Trichotillomania Support in Western Australia
Find a therapist in Western Australia who understands trichotillomania. Whether you pull your own hair or you’re supporting a child or someone you love, search by city or town, from Broome to Albany, for someone near you, or choose Online to see who works with people anywhere in Western Australia.
Find a therapist for trichotillomania in Western Australia
Western Australia covers a third of the continent, yet about four in five West Australians live in Perth. The Kimberley is around 2,000 km from the capital. Few practitioners anywhere learned about hair pulling in training, and outside Perth your local choices are 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. Each one has a private contact form. New people join regularly.
If you’re in the Pilbara, the Goldfields or the Wheatbelt, you can see who works online across Western Australia.
We’re building the Western Australia 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 Western Australia
Frequently Asked Questions about Trichotillomania in Western Australia
Find a TherapistHow do I find a trichotillomania therapist near me in Western Australia?›
Search the directory by city or town. In-person options are mostly in Perth, Fremantle and the larger South West towns. 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 Western Australia?›
Yes. Online sessions work anywhere with a steady connection, from Esperance to Kununurra. 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 WA.
How much does trichotillomania therapy cost in Western Australia?›
Most private sessions in Western Australia cost $130 to $370. Counsellors often charge $130 to $160. A psychologist in Perth typically charges around $250, and clinical psychologists 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 Western Australia?›
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 Western Australia?›
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 Western Australia?›
We haven’t found an in-person group in Western Australia yet. West Australians can join online groups through the International OCD Foundation’s listings and BFRB Changemakers. If you run a group, tell us and we’ll list it.
How common is hair pulling in Western Australia?›
About 1 in 50 people have trichotillomania, so roughly 60,000 West Australians. 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 Western Australia directory right now. You don’t need a doctor’s note 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 work in Perth and Fremantle, with smaller numbers in Mandurah, Bunbury and Albany. North of Geraldton and east of the Wheatbelt, towns are hundreds of kilometres apart. That’s why many West Australians already have their sessions by video.
Distance isn’t a barrier online. Psychologists and other Ahpra-registered practitioners hold one national registration, so someone in Sydney or Hobart can work with you in Karratha. Counsellors, hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches aren’t registered with Ahpra, so those rules don’t apply to them. Online sessions run on Perth time, which doesn’t change for daylight saving.
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 are registered with 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 Western Australia
Western Australia has no charity just for hair pulling or other body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs), and there’s no national one in Australia yet. These organisations can still help, and all of them reach people across the state.
International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)
A US foundation with a large section on BFRBs, including trichotillomania. Its Find Help directory lists hair pulling support groups, many of which meet online.
Beyond Blue
A national mental health organisation with a free phone and web chat service on 1300 22 4636 and online peer forums. It isn’t about hair pulling, but it welcomes anyone.
Kids Helpline
Free, private support for young people aged 5 to 25, by phone on 1800 55 1800 or online chat, at any hour.
Mental Health Emergency Response Line (MHERL)
The WA Government’s 24/7 line for a mental health crisis. Call 1300 555 788 in Perth or 1800 676 822 in Peel. In regional WA, Rurallink takes calls after hours on 1800 552 002.
Lifeline
If things ever feel too much to handle on your own, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, any time.
Support groups in Western Australia
We haven’t found an in-person trichotillomania group in Western Australia yet. Most West Australians who pull connect with others online.
- IOCDF hair pulling groups: the IOCDF’s Find Help directory lists groups for people who pull, many meeting by video.
- BFRB Changemakers: free monthly online peer groups for adults who pull or pick. Most run on US times, so check each one against Perth time.
For parents: The Parent’s Guide to Trichotillomania helps you understand what your child is going through.
Do you run a Western Australia group? Tell us and we’ll list it for free.
The sensory side of pulling
For many people, hair pulling starts with touch. Fingers go looking for a hair that feels different: coarse, kinked, wiry or out of place. Finding it brings a small sense of rightness that’s hard to explain to anyone who doesn’t pull.
