Trichotillomania Support in Queensland
Find a therapist in Queensland 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 Cairns to the Gold Coast, for someone near you, or choose Online to see who works with people anywhere in Queensland.
Find a therapist for trichotillomania in Queensland
Queensland is mainland Australia’s most decentralised state. More people live outside Greater Brisbane than in it, spread from the Gold Coast to Cape York and out to the western plains. Few professionals learned about hair pulling in training, and here the nearest one can be a day’s drive away. Bringing them within reach, in person or online, is the reason this directory exists.
Everyone listed has told us they understand hair pulling and already help people who pull. You’ll find therapists, counsellors, psychologists, psychotherapists, hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners, NLP practitioners and coaches. Each listing shows how the person works, whether they see people in person, online or both, and what they charge.
Wherever you live in the state, you can see who works online across Queensland.
We’re building the Queensland 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 Queensland
Frequently Asked Questions about Trichotillomania in Queensland
Find a TherapistHow do I find a trichotillomania therapist near me in Queensland?›
Search our directory by town or city, such as Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Townsville or Cairns. 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 Queensland?›
Yes. Many people listed work online with clients anywhere in Queensland, from Coolangatta to Cape York. Psychologists are registered nationally, and counsellors, hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches aren’t tied to one state either.
How much does trichotillomania therapy cost in Queensland?›
Private sessions in Queensland usually cost A$120 to A$300, with around A$180 to A$260 typical. Psychologists in inner Brisbane tend to charge at the top of the range. Every listing shows its own prices, and many people offer a free first call. Some private health insurance extras policies pay part of the cost for some practitioner types.
What kinds of help are there for hair pulling?›
People who pull work with therapists, counsellors, psychologists, psychotherapists, hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners, NLP practitioners 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 Queensland?›
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, and look for someone in the directory whose listing says they work with children and teens.
Are there trichotillomania support groups in Queensland?›
We haven’t found an in-person group in Queensland yet. ARCVic runs a free online group for people who pull or pick, open to anyone living in Australia. If you run a group in Queensland, tell us and we’ll list it for free.
How common is hair pulling in Queensland?›
An estimated 1–2% of people have trichotillomania, so roughly 57,000 to 115,000 Queenslanders. It’s a body-focused repetitive behaviour recognised in the DSM-5 and ICD-10, not a bad habit, and it often 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 today through their private contact form. You don’t need a GP referral or a diagnosis first.
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 a good fit.
Most practitioners in the state work in the south-east, across Brisbane, the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast. Toowoomba, Townsville, Cairns, Mackay and Rockhampton have smaller groups. In the outback and on Cape York there are very few, and online sessions close that gap. Psychologists are registered nationally, so one based in Brisbane can work with you online in Mount Isa or Longreach. Counsellors, hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches aren’t tied to a state either. You can search the Queensland directory by town or city.
With a mental health plan from your GP, Medicare pays part of the cost of up to 10 sessions a year with a psychologist. That route exists, and it often takes longer, because you see your GP first.
How to choose who to work with
People who pull find help from all kinds of practitioners: therapists, counsellors, psychologists, hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches. Different people find different things helpful.
If you’d like to check someone’s registration, Australia has free public lookups:
- Ahpra Register of practitioners for psychologists. “Psychologist” is a protected title in Australia.
- Australian Counselling Association and PACFA for registered counsellors and psychotherapists.
“Counsellor” and “therapist” aren’t protected titles. Many good kinds of help sit outside government regulation and belong to 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 Queensland
Queensland has no charity just for hair pulling or other body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs), and neither does the rest of Australia. These organisations serve people across the state.
Anxiety Recovery Centre Victoria (ARCVic)
A Melbourne-based charity for OCD and related conditions, including trichotillomania. It runs a free online support group for people who pull or pick, open to anyone living in Australia. Its OCD & Anxiety Helpline is on 1300 269 438.
Beyond Blue
A national mental health organisation with information, online forums and a support line on 1300 22 4636, open any time.
headspace
Free mental health support for young people aged 12 to 25, with centres across Queensland and online sessions through eheadspace.
Kids Helpline
Free, private phone and online counselling for young people aged 5 to 25, on 1800 55 1800, any time of day or night.
Lifeline
Call 13 11 14 free, any time, if things ever feel too much to handle on your own. For urgent mental health help anywhere in Queensland, you can also call 1300 MH CALL (1300 642 255).
