Paycom CEO's trauma treatment inspires creation of retreat to help others

A sprawling ranch once owned by furniture store magnate Bud Mathis is now a place of healing where “functioning adults” have a shot at a free weeklong mental health retreat.

Located at 8901 S Portland Ave. in Guthrie, the 415-acre ranch is home to the Green Shoe Foundation, a nonprofit that provides no-cost, five-day mental wellness retreats guided by licensed therapists for adults ages 21 and over.

The foundation is a passion project for Paycom founder and CEO Chad Richison, who saw first-hand the benefits of therapy with the goal of reconciling childhood trauma and achieving a life of peace and maturity.

“I, myself, went through the program at a place in Arizona,” Richison said. “It changed my life. I was going through a time where I had accomplished a lot and yet I was unsettled. I wasn’t as happy with myself as I thought I would be.”

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The retreats are staffed with licensed therapists who work with groups of five at each retreat. To attend, visitors have to pay $495 in advance that can be refunded once they complete the retreat.

“Every time someone goes through, it costs me $2,600,” Richison said. “This (the $495 deposit) makes sure they want to take it seriously.”

How the facility plans to expand, offers a 'deep type of healing'

Over 1,000 people have gone through the retreats since they started in 2015.

“People come from all over the world to attend the retreat, and most of our participants are referrals from past participants,” Richison said. “Many of the graduates refer family members and friends after hearing people's stories and how this program has helped them overcome their childhood traumas.”

Stephany Cochran, executive director at Green Shoe Foundation, said the ranch, once more therapists are hired, will accommodate 50% more guests than at the old location.

“Before we were in a 4,000 square-foot facility, and it was an indoor facility only,” Cochran said. “And so here we've got about 10,000 square feet of indoor space, and then 415 acres of outdoor space we didn’t have before.”

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Richison personally searched for the new home for Green Shoe. He then spent over a year overseeing the conversion of the ranch into a retreat. The house had been vacant for a few years, Richison said, and it needed updates and expansion to accommodate larger restrooms and offices.

Extensive landscaping was added to the ranch, which includes a pond, trails, swings, labyrinth and guest cabins. Future plans include bringing horses back to the stables.

“It's amazing how the outdoor space really does help participants connect to themselves,” Cochran said. “It's so intense, this deep type of healing, and having that time to be able to come out whether it's connecting with the meditation, doing the Labyrinth or taking a walk among the courtyard or go have a swing, it’s good to just be able to release that. It's really amazing how that helps them to come back in and continue the work we do here.”

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Paycom CEO picks up the tab for mental health retreats