What happens after the pull matters too. Some people roll the hair between their fingers, look closely at the root, or run it across their lips. Many keep these rituals secret because they seem strange. They aren’t. They’re a common part of trich.
The senses also help explain when pulling happens. Still moments with the hands free leave room for fingers to wander: reading, studying, driving, lying awake. So can feeling bored, restless or overloaded. Knowing your own pattern gives a first conversation with a practitioner somewhere concrete to start.
Trichotillomania is a body-focused repetitive behaviour, recognised in the DSM-5 and the ICD-10 (F63.3). It affects about 1 in 50 people. It usually starts around ages 10 to 13, though it can begin at any age. It isn’t a bad habit, attention-seeking, self-harm or a lack of willpower. Most people who pull have never knowingly met someone else who does.
About this page
Sources: Australian Bureau of Statistics; Centre for Population; Tourism Western Australia; Ahpra; Australian Psychological Society; Psychotherapy and Counselling Federation of Australia; Australian Counselling Association; TherapyRoute, Clear Health Psychology, Bark Australia and Mindstate Psychology (Perth cost data); International OCD Foundation; BFRB Changemakers; Beyond Blue; Kids Helpline; Mental Health Commission WA; 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 Western Australia therapist or practitioner who works with trichotillomania?
Be found by people looking for help with hair pulling across Western Australia, in person or online.
About Western Australia
Western Australia is Australia’s largest state, covering about a third of the continent, with around 3 million people. Most live in Perth, on the Swan River. The Indian Ocean runs the length of its west coast. The South West has forests and vineyards, and the Ningaloo Reef lies off the Coral Coast. Further north are the red ranges of the Pilbara and Kimberley.
In Perth, Northbridge holds the WA Museum Boola Bardip and the Art Gallery of Western Australia. Fremantle, at the mouth of the Swan, keeps its 19th-century port streets. Cottesloe is the city’s best-known beach. Mandurah sits on the Peel Inlet. Bunbury is the South West’s largest city, north of the Margaret River wine region. Albany, on King George Sound, was the state’s first European settlement, founded in 1826. Kalgoorlie-Boulder is the heart of the Goldfields, and Broome is the old pearling town on the Kimberley coast.
Attractions in Western Australia
Western Australia’s landmarks run from convict-built Fremantle to a limestone desert, a record-length jetty and the striped domes of the Kimberley.
Kings Park and Botanic Garden (Perth)
Kings Park covers about 400 hectares on Mount Eliza, above the city and the Swan River. It was set aside as a public reserve in 1872 and opened as Perth Park in 1895, taking its current name in 1901. The Western Australian Botanic Garden inside it opened in 1965 and holds more than 3,000 species of the state’s plants.
Fremantle Prison (Fremantle)
Convicts built the prison between 1852 and 1859 from limestone quarried on the site. It held prisoners until 1991. In 2010 it became the first building in Western Australia on the UNESCO World Heritage List, as one of eleven Australian Convict Sites. It is one of the largest surviving convict prisons in the world.
The Pinnacles (Nambung National Park, near Cervantes)
About 200 km north of Perth, the Pinnacles Desert holds thousands of limestone pillars rising from yellow sand. The tallest stand around 3.5 metres. Nambung is a Nyoongar word meaning “winding”, after the river that runs into the park and disappears underground.
Busselton Jetty (Busselton)
The jetty opened in 1865 at 161 metres and was extended again and again until it reached 1.841 km. It is the longest timber-piled jetty in the Southern Hemisphere. A train runs out over Geographe Bay to an underwater observatory, opened in 2003, which looks out 8 metres below the surface.
Purnululu National Park (East Kimberley)
The Bungle Bungle Range rises in beehive-shaped sandstone domes, banded orange and dark grey, up to 250 metres above the savannah. Few outsiders knew of it until a documentary crew filmed it in the early 1980s. It became a national park in 1987 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. The Gija and Jaru peoples are its Traditional Owners.