Trichotillomania.com

Trichotillomania Support in Bristol

Find a therapist in Bristol who understands trichotillomania. Whether you pull your own hair or you’re supporting a child or someone you love, search by neighbourhood, from Henbury to Hengrove, for someone near you, or choose Online to see who works with people anywhere in Bristol.

Find a therapist for trichotillomania in Bristol

Bristol has had a mental health service for young people since 1965, when Off the Record opened. It is one of the oldest in the country. Yet few of the city’s therapists and counsellors 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. Each listing shows how the person works, whether they see people in person, online or both, and what they charge. Every listing has a private contact form.

You’ll find therapists, counsellors, psychologists, hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners, NLP practitioners and coaches. Many work online, so you can also see who offers online sessions across Bristol and beyond.

We’re building the Bristol 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 Bristol

Frequently Asked Questions about Trichotillomania in Bristol

Find a Therapist
How do I find a trichotillomania therapist near me in Bristol?›

Search by your neighbourhood at the top of this page. Every listing shows where the person works, whether they see people in person or online, and what they charge.

Can I have sessions online from anywhere in Bristol?›

Yes. Many people listed work online, so you can see someone from home wherever you live in Bristol. It also widens your choice to practitioners across the UK.

How much does trichotillomania therapy cost in Bristol?›

Most private sessions in Bristol cost £50–£95, and some psychologists charge £100 or more. Every listing shows its own prices, and many people offer a free first call.

What kinds of help are there in Bristol?›

You’ll find therapists, counsellors, psychologists, hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners, NLP practitioners and coaches. Different people find different things helpful. Everyone listed understands hair pulling.

Do I need a GP referral or a diagnosis in Bristol?›

No. You can contact anyone listed directly, without a GP referral or a diagnosis. Send a short message through their listing and ask about a first call.

My child pulls their hair. What do I do first?›

Stay steady and don’t tell them off, which tends to make pulling worse. Start with The Parent’s Guide to Trichotillomania, then look for someone whose listing says they work with children or teens.

Are there trichotillomania support groups in Bristol?›

We don’t know of an in-person group in Bristol right now. BFRB UK & Ireland runs free peer groups online, including one for family members. If you run a local group, tell us.

How common is hair pulling?›

About 1 in 50 people pull their hair, an estimated 1–2%. It usually starts around ages 10–13 but can begin at any age. Most people who pull have never knowingly met someone else who does. Read more in our complete guide.

How to get in touch with a therapist

You can message anyone listed directly. You don’t need a GP referral or a diagnosis to get in touch.

Your first message can be short: “I pull my hair. I’m looking for someone who understands trichotillomania.” Someone who already works with hair pulling will know what you mean.

Bristol is compact. A practitioner in Clifton or Bedminster is rarely more than a short bus ride from the centre. If you live further out, in South Gloucestershire or North Somerset, online sessions save the drive and widen your choice to people across the UK.

You can also refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies in Bristol. That route exists, but it often takes longer and you usually can’t choose who you see.

How to choose who to work with

People support hair pulling in different ways. Some talk it through, some focus on the moments pulling happens, and some use hypnotherapy, EFT or coaching. Different people find different things helpful.

If you’d like to check a clinician’s registration, these registers are free to search:

Many good kinds of help, such as hypnotherapy, EFT and coaching, aren’t regulated by the state. Practitioners belong to their own associations instead.

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?” and “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 Bristol

Bristol has no hair-pulling charity of its own. These are the closest local and national organisations.

BFRB UK & Ireland

A peer-led charity for people who pull, pick or bite, running groups since 2015. Its volunteers have BFRBs (body-focused repetitive behaviours) themselves.

Bristol Mind

Bristol’s local mental health charity. Its Meeting Minds service offers lower-cost counselling to adults, with fees based on household income.

Off the Record (OTR)

Free, confidential mental health support for young people aged 11–25 in Bristol and South Gloucestershire. Young people can sign themselves up.

