Trichotillomania Support in the Northern Territory
Find a therapist in the Northern Territory who understands trichotillomania. Whether you pull your own hair or you’re supporting a child or someone you love, search by town or city, from Darwin to Alice Springs, for someone near you, or choose Online to see who works with people anywhere in the Northern Territory.
Find a therapist for trichotillomania in the Northern Territory
The Northern Territory covers about a sixth of Australia, but only around 270,000 people live here. Six in ten live in Greater Darwin, and Alice Springs is about 1,500 km down the Stuart Highway. Few practitioners anywhere learned about hair pulling in training, and the Territory’s local pool is small. Connecting you with people who already understand it is the reason this directory exists.
Everyone listed has told us they understand trichotillomania and already help people who pull. The directory includes psychologists, counsellors, psychotherapists, occupational therapists, hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners, NLP practitioners and coaches. Every listing shows how that person works, whether they see people in person, online or both, and what they charge. New people join regularly.
If you live in Arnhem Land, the Barkly or a remote community, you can see who works online across the Northern Territory.
We’re building the Northern 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 Northern Territory
Frequently Asked Questions about Trichotillomania in Northern Territory
Find a TherapistHow do I find a trichotillomania therapist near me in the Northern Territory?›
Search the directory by town or city. In-person options are mostly in Darwin and Palmerston, with a few in Alice Springs. Everyone listed has told us they understand hair pulling, and each listing shows how they work, what they charge and how to get in touch.
Can I have sessions online from anywhere in the Northern Territory?›
Yes. Online sessions work anywhere with a steady connection, from Nhulunbuy to Yulara. Ahpra registration is national, so registered practitioners in any state can see you. Counsellors, hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches aren’t bound by those rules. Choose Online in the search to see who works with people in the NT.
How much does trichotillomania therapy cost in the Northern Territory?›
Most private sessions in the Northern Territory cost $150 to $300. Counsellors and psychotherapists often charge around $150. Psychologists typically charge $225 to $285, and clinical psychologists often charge more. Every listing shows its own prices. Some private health insurance extras cover pays part of the cost for some types of practitioner, and many people offer a free first call.
What kinds of help are there for hair pulling in the Northern Territory?›
People work with psychologists, counsellors, psychotherapists, occupational therapists, hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners, NLP practitioners and coaches. Different people find different things helpful. What everyone in this directory has in common is that they understand hair pulling.
Do I need a GP referral or a diagnosis to get help in the Northern Territory?›
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 whose listing says they work with children and teens.
Are there trichotillomania support groups in the Northern Territory?›
We haven’t found an in-person group in the Northern Territory yet. Territorians can join ARCVic’s free online group, which is open to anyone living in Australia, or find groups through the International OCD Foundation. If you run a group, tell us and we’ll list it.
How common is hair pulling in the Northern Territory?›
About 1 in 50 people have trichotillomania, so roughly 5,000 Territorians. It often starts between ages 10 and 13, and most people who pull have never knowingly met someone else who does. Learn more in our complete guide to trichotillomania.
How to get in touch with a therapist
You can message anyone in the Northern Territory directory right now, through their private contact form. 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 in-person practitioners in the Territory work in Darwin and Palmerston. Alice Springs has a smaller group, and Katherine, Tennant Creek and Nhulunbuy have very few. Many Territorians already have their sessions by video.
Psychologists and other Ahpra-registered practitioners hold one national registration, so someone in Adelaide or Brisbane can work with you in Katherine. Counsellors, hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches aren’t registered with Ahpra, so those rules don’t apply to them. When you book with someone interstate, check the time: the Territory doesn’t use daylight saving, so the gap with the eastern states changes in summer.
You can also ask a GP for a mental health plan. It brings a Medicare rebate on up to 10 sessions a year with some practitioners. That route exists, but it often takes longer, and you usually can’t choose someone who understands hair pulling.
How to choose who to work with
People who pull find help from many kinds of practitioners: psychologists, counsellors, psychotherapists, occupational therapists, hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners, NLP practitioners and coaches. Different people find different things helpful.
If you’d like to check someone’s registration:
- Psychologists, psychiatrists and occupational therapists: “psychologist” is a protected title in Australia. You can look up anyone in these professions on the free Ahpra Register of practitioners.
- Counsellors and psychotherapists: counselling is self-regulated in Australia. Many belong to the Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia (PACFA) or the Australian Counselling Association (ACA), and both keep public lists.
Hypnotherapy, EFT, NLP and coaching aren’t regulated by government. They have their own professional 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 Northern Territory
The Northern Territory has no charity just for hair pulling or other body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs), and neither does the rest of Australia. These organisations reach people across the Territory.
