated OCD residential continuum unlike anything else in the nation.
Long-term plans even include an immersive exposure lab that uses virtual reality and artificial intelligence to help patients safely confront fears that are otherwise difficult to access, accelerating recovery while maintaining clinical support.
An Invitation to Make an Impact
At its core, Sheppard Pratt’s approach to OCD treatment is about dignity, expertise, and hope. It’s about meeting people where they are and refusing to give up when care is complex.
With your support, more individuals will access gold-standard treatment sooner. More children and families will find clarity instead of years of confusion. And more people living with OCD and anxiety will rediscover lives defined not by fear, but by possibility.
Leadership in mental health isn’t just about knowing what treatment works; it’s about ensuring people can actually receive it.
Your support expands access to gold-standard care for OCD and anxiety
Earlier intervention for children and families to change life trajectories before symptoms escalate
More intensive treatment options for those who need faster, deeper recovery
Specialized group and peer support that reduces isolation and builds resilience
Training the next generation of OCD experts to meet growing demand
Innovative treatment tools that reimagine what’s possible in OCD care