Samaritans

If you’re struggling right now, call 116 123, free, any time of day or night.

Support groups in Bristol

We don’t know of an in-person hair-pulling group in Bristol right now. Most groups meet online, which means you can join from anywhere in the city.

  • BFRB UK & Ireland peer groups — free online groups led by volunteers who pull or pick themselves.
  • Family and loved ones group — BFRB UK & Ireland also runs an online group for people supporting someone who pulls.

For parents: The Parent’s Guide to Trichotillomania helps you understand what your child is going through in the first weeks after you find out.

Do you run a Bristol group? Tell us and we’ll list it for free.

Focused and automatic pulling

Not all pulling looks the same. Many people describe two kinds, and plenty notice both in themselves.

Automatic pulling happens without much awareness. Your hand drifts to your scalp, brows or lashes while you read, scroll, watch TV or sit in traffic. Some people only notice when they see hair on the desk or the floor.

Focused pulling is different. It often starts with an urge or a building tension. You might search for a hair that feels coarse, wiry or out of place, and pulling brings a moment of relief or satisfaction.

Knowing which kind happens to you, and when, can make the whole thing feel less random. It can also make it easier to explain to someone else.

Neither kind is a bad habit, a lack of willpower or self-harm. Trichotillomania is a body-focused repetitive behaviour (BFRB), recognised in the DSM-5 and ICD-10. People who pull are often surprised to learn how many others describe the same moments in almost the same words.

About this page

Sources: Off the Record Bristol; BFRB UK & Ireland; Bristol Mind; Samaritans; Bristol City Council mental health pages; HCPC, BACP, UKCP and BABCP registers; TherapyRoute’s Bristol cost guide and published fees from Bristol practitioners; Wikipedia entries for Off the Record.

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 Bristol therapist or practitioner who works with trichotillomania?

Be found by people looking for help with hair pulling across Bristol, in person or online.

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About Bristol

Bristol is the largest city in South West England, and a city and county in its own right since 1373. It grew rich on trade through its harbour. The Avon Gorge cuts through its western edge on the way to the Severn Estuary, and the Mendip Hills rise to the south.

Clifton, high above the gorge, is known for its Georgian terraces and crescents. Gloucester Road runs north through Bishopston with a long stretch of independent shops, cafés and greengrocers. Stokes Croft is where the city’s street art is densest. On the Harbourside, old docks and warehouses now hold museums, arts venues and places to eat.

Attractions in Bristol

Bristol’s landmarks trace its life as a port, from a medieval abbey to Brunel’s Victorian engineering.

Clifton Suspension Bridge

Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel and opened in 1864, five years after his death. It spans the Avon Gorge between Clifton and Leigh Woods, with its deck about 75 metres above the river. People on foot and on bikes cross for free.

SS Great Britain

Brunel’s steamship was launched in Bristol in 1843. She was the largest ship in the world at the time, and the first ocean-going ship to combine an iron hull with a screw propeller. After decades abandoned in the Falkland Islands, she came home in 1970 to the dry dock where she was built.

Bristol Museum & Art Gallery

Its Edwardian Baroque building on Queen’s Road opened in 1905, paid for by the tobacco merchant Sir William Henry Wills. Collections run from Egyptian and Assyrian antiquities to natural history and paintings by Giovanni Bellini. In 2009 it hosted Banksy versus Bristol Museum, with more than 70 works. Entry is free.

Bristol Cathedral

Founded in 1140 as St Augustine’s Abbey, it became a cathedral in 1542 after the Dissolution of the Monasteries. Its late 12th-century chapter house has some of the earliest pointed arches in England. The nave was added between 1868 and 1877 to designs by George Edmund Street.

Cabot Tower

This 32-metre tower stands on Brandon Hill, Bristol’s oldest park. It marks 400 years since John Cabot sailed from Bristol in the Matthew in 1497. The foundation stone was laid in 1897 and the tower opened in 1898. From the top you can see the harbour, Clifton and the city centre.

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