Trichotillomania Support in the Australian Capital Territory
Find a therapist in the Australian Capital Territory who understands trichotillomania. Whether you pull your own hair or you’re supporting a child or someone you love, search by suburb or town centre, from Gungahlin to Tuggeranong, for someone near you, or choose Online to see who works with people anywhere in the ACT.
Find a therapist for trichotillomania in the Australian Capital Territory
Canberra was an early home of online mental health help. Researchers at the Australian National University launched MoodGYM, a free and anonymous self-help website, in 2001. Yet few professionals in the ACT learned about hair pulling in training. Connecting you with people who already understand it is the reason this directory exists.
Everyone listed has told us they understand hair pulling and already help people who pull. Each listing shows how the person works, whether they see people in person, online or both, and what they charge. Each one has a private contact form.
The directory includes psychologists, psychotherapists, counsellors, CBT therapists, psychiatrists, occupational therapists, hypnotherapists, EFT and NLP practitioners, and BFRB coaches. BFRB stands for body-focused repetitive behaviour, the group that includes hair pulling and skin picking. If nobody near you feels right, see who works online across the ACT.
We’re building the Australian Capital Territory directory.
Keep updated as we’re a new directory actively seeking new trich-aware therapists to join.
See practitioners who work online →Tell me when a practitioner lists in the Australian Capital Territory
Frequently Asked Questions about Trichotillomania in Australian Capital Territory
Find a TherapistHow do I find a trichotillomania therapist near me in the ACT?›
Search the directory by suburb or town centre, such as Canberra City, Belconnen, Gungahlin, Woden or Tuggeranong. Every listing shows how the person works, what they charge and whether they see people in person, online or both. You can message anyone directly.
Can I have sessions online from anywhere in the ACT?›
Yes. Many people listed work online, so you can have sessions from anywhere in the ACT, from Hall to Tharwa. Psychologists and other Ahpra-registered practitioners hold national registration. Hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches aren’t tied to a state or territory.
How much does trichotillomania therapy cost in the ACT?›
Private sessions in the ACT usually cost $120 to $300. Canberra psychologists typically charge around $250 to $280, and counsellors often charge less. Every listing shows its own prices, and many offer a free first call. Medicare and some private health insurance extras cover pay part of the cost for some practitioner types.
What kinds of help are there for hair pulling in the ACT?›
People who pull work with psychologists, psychotherapists, counsellors, CBT therapists, hypnotherapists, EFT and NLP practitioners, occupational therapists and coaches. Different people find different things helpful. Everyone in our directory has told us they understand hair pulling and already help people who pull.
Do I need a GP referral or a diagnosis to get help in the ACT?›
No. You can contact anyone listed in our directory directly, without a GP referral or a diagnosis. Just tell them you pull your hair and you’re looking for someone who understands trichotillomania.
My child pulls their hair. What do I do first?›
Stay steady and don’t tell them off, because pressure and punishment reliably make pulling worse. Start with The Parent’s Guide to Trichotillomania, then look for someone in the directory whose listing says they work with children and teens.
Are there trichotillomania support groups in the ACT?›
Not face to face right now, as far as we can find. ARCVic runs free peer groups on Zoom, open to anyone in Australia, and the IOCDF lists more online BFRB groups. If you run a group in the ACT, tell us and we’ll list it for free.
How common is hair pulling in the ACT?›
About 1 in 50 people have trichotillomania, an estimated 1–2%. In a territory of about 487,000 people, that’s roughly 5,000 to 10,000 Canberrans. It usually starts between ages 10 and 13. Learn more in our complete guide to trichotillomania.
How to get in touch with a therapist
You can message anyone listed here today. You don’t need a GP referral or a diagnosis.
When you write, say what it is: “I pull my hair. I’m looking for someone who understands trichotillomania.” Their reply tells you a lot about whether they’re the right fit.
Most practitioners in the ACT work around the city centre, Woden and Belconnen, with smaller numbers in Gungahlin and Tuggeranong. The ACT is small, so distance is rarely the problem. Choice is. Very few local professionals know hair pulling well, and online sessions open that choice up to the whole country.
Psychologists, occupational therapists and other Ahpra-registered practitioners hold national registration, so someone in Perth or Hobart can see you online in Canberra. Hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches aren’t tied to a state or territory at all. You can search the ACT directory for people who do both.
Medicare also pays part of the cost of up to 10 sessions a year with psychologists and some other practitioners if your GP refers you. That route exists, and it often takes longer, usually without a choice of someone who understands hair pulling.
How to choose who to work with
People who pull find help from many directions: psychologists, psychotherapists, counsellors, hypnotherapists, EFT and NLP practitioners, occupational therapists and coaches. Different people find different things helpful.
If you’d like to check a registered professional, Australia has free public registers. “Psychologist” is a protected title, so only people registered with the Psychology Board of Australia can use it. You can look them up, along with occupational therapists and doctors, on the Ahpra register. Counselling isn’t regulated by the government. Many counsellors and psychotherapists join the Australian Register of Counsellors and Psychotherapists or the Australian Counselling Association instead. Hypnotherapists, EFT and NLP practitioners and coaches belong to their own associations.
Everyone on this site has one thing in common: they’ve told us they understand hair pulling. On a first call, you can ask:
- Have you helped people who pull their hair before?
- How do you work? What happens in the first few sessions?
- What if I feel it isn’t right for me?
There’s more in our guide to how to talk to someone who can help.
Charities and groups in the Australian Capital Territory
The ACT has no charity just for hair pulling. These organisations can help, and the first two run groups for people who pull.
International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)
The main international home for BFRB support since the TLC Foundation for BFRBs wound down at the end of 2025. Its directory lists online support groups for hair pulling and skin picking.