Anxiety Recovery Centre Victoria (ARCVic)
A Melbourne-based charity for OCD and related conditions, including trichotillomania. Its online support group for people who pull or pick is open to anyone living in Australia.
headspace
Free mental health support for young people aged 12 to 25. It has centres in Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs, plus online sessions for anyone further out.
Kids Helpline
Free, private support for young people aged 5 to 25, by phone on 1800 55 1800 or online chat, at any hour.
13YARN
A free, private line run by and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Call 13 92 76, any time of day or night.
Northern Territory mental health line
The NT Government’s 24-hour line if you’re worried about your mental health or someone close to you: 1800 682 288. If things ever feel too much to handle on your own, you can also call Lifeline on 13 11 14, any time.
Support groups in the Northern Territory
We haven’t found an in-person trichotillomania group in the Northern Territory yet. Most Territorians who pull connect with others online.
- ARCVic Trichotillomania and Dermatillomania Support Group: a free peer group on Zoom for adults who pull or pick, open to anyone living in Australia. It runs on Melbourne time, which is 30 minutes ahead of Darwin in winter and 90 minutes ahead in summer.
- IOCDF hair pulling groups: the International OCD Foundation’s Find Help directory lists groups for people who pull, many meeting by video.
For parents: The Parent’s Guide to Trichotillomania helps you understand what your child is going through.
Do you run a Northern Territory group? Tell us and we’ll list it for free.
About this page
Sources: Centre for Population; Northern Territory Government (Northern Territory Economy; mental health hotlines); AANT; Ahpra; Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia; Australian Counselling Association; Darwin Psychotherapy, Pynk Health, Breakthrough Psychology and Darwin Psychology Service (cost data); Anxiety Recovery Centre Victoria; International OCD Foundation; headspace; Kids Helpline; 13YARN; 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 a Northern Territory therapist or practitioner who works with trichotillomania?
Be found by people looking for help with hair pulling across the Northern Territory, in person or online.
About the Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is Australia’s least populated state or territory, with about 270,000 people across 1.35 million square kilometres. Around three in ten Territorians are Aboriginal. The tropical Top End has a wet season and a dry season. The Red Centre, around Alice Springs and Uluru, is desert country.
Darwin, the capital, sits on Darwin Harbour facing the Timor Sea. It was rebuilt after Cyclone Tracy struck on Christmas Day 1974. Fannie Bay holds the Territory’s main museum, and Cullen Bay is built around a marina. Palmerston is a satellite city to the south-east. Katherine sits on the Katherine River, about 320 km south of Darwin. Tennant Creek, in the Barkly, grew from a gold rush in the 1930s. Nhulunbuy is on the Gove Peninsula in East Arnhem Land. Alice Springs lies beside the MacDonnell Ranges, where the Larapinta Trail begins.
Attractions in the Northern Territory
People come to the Northern Territory for its rock art, its gorges, the story of the Overland Telegraph and the red monolith at its centre.
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (Darwin)
The museum opened at Bullocky Point, Fannie Bay, in 1981, after Cyclone Tracy wrecked its first home in the Darwin Town Hall. One gallery is given over to the cyclone. Sweetheart, a five-metre saltwater crocodile known for attacking boats in the 1970s, is on permanent display. Entry is free.
Kakadu National Park (Top End)
Kakadu covers almost 20,000 square kilometres east of Darwin. It became a national park in 1979 and was listed as a World Heritage Site in 1981, for both its natural and cultural values. Its main rock art galleries are at Ubirr and Burrungkuy (Nourlangie), on the country of the Bininj/Mungguy people.
Nitmiluk National Park (near Katherine)
The Katherine River runs through a chain of 13 sandstone gorges about 30 km from Katherine. Nitmiluk means “place of the cicada dreaming” in the Jawoyn language. The park was handed back to the Jawoyn people on 10 September 1989, and they now manage it jointly with the NT Government.
Alice Springs Telegraph Station (Alice Springs)
Built in 1872, this was one of 12 stations on the Overland Telegraph Line, which carried messages between Darwin and Adelaide. More of it survives than of any other station on the line. It stands beside the waterhole that gave Alice Springs its name, 4 km north of the town, and marks the start of the Larapinta Trail.
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (Red Centre)
Uluru rises 348 metres above the desert plain, and the 36 domes of Kata Tjuta stand nearby. The park was handed back to its Anangu Traditional Owners on 26 October 1985. It was World Heritage listed in 1987, and again in 1994 for its cultural landscape. The climb closed for good in 2019.