Trichotillomania Support in Nunavut
Find a therapist in Nunavut who understands trichotillomania. Whether you pull your own hair or you’re supporting a child or someone you love, search by community, from Iqaluit to Cambridge Bay, for someone near you, or choose Online to see who works with people anywhere in Nunavut.
Find a therapist for trichotillomania in Nunavut
Nunavut covers about a fifth of Canada, and none of its 25 communities is joined to another by road. The territory’s own counselling program already runs entirely online, with practitioners based outside Nunavut. 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 trichotillomania and already help people who pull. The directory includes therapists, counsellors, psychologists, social workers, psychotherapists, hypnotherapists, EFT 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.
Very few practitioners live in the territory, so see who works online across Nunavut.
We’re building the Nunavut 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 Nunavut
Frequently Asked Questions about Trichotillomania in Nunavut
Find a TherapistHow do I find a trichotillomania therapist near me in Nunavut?›
Search our directory by community, such as Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet, Arviat, Baker Lake, Cambridge Bay or Igloolik, or choose Online. Every listing explains 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 Nunavut?›
Yes. Many people listed work online with clients anywhere in Nunavut, from Kugluktuk to Qikiqtarjuaq. Psychologists need to be able to practise with clients in Nunavut. Counsellors, hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches aren’t tied to a territory.
How much does trichotillomania therapy cost in Nunavut?›
Private sessions for people in Nunavut usually cost $130 to $250, and around $150 to $180 is typical. Psychologists usually charge at the top of that range. Every listing shows its own prices, and many people offer a free first call. Some workplace and private insurance plans pay part of the cost for some practitioner types, so ask your insurer and the person you contact.
What kinds of help are there for hair pulling?›
People who pull work with therapists, counsellors, psychologists, social workers, 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 doctor’s referral or a diagnosis to get help in Nunavut?›
No. You can contact anyone listed in our directory directly, without a doctor’s 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 Nunavut?›
We haven’t found an in-person trichotillomania group in Nunavut yet. The International OCD Foundation lists free online BFRB groups open to adults anywhere. If you run a group in Nunavut, tell us and we’ll list it for free.
How common is hair pulling in Nunavut?›
About 1 in 50 people have trichotillomania, so roughly 800 people across Nunavut. It’s a recognized condition, 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 directly, today. You don’t need a doctor’s 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 the right fit.
The few private practitioners in the territory work mostly in Iqaluit. Rankin Inlet, Cambridge Bay and the smaller communities have almost none. Online sessions close that gap, and many people find it easier to talk about something this private from home. If internet in your community is slow, ask whether the person also works by phone. You can search the directory for Nunavut at any time.
Psychologists are licensed territory by territory, so check that anyone you see online can work with clients in Nunavut. Nunavut doesn’t require counsellors or social workers to register, and hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches aren’t tied to a territory either.
Inuit can have counselling covered through the federal Non-Insured Health Benefits program, including online through the territory’s Healing by Talking program. 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 all kinds of practitioners: therapists, counsellors, psychologists, social workers, hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches. Different people find different things helpful. What matters most is that you feel understood.
You can also check a clinician’s credentials. Psychologists must be licensed to practise in Nunavut, through the territory’s Registrar, Professional Licensing. Its contact details are on the Canadian Psychological Association’s list of regulators. Many social workers in the North belong to the Association of Social Workers in Northern Canada. Many counsellors hold the Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) credential from the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. Other good kinds of help aren’t regulated at all and 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 Nunavut
Nunavut has no charity just for hair pulling or other body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs). The organizations below cover BFRBs internationally, or support Nunavummiut by phone and online.
International OCD Foundation
A US-based foundation that is now the main international home for BFRB information. Its online directory lists free peer support groups for hair pulling and skin picking, several of them open to adults anywhere.
Nunavut Kamatsiaqtut Help Line
An Iqaluit listening line that began taking calls in January 1990. Kamatsiaqtut means “thoughtful people who care” in Inuktitut. Call 1-800-265-3333 any time, for anything on your mind, not only a crisis.
211 Nunavut
A free, confidential service that helps you find health, social and community support across the territory. Call 2-1-1 any time.
Hope for Wellness Help Line
Counselling and crisis support for all Indigenous people across Canada, by phone or online chat, 24 hours a day. Call 1-855-242-3310.
Kids Help Phone
Free, confidential support for young people, any time. Call 1-800-668-6868 or text CONNECT to 686868.
9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline
Call or text 988, any time of day or night, if things ever feel too much to handle on your own.
Support groups in Nunavut
We haven’t found an in-person trichotillomania group in Nunavut yet. Most people here who pull connect with others online, and for something this private, many find that easier.
- International OCD Foundation global BFRB group: a free monthly peer group on Zoom for adults 18 and over who pull or pick, open to people anywhere.
- International OCD Foundation group directory: lists other free online BFRB groups, some of them for particular ages or times of day.
For parents: our guide The Parent’s Guide to Trichotillomania helps you understand what your child is going through.
Do you run a Nunavut group? Tell us and we’ll list it for free.
Why Willpower Isn’t the Mechanism
People who pull are told to “just stop” more than almost anything else. Most have told themselves the same thing thousands of times.
Much pulling happens outside conscious choice. People find hair in their lap after reading, driving or scrolling, with no memory of starting. Other pulling is focused. An urge builds, often around a hair that feels coarse, kinked or out of place. Pulling it brings a brief sense of relief or rightness, and then the cycle starts again.
Neither pattern runs on decision alone. That’s why promises, rewards and telling-offs so rarely hold. They aim at the wrong part of the process. Many people describe pulling hardest when they’re tired, bored, stressed or alone, which are the times willpower is thinnest anyway.
Trichotillomania is a recognized condition, a body-focused repetitive behaviour that affects about 1 in 50 people. It isn’t a bad habit, it isn’t attention-seeking, and it isn’t self-harm. Failing to stop by force isn’t a sign of weakness. It’s what the condition looks like from the inside.
About this page
Sources: Statistics Canada and Government of Nunavut (population); Deccan Herald (communities and roads); CBC News (Healing by Talking and Non-Insured Health Benefits); TherapyTribe (session cost data); Canadian Psychological Association and First Session (licensing); Association of Social Workers in Northern Canada; Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association; International OCD Foundation; Nunavut Kamatsiaqtut Help Line; 211 Nunavut; Hope for Wellness Help Line; Kids Help Phone; 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline.
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 Nunavut therapist or practitioner who works with trichotillomania?
Be found by people looking for help with hair pulling across Nunavut, in person or online.