Anxiety Recovery Centre Victoria (ARCVic)
A Melbourne not-for-profit that runs peer support groups for people who pull or pick. Its Zoom groups are open to anyone living in Australia, including Canberra.
Access Mental Health
Canberra Health Services’ free line on 1800 629 354, open 24 hours a day. It gives advice and links ACT residents of any age with local mental health services.
Beyond Blue
A national mental health organisation that isn’t focused on hair pulling. Its free support service on 1300 22 4636 can help with the anxiety and low mood that often come with it.
Kids Helpline
Free, private support for young people aged 5 to 25, by phone or online, day or night. Call 1800 55 1800.
Lifeline
Call 13 11 14 at any time if things ever feel too much to handle on your own. In an emergency, call 000.
Support groups in the Australian Capital Territory
We can’t find a face-to-face hair pulling group in Canberra right now. The groups people from the ACT join meet online, which many find easier for something this private.
- ARCVic trich and skin-picking groups: free peer groups on Zoom, open to anyone living in Australia. Details are on the ARCVic support groups page.
- IOCDF online BFRB groups: more Zoom groups for people who pull or pick, listed on the IOCDF support group directory. Most run on US time.
- Beyond Blue forums: free, moderated online peer forums on anxiety and related topics.
For parents: watching your child pull is hard. The Parent’s Guide to Trichotillomania helps you understand what your child is going through.
Do you run an ACT group? Tell us and we’ll list it for free.
From Hallopeau to DSM-5: How Hair Pulling Got a Name
Hair pulling is old, but its name is not. In 1889 the French dermatologist François Henri Hallopeau described a young man who pulled out his hair in patches. He called it trichotillomania, from the Greek words for hair, pulling and madness.
The word stuck, but the condition was seen as a curiosity for almost a century. Textbooks called it rare. Many people who pulled went to skin doctors, not mental health professionals, and most never heard the word at all.
That changed slowly. In 1987 the American Psychiatric Association added trichotillomania to its diagnostic manual. The World Health Organization’s ICD-10 lists it under code F63.3. In 2013, DSM-5 renamed it trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder) and placed it next to skin picking.
Today it sits within a wider group called body-focused repetitive behaviours. We also know it’s far from rare: about 1 in 50 people pull. It isn’t a bad habit, attention-seeking, self-harm or a lack of willpower.
The old name still carries some of its history. “Mania” makes it sound dramatic. For most people, pulling is quiet, private and hard to put into words. Having a recognised name gives you something to say when you’re ready.
About this page
Sources: ACT Treasury (population); NHMRC and moodgym (MoodGYM history); Ahpra; Australian Register of Counsellors and Psychotherapists; Australian Counselling Association; Professional Wellbeing, Resonate Psychology, Phoenix Psychology Canberra, Help Link and Talked (session cost and Medicare data); Anxiety Recovery Centre Victoria; International OCD Foundation (including its BFRB support group listings); Canberra Health Services (Access Mental Health); Beyond Blue; Kids Helpline; Lifeline.
Things change. We check this page often, but always check prices and qualifications with the person you contact. This page is information, not medical advice.
Are you an ACT therapist or practitioner who works with trichotillomania?
Be found by people looking for help with hair pulling across the Australian Capital Territory, in person or online.
About the Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory is a self-governing territory of about 487,000 people, surrounded on every side by New South Wales. It was set aside in 1911 for a national capital, on Ngunnawal Country. American architects Walter Burley Griffin and Marion Mahony Griffin won the competition to design Canberra in 1912. Parliament moved there from Melbourne in 1927.
Canberra is planned around Lake Burley Griffin, with separate town centres at Belconnen, Gungahlin, Woden and Tuggeranong. The Australian National University fills much of Acton, beside the city centre. Braddon’s Lonsdale Street is known for cafés and bars, and Kingston for the Old Bus Depot Markets. South of the suburbs, Namadgi National Park covers almost half the territory and joins the Australian Alps.
Attractions in the Australian Capital Territory
The ACT pairs the country’s national institutions with alpine ranges less than an hour from Parliament.
Parliament House, Capital Hill
Mitchell/Giurgola & Thorp won the international design competition from 329 entries. Queen Elizabeth II opened the building on 9 May 1988. Most of it sits inside Capital Hill, with lawns running over the roof. An 81-metre flagpole marks the exact centre of the building.
Australian War Memorial, Campbell
The Memorial opened on Remembrance Day, 11 November 1941. Bronze panels of the Roll of Honour line its cloisters with the names of Australia’s war dead. The Hall of Memory is clad in a six-million-piece mosaic. It holds the Tomb of the Unknown Australian Soldier, laid there in 1993.
National Arboretum Canberra, Molonglo Valley
Bushfires in 2001 and 2003 burnt the pine plantation that once stood here. The 250-hectare arboretum opened on 1 February 2013 on the site. Its design, called “100 Forests and 100 Gardens”, plants rare and endangered trees from around the world. A Himalayan cedar forest from the Griffin era still stands.
Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve
A valley south-west of the city, between the Tidbinbilla and Gibraltar ranges, with 14 protected habitats. Birrigai Rock Shelter here shows people lived in the area 21,000 years ago. NASA’s Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex, opened in 1965, stands nearby. Its 70-metre dish is the largest antenna in the southern hemisphere.
Namadgi National Park
Declared in 1984, Namadgi covers 46 per cent of the ACT and borders Kosciuszko National Park. Its name is an Aboriginal word for the mountains south-west of Canberra. At Yankee Hat, a walk leads to a rock shelter with Aboriginal paintings in the Gudgenby Valley.