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The OCD
Treatment Centre

We are a team of experts with over 15 years experience working in the field of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder.

Our next intensive group date:

12th January 2026

More information on our intensive program.

'What it's really like to have OCD'

Craig Shirley, Co-Founder and Clinical Lead at The OCD Treatment Centre, contributed to this article alongside Lydia Smith and Dr Sarah Jarvis MBE for Patient.Info, a trusted health information resource used by the NHS. The article explores lived experiences of OCD and aims to improve understanding of how the condition can present and affect daily life.

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NHS Article

The OCD Treatment Centre was established to provide specialist OCD treatment delivered within an assessment-led, evidence-based clinical framework. All therapy is provided by qualified and registered therapists and is informed by NICE guidance for the treatment of obsessive compulsive disorder.

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What can we help you with?

I am a person with OCD

We provide structured, evidence-based therapy for OCD in line with NICE guidelines. Treatment is assessment-led and tailored to the individual, supporting adults and young people to engage in appropriate, clinically informed care.

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I am a carer

OCD can have a significant impact on families, partners, and carers. We offer structured support sessions and psychoeducational workshops to help carers better understand OCD and their role in supporting someone affected by the condition.

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Specialist OCD treatment grounded in evidence-based practice

The OCD Treatment Centre was established to provide clear, structured, and evidence-based treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD).

Our approach is guided by NICE recommendations and delivered within an assessment-led clinical framework, ensuring that therapy is appropriate, transparent, and professionally delivered.

The centre was founded by clinicians with personal experience of OCD. This lived experience informs the values of the service, particularly our emphasis on clarity, structure, and avoiding unhelpful or misleading approaches to treatment. However, all therapy is grounded in established clinical models and delivered by qualified practitioners with specialist training in OCD.

We specialise in both intensive and non-intensive treatment formats, allowing flexibility while maintaining clinical rigour and clear therapeutic boundaries.

Why people choose The OCD Treatment Centre

Group Intensive OCD Treatment Programme

Our group intensive treatment programme provides a structured course of OCD-specific therapy delivered within a group setting. The programme is designed to offer an intensive treatment format while maintaining clear clinical boundaries and professional oversight.

Groups are carefully structured and led by an experienced clinical lead therapist. This allows for consistent delivery, appropriate facilitation, and effective management of the group process throughout the intensive.

Working within a group setting offers a shared therapeutic context, where individuals are able to engage in treatment alongside others with similar difficulties. For some clients, this format can reduce feelings of isolation and support learning within a contained and professionally facilitated environment.

The OCD Treatment Centre

4.7

Based on 65 reviews

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There are not enough words to express how thankful I am to The OCD Treatment Centre. They literally saved my son's life!He suffered with OCD intensely for three years, where as a family we had to live segregated in the house... and there were times he wanted to take his life. The mental health team said it was one of the worse cases they'd ever seen and put him on antipsychotics at 12 years old.We were desperate....then we found this centre! I called up and Sharon talked with me explaining everything, looking at options, reassuring me there was hope and letting me cry, with no judgements.My son spent five days there, on the intensive programme and I Iiterally witnessed a miracle. They work with such an advanced model, teaching about the neuroscience involved in the condition, and as soon as my son understood this, knew he wasn't crazy and recovery was completely possible, it empowered him to get well and undertake the following exposure therapy involved in the programme.They worked in a person centred way and were able to be adaptable to his needs and ways of working. They involved our family unit also, to help him get the best results, and gave us so much support, for the devastating emotional impact we'd endured through it all. Facing his fears/irrational beliefs was so challenging and painful for him and hard for me to watch, but he was given all the support and strategies needed, to get through and overcome them.After the five days and a couple of follow up phone consultations, he had recovered from the OCD he was suffering with and able to move home, doing all the things he'd been unable to before.....He's been working and built good friendships. He has just achieved a Triple Distinction Star for his BTEC Diploma and been given a Scholarship Award to go to University. He's moved in to a lovely apartment and passed his driving and motorbike tests. He can now live each day with freedom thanks to the incredible therapy, knowledge and expertise of Sharon and The OCD Treatment Centre.I also signposted my friend there, who's daughter was suffering with OCD too and she had the same life changing results, after the five day intensive programme.I'm forever grateful 🙏read more

The OCD centre offered me outstanding support. Sharon's knowledge, expertise and commitment to my health and wellbeing throughout treatment was exceptional, she was utterly dedicated from the minute my treatment commenced... through to my full recovery. Sharon has a remarkable level of empathy and compassion which.helped form a trusting patient relationship. A very empowering experience for me, which has led me from trauma and ill health back into the workplace and enjoying and living my life to the full again. I will always be grateful to Sharon for her time and dedication to my healing. Her immense knowledge in this field has helped heal so many, I cannot recommend The OCD Treatment Centre enough, they transformed my life and will continue to help many more patients through to complete recovery.read more

