Trichotillomania Support in Nova Scotia
Find a therapist in Nova Scotia 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 Yarmouth to Sydney, for someone near you, or choose Online to see who works with people anywhere in Nova Scotia.
Find a therapist for trichotillomania in Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia began regulating counselling therapists in 2011, ahead of most of Canada. It also regulates psychologists and social workers, so there’s no shortage of trained professionals. Yet very few of them 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. The directory includes therapists, counsellors, psychologists, psychotherapists, CBT therapists, occupational therapists, hypnotherapists, EFT and NLP practitioners, and BFRB coaches. Every listing explains how that person works, whether they see people in person, online or both, and what they charge. Each one has a private contact form. From Yarmouth to Cape Breton, many people listed also work online.
We’re building the Nova Scotia 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 Nova Scotia
Frequently Asked Questions about Trichotillomania in Nova Scotia
Find a TherapistHow do I find a trichotillomania therapist near me in Nova Scotia?›
Search the directory by your city or town, or choose Online to see people who work with clients anywhere in Nova Scotia. Every listing shows how the person works, whether they see people in person or online, what they charge, and has a private contact form.
Can I have sessions online from anywhere in Nova Scotia?›
Yes. Anyone registered in Nova Scotia can see you online wherever you live in the province. Psychologists and counselling therapists based elsewhere generally need Nova Scotia registration too. Hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches aren’t bound by these rules.
How much does trichotillomania therapy cost in Nova Scotia?›
Private sessions in Nova Scotia usually cost $120–$230, and around $150–$200 is typical. Psychologists’ fees tend to sit at the top of that range. Every listing shows its own prices, and many people offer a free first call. MSI doesn’t cover private sessions, but many workplace health plans pay part of the cost for some types of practitioner.
What kinds of help are there for hair pulling in Nova Scotia?›
Therapists, counsellors, psychologists, CBT therapists, occupational therapists, hypnotherapists, EFT and NLP practitioners, and BFRB coaches all help people who pull. Different people find different things helpful. What they share here is that they understand hair pulling.
Do I need a doctor’s referral or a diagnosis to get help in Nova Scotia?›
No. You can contact anyone listed in the directory directly, without a doctor’s referral and without a diagnosis. Just say you pull your hair and want someone who understands trichotillomania.
My child pulls their hair. What do I do first?›
Stay steady and don’t tell them off; pressure and punishment reliably make pulling worse. Read The Parent’s Guide to Trichotillomania to understand what your child is going through. Then look for someone whose listing says they work with children and teens.
Are there trichotillomania support groups in Nova Scotia?›
We haven’t found an in-person group just for hair pulling in Nova Scotia yet. The IOCDF lists free online BFRB groups you can join from home, and CMHA Nova Scotia runs peer support across the province. If you run a group, tell us and we’ll list it for free.
How common is hair pulling in Nova Scotia?›
Trichotillomania affects about 1 in 50 people, which means thousands of Nova Scotians. It usually starts around ages 10–13 but can begin at any age. Most people who pull have never knowingly met another person who does. Read 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 doctor’s referral or a diagnosis. Use the private contact form on their listing and say what it is: “I pull my hair. I’m looking for someone who understands trichotillomania.” Plain words like that save you from being steered toward general stress work.
Nearly half of Nova Scotians live in Halifax Regional Municipality, and many practitioners work there. In Cape Breton, the Annapolis Valley or along the South Shore, the nearest office can be a long drive. Online sessions let you work with someone in Nova Scotia who gets it from your own kitchen table.
Psychologists, counselling therapists and social workers generally need to be registered in Nova Scotia to see you here, even online. Canada’s labour mobility rules make that step easier for those already registered in another province. Hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches aren’t bound by these rules.
You can also self-refer to Nova Scotia Health’s Mental Health and Addictions program. That route exists, and 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 directions: therapists, counsellors, psychologists, hypnotherapists, EFT and NLP practitioners, occupational therapists and coaches. Different people find different things helpful. What matters is that the person understands hair pulling and that you feel at ease with them.
If you’d like to check a registered clinician, Nova Scotia has free public lookups. “Psychologist” is a protected title; search the Nova Scotia Regulator of Psychology directory. Registered Counselling Therapists (RCT) are listed in the Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists licence search. Hypnotherapy, EFT, NLP and coaching aren’t regulated by the province. Practitioners in those fields belong to their own associations instead.
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 Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia has no charity just for hair pulling right now. These organizations can help today.