Support groups in Queensland
We haven’t found an in-person hair pulling group in Queensland yet. Online groups are the main option, and anyone in the state can join:
- ARCVic Trichotillomania and Dermatillomania Support Group: a free peer-led Zoom group for adults who pull or pick, twice a month on Sundays. It’s open to anyone living in Australia.
- ARCVic OCD & Anxiety Helpline: call 1300 269 438 to hear about current group times and other support near you.
For parents: our guide The Parent’s Guide to Trichotillomania helps you understand what your child is going through.
Do you run a Queensland group? Tell us and we’ll list it for free.
The Sensory Side of Pulling
Hair pulling is often described as a habit of the hands. For many people who pull, it’s just as much about the senses.
Touch usually leads. Fingers move through the hair, searching for one that feels different: coarse, wiry, kinked or thicker than the rest. That hair can feel wrong until it’s gone.
Sight plays a part too. A grey hair, a stray eyebrow hair or one that sits out of line in the mirror can start a session that lasts far longer than planned.
What happens after the pull matters as well. Some people look closely at the root, roll the hair between their fingers or run it across their lips. Others notice the small snap or the brief sting, followed by a moment of release.
Quiet, still moments tend to bring it on: reading, scrolling, lying in bed or waiting at traffic lights. So does stress, and so does boredom.
None of this is a bad habit, self-harm, attention-seeking or a lack of willpower. It’s part of how trichotillomania works. Noticing which senses are involved for you, and when, gives you something useful to share on a first call.
About this page
Sources: Queensland Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning; Queensland Government Statistician’s Office; Queensland private session fee data (2026); Australian Psychological Society; Ahpra and the Psychology Board of Australia; Australian Counselling Association; Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia; Anxiety Recovery Centre Victoria; healthdirect; Queensland Health (1300 MH CALL); Queensland Mental Health Commission; Beyond Blue; headspace; 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 a Queensland therapist or practitioner who works with trichotillomania?
Be found by people looking for help with hair pulling across Queensland, in person or online.
About Queensland
Queensland is Australia’s second-largest state, home to about 5.7 million people. Brisbane, the capital, sits on the Brisbane River in the south-east corner. South Bank holds the state’s main galleries and museums. Fortitude Valley is the centre of the city’s live music and nightlife, and West End is known for its cafés and restaurants.
The Gold Coast runs south to the New South Wales border, with Surfers Paradise at its heart. Noosa marks the northern end of the Sunshine Coast. Inland, Toowoomba sits on the edge of the Great Dividing Range. Further north, Townsville and Cairns are the gateways to the Great Barrier Reef and the tropical rainforest. Out west, the outback town of Winton is where Qantas was founded in 1920.
Attractions in Queensland
People come to Queensland for its reef, its rainforest, the world’s largest sand island and the ancient rock art of its interior.
Queensland Art Gallery | Gallery of Modern Art (Brisbane)
Two galleries stand 150 metres apart in South Brisbane’s cultural precinct. The Queensland Art Gallery moved into its Robin Gibson-designed home in 1982, and the Gallery of Modern Art opened beside it in 2006. Both focus on art from Australia, Asia and the Pacific, and general entry is free.
Great Barrier Reef (Cairns, Townsville and the Whitsundays)
The world’s largest coral reef system stretches more than 2,300 kilometres along the Queensland coast. It is made up of over 2,900 individual reefs and about 900 islands. It became a World Heritage Area in 1981. Boats head out to the reef from Cairns, Port Douglas, Townsville and Airlie Beach.
Daintree Rainforest (north of Port Douglas)
The Daintree is part of the Wet Tropics of Queensland, listed as a World Heritage Area in 1988. Many of its species date back to when Australia was part of Gondwana. At Cape Tribulation the forest runs down to the sand, where it meets the Great Barrier Reef. This is the traditional country of the Eastern Kuku Yalanji people.
K’gari (off Hervey Bay)
The world’s largest sand island is about 123 kilometres long. Rainforest grows on its sand, and it holds half the world’s perched freshwater dune lakes. It was listed as a World Heritage Area in 1992. In 2023 it officially took back its Butchulla name, K’gari, in place of Fraser Island.
Carnarvon Gorge (Central Highlands)
Carnarvon Creek winds between towering sandstone cliffs in Carnarvon National Park, halfway between Emerald and Roma. A 62-metre sandstone wall known as the Art Gallery carries more than 2,000 engravings, ochre stencils and freehand paintings. It is one of Australia’s finest sites of stencil art, on the country of the Bidjara and Karingbal peoples.