Craig is an incredibly knowledgeable, passionate, compassionate and brilliant therapist. I have had 7 therapists in my life for OCD, however Craig was the first therapist I felt had the knowledge and capability to push me towards... recovery. The first time in 18 years since suffering from OCD, I felt my symptoms improve and a way forward with recovery! As well as our sessions Craig would recommend books and extra work for me to do outside of our sessions to help me move forward. I felt super comfortable chatting to Craig and after each session I felt completely in charge of my recovery! I had to pause sessions to focus on my chronic health but intend to start them up once I am able! I have recommended Craig personally to two close friends who suffer from OCD too.read more

I attended the weeks intensive week treatment course with Craig and I can truly say this gentlemen has changed my life. My OCD caused a lot of stress to my family as well as causing me hardship. After seeing Craig my life is... being fulfilled. I would highly recommend to anyone struggling with any aspect of OCD to see The OCD treatment Centre as it has changed me as a person and my life. Craig is a very understanding and trustworthy guy who explains the brains process to not only help you overcome your OCD but to help you understand it. Also, 5 stars is not enough as this business truly changed my life to the point as to where I cannot thank them enough.read more

I found the OCD Treatment Centre after suffering from OCD for thirty years. I had been down various routes including CBT which didn’t help me and I was feeling desperate. I spoke to Sharon and it was amazing. She really... understood what I was going through and I felt like there was finally some hope. I signed up for the intensive course and It was such a great decision. The course was amazing it gave me hope and changed my life. I found the theory and teaching really informative and helpful but the exposure therapy was absolutely key for me. The support from Craig is world class and I would recommend this course to anyone who is suffering from this debilitating condition. The difference it has made to my life has been so positive and if I get a wobble Craig is always there to get me back on track. A 5 star rating from meread more

I cannot recommend OCD treatment Centre highly enough. The support and guidance my son receives from Craig has enabled him to move into secure employment and it continues to make such a difference to his overall quality of life.

I came here after crisis point and having multiple rounds of therapy (cbt based) from the NHS. From the very onset I was made to feel welcome and supported. Having previously found it difficult to find a therapist that truly... understood OCD- I knew I had found them within one day of the intensive course. Yes, they are highly trained and professional- but above all else Craig and Sharon have lived experience of OCD which in my book, is second to none. What more could you ask for then support from people who know exactly what you are talking about?When I left the intensive course I knew I still had a lot of work to do but I also knew that I would take the knowledge the gave me and keep it forever.It has been a few years since my treatment and I can honestly say that my recovery accelerated after the intensive course and that I am able to manage my conditions and lead a happy and fulfilling life. I can't thank the OCD treatment center enough and will always highly recommend them.Friendly, knowledgeable and willing to go the extra mile to support you.read more

For two or three years, our daughter had engaged in treatment with four therapists from across the US to little positive effect. We were at the end of our rope and nearly out of hope when we found Craig and the OCD Treatment... Centre. Her progress was rapid and steady under Craig's guidance. The experience was completely transformative for my daughter and our family. He gave us our lives back.I think there are three main factors that separate Craig's approach from that of the other therapists with whom we worked. First, there is interpersonal warmth combined with the credibility that comes from being a former OCD sufferer himself. Other therapists had observed OCD behavior and had an understanding of it. But Craig understood how it *felt,* and could relate to my daughter from the standpoint of someone who had "been there." Second, his approach begins by building an absolutely solid clinical understanding of OCD in the patient, demystifying and de-stigmatizing the condition. By truly understanding the physiology of OCD, our daughter began to understand what she was experiencing and why, even if she couldn't yet escape her feelings or prevent her compulsive behavior. Third, and most important, Craig understood that our daughter's previous engagement with ERP had failed because she had not developed sufficient 'frustration tolerance' and was therefore not engaging thoroughly with the process. For ERP to work, the patient must ride the wave of anxiety caused by an exposure over the crest and back down to calm, thereby 'teaching' the mind that the anxiety trigger (the thought, the image, the action, etc.) is not a 'real' threat. I'm greatly simplifying, but that's the crux of it. Other therapists had prescribed exposures and left her to tackle them in 'homework' that she tried, but couldn't really bring herself to complete since they were so distressing to her. Craig, on the other hand, stayed with her (via Skype, anyway) through the waves of anxiety caused by the earliest exposures, supporting her and allowing her to complete the 'ride' through her anxiety, resulting in a feeling of success and accomplishment. Once she was able to see results from ERP around the edges of her OCD, she had confidence in the process and was progressively able to tackle harder and harder tasks, fulling expecting to find the process unpleasant in the moment, but willing to go through it for the benefit she knew would come.SImply put, it worked. OCD can seem like a monster, but it is ABSOLUTELY possible to overcome it with the help of the right therapist. For us, Craig was that therapist and I recommend him most highly.read more

The OCD Treatment centre changed my life. I did the 5 day intensive course where they taught you about the process in your brain - learning about how the brain mechanisms worked which was so enlightening and helped to understand... why OCD was so challenging. The knowledge, experience, support and patience of both Craig and Sharon is something I will never forget. I continue to have 1:1 sessions which are uplifting, refreshing and help me to set goals to get rid of my OCD forever. Thank you!read more

Sharon helped me immensely with my OCD. Her understanding of the disorder is second to none. I doubt anyone with OCD would go through the course and not find it beneficial. Would highly recommend (and have done).