International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)
The main North American home for BFRB support. BFRB stands for body-focused repetitive behaviour, the group that includes hair pulling and skin picking. It runs online events and lists support groups that Nova Scotians can join from home.
Anxiety Canada
A national charity with free online resources for adults, parents and young people. It isn’t focused on hair pulling, but it helps with the anxiety that often comes with it.
CMHA Nova Scotia Division
The Canadian Mental Health Association has worked in Nova Scotia since 1908 and is based in Dartmouth. It runs a peer support hub and free virtual mental health workshops through its THRIVE learning centre.
Kids Help Phone
Free, confidential support for young people, day or night. Call 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868.
Provincial Mental Health and Addictions Crisis Line
Call 1-888-429-8167 at any time if distress turns into a crisis. You can also call or text 9-8-8, the national suicide crisis helpline.
Support groups in Nova Scotia
We haven’t found an in-person group just for hair pulling in Nova Scotia yet. Most groups for people who pull meet online right now. Here’s what we’ve been able to confirm:
- IOCDF online BFRB groups: free Zoom groups for people who pull or pick, including one for adults over 50. Find them in the IOCDF support group directory.
- CMHA Nova Scotia peer support: free peer programs across the province. They aren’t specific to hair pulling, but they’re open to anyone living with a mental health concern.
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 a Nova Scotia group? Tell us and we’ll list it for free.
About this page
Sources: International OCD Foundation (including its BFRB support group listings); Anxiety Canada; CMHA Nova Scotia Division; Kids Help Phone; Nova Scotia Health Mental Health and Addictions Program (Provincial Crisis Line and Provincial Intake); 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline; Nova Scotia Regulator of Psychology (public directory); Nova Scotia College of Counselling Therapists (licence status search); Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association; Association of Psychologists of Nova Scotia and published Nova Scotia counselling fees (2025–2026); Statistics Canada population estimates via Halifax Partnership.
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 Nova Scotia therapist or practitioner who works with trichotillomania?
Be found by people looking for help with hair pulling across Nova Scotia, in person or online.
About Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada, home to about 1.09 million people. Nearly half live in Halifax Regional Municipality, which includes the capital, Halifax, and Dartmouth across the harbour.
Cape Breton Island has been joined to the mainland by the Canso Causeway since 1955. Sydney is its largest community. The Cabot Trail loops around Cape Breton Highlands National Park, created in 1936 as the first national park in Atlantic Canada. On the mainland, the Annapolis Valley runs along the Bay of Fundy, whose tides are the highest in the world. Wolfville, in the Valley, is home to Acadia University. The South Shore strings together fishing towns from Peggy’s Cove to Lunenburg and on to Yarmouth.
Attractions in Nova Scotia
People come to Nova Scotia for its coastline, its tides and some of the oldest European settlements in North America. These five are spread across the province.
Peggy’s Point Lighthouse, Peggy’s Cove
The white concrete tower was built in 1915, replacing a wooden lighthouse from 1868. It marks the eastern entrance to St. Margarets Bay and has run without a keeper since 1958. Tourism Nova Scotia calls it the most photographed lighthouse in Canada. It stands on bare granite beside a working fishing village.
Old Town Lunenburg
Founded in 1753, Lunenburg is the most intact surviving example of a planned British colonial town in North America. UNESCO listed it as a World Heritage Site in 1995. Its grid of streets is unchanged, lined with painted wooden houses, some from the 18th century. Look for the “Lunenburg bump”, a five-sided dormer found on many of them.
Landscape of Grand Pré, Annapolis Valley
Acadian settlers began building dykes here in the 1680s to farm the tidal marshes. Wooden sluices called aboiteaux still drain more than 1,300 hectares of farmland. The Memorial Church, built in 1922, stands near the church site linked to the Acadian deportation of 1755. UNESCO listed the landscape in 2012.
Joggins Fossil Cliffs, Cumberland County
These sea cliffs on the Bay of Fundy hold the world’s most complete fossil record of the “Coal Age”, around 310 million years ago. In 1859 the geologist William Dawson found the earliest known reptile, Hylonomus lyelli, inside a fossil tree stump here. The cliffs became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008.
Fortress of Louisbourg, Cape Breton
France founded Louisbourg in 1713 to guard its fishery and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. British forces captured it in 1745 and again in 1758, then demolished its walls. Parks Canada began rebuilding a quarter of the town in 1961. It is the largest reconstructed 18th-century French fortified town in North America.