I had a week-long treatment with Craig in April 2019 and was so impressed. I’ve had CBT in the past but the intensive was a great mix of a few different techniques and despite having had OCD since my teens and having read up... about the disorder a fair bit I still learnt loads and saw a significant improvement in my symptoms. Beyond the OCD I also found my confidence improved, which was an unexpected bonus!The concept of having treatment from someone who has recovered from OCD was something I really appreciated and made me feel that Craig really understood where I was coming from. I’d highly recommend 🙂read more

I have had extreme OCD for over 10 years. Having completely missed my teenage years and being in danger of missing my 20's, I had given up hope. Craig's skill and therapeutic connection has been the starting point to my hope for... a future beyond extreme OCD. Before working with Craig, I was unable to make any start on any real recovery, in any sense. Unfortunately, severe OCD renders many people vulnerable to bullying and taunting, and undermining and ridicule. I have had some very bad experiences in my personal life and also within psychiatric settings, in which I was left with unskilled and/or insufficiently skilled care, and without specialist therapy. Craig has helped me to understand the facts underpinning OCD. Through his therapy, I am learning to trust in my own ability to make change and to work with my OCD, and to understand my fears and reactions, and to work towards not letting OCD control me. Craig's knowledge, together with his unique ability to make this knowledge accessible, has been invaluable to me. His education has significantly changed how I view OCD. He has helped me to both understand the psychology and the physiology of OCD, but also to understand myself and how I have mistakenly felt protected by OCD.Craig has supported me to have the confidence to challenge the OCD thinking which traps me, whilst also appreciating myself. I trust and respect Craig and always feel understood and respected by him. The respect Craig has given me has helped me to respect and trust myself, and to expect respect towards me from others. This has helped me to rid myself of much of the shame and helplessness I had developed due to having extreme OCD, and which was destroying my confidence in myself to succeed in overcoming OCD. I am immensely grateful to Craig.read more

I can highly recommend the OCD treatment centre. I was treated by Craig and received warm, non-judgemental and highly knowledgable support. His lived experience is invaluable in understanding the funny ways OCD can work itself... into your mind and life. Thank you!read more

So so incredibly grateful for the OCD Treatment Centre!! We were going through a very rough time as a family and had tried different therapies and approaches. Nothing worked until we found the OCD Treatment Centre. Working with... Craig has literally saved us and given us so much hope that OCD can successfully be treated. Craig has been great! He is so supportive, very knowledgeable and compassionate. He made us feel so safe and helped us understand OCD on a deeper level! Working with him has been transformational! I cannot recommend their intensive treatment enough!! It was the best decision ever.read more

I was in a place where OCD had completely taken over my life, i didn't want to be alive as i had no quality of life, washing in bleach and spending every waking minute cleaning. My mum found this company and i said it wont work... mum I've had hundreds of therapists it never works. I told her i would give it a go as i had nothing to lose. Within 5 days i had my life back and i am so grateful, i dont think i would be here today without this treatment, cannot recommend strongly enough!read more

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Testimonials

Craig has been a therapist in this area for a number of years and keeps up to date with research as well as sharing his expertise by teaching other therapists.

I’ll forever be thankful for her support, as will all my family. I cannot recommend her, and this centre enough. Life changing!

Now I feel much better after attending the intensive course, and I am on the way to totally get rid of this disease. I feel so great to have my life back again.

Sharon thank you so much for the last five days. I have come out of these five days a new man with a better understanding. A new identity.

Supporting clients with OCD across more than 40 countries

We have worked with individuals with OCD from over 40 countries worldwide. This reflects the international reach of our service and the demand for specialist OCD treatment beyond local or regional boundaries.

Our experience working with clients internationally highlights how challenging it can be for many people to access specialist, evidence-based treatment for OCD. This is particularly true in areas where appropriate services are limited or unavailable.

This has informed our ongoing commitment to providing clear, accurate information about OCD and to supporting greater awareness of how evidence-based treatment can be accessed.

Blog

Finding Calm Amidst the Storm: How Non-Directive Meditation Supports Those with OCD

OCD And Focussed Attention Living with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) can often feel like you’re trapped in an endless loop of

The Interplay of Stress and OCD: Exploring a Spectrum of Evidence-Based Interventions

OCD is believed to be caused by a misfiring in the information processing area of the brain. This area is known as the basal ganglia.

The OCD
Treatment Centre

'What it's really like to have OCD'