Trichotillomania Support in Cumbria

Find a therapist in Cumbria 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 Carlisle to Barrow-in-Furness, for someone near you, or choose Online to see who works with people anywhere in Cumbria.

Find a therapist for trichotillomania in Cumbria

Cumbria has the second-lowest population density of any English county. About half a million people live across its fells, valleys and coast, from the Solway Firth down to the Furness peninsula. In a county this spread out, finding someone nearby who understands hair pulling is hard. Connecting you with the people who do 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. Each one has a private contact form.

If nobody suits you nearby, see who works online across Cumbria.

We’re building the Cumbria 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 Cumbria

Frequently Asked Questions about Trichotillomania in Cumbria

Find a Therapist

How do I find a trichotillomania therapist near me in Cumbria?›

Search our directory by town or city, such as Carlisle, Barrow-in-Furness, Kendal, Workington, Whitehaven or Penrith. 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 Cumbria?›

Yes. Many people listed work online with clients anywhere in the county, from Wigton to Grange-over-Sands. UK registration isn’t split by county, and hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches aren’t tied to one area either.

How much does trichotillomania therapy cost in Cumbria?›

Private sessions in Cumbria usually cost £50 to £90, with around £60 to £80 typical. Every listing shows its own prices, and many people offer a free first call. Some private health insurance pays 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 Cumbria?›

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 Cumbria?›

We haven’t found an in-person group in Cumbria yet. BFRB UK & Ireland runs free monthly online groups for adults, for under-18s, and for parents and loved ones. If you run a group in the county, tell us and we’ll list it for free.

How common is hair pulling in Cumbria?›

An estimated 1–2% of people have trichotillomania, so roughly 5,000 to 10,000 people across Cumbria. 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. 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.” How they reply tells you a lot about whether they’re a good fit.

Most practitioners in Cumbria work in Carlisle, Kendal and Barrow-in-Furness. There are smaller numbers in Penrith, Keswick, Ulverston and the west coast towns of Workington and Whitehaven. In the Eden valley, the western dales and the villages of the Lake District, the nearest one can be a long drive away. Online sessions close that gap. The UK has no county rules on who can work with you online, so anyone listed can see you wherever you live in Cumbria.

You can also refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies. North Cumbria and South Cumbria each have their own service. 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, hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches. Different people find different things helpful.

If you’d like to check someone’s registration, the UK has free public lookups:

HCPC Check the Register for practitioner psychologists. “Clinical psychologist” and “counselling psychologist” are protected titles in the UK.
PSA Check a Practitioner for Accredited Registers, which include many counsellors, psychotherapists and hypnotherapists.

“Counsellor” and “therapist” aren’t protected titles. Many good kinds of help sit outside state 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 Cumbria

Cumbria has no charity just for hair pulling or other body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs). Two local Minds cover Carlisle and Eden, and the Furness peninsula. One of them runs a county-wide helpline.

BFRB UK & Ireland

A peer-led charitable organisation for hair pulling, skin picking and related behaviours. Its volunteers have BFRBs themselves. It runs free online groups for adults, for under-18s, and for parents and loved ones.

Carlisle Eden Mind

An independent charity in the Mind network, covering Carlisle and the Eden valley. It runs Mindline Cumbria, a county-wide listening line open every evening on 0300 561 0000, with text, web chat and email too.

Mind in Furness

The local Mind for Barrow-in-Furness, Ulverston and Millom. It offers one-to-one support, peer support groups and counselling.

Samaritans

Call 116 123 free, any time of day or night, if things ever feel too much to handle on your own.

Support groups in Cumbria

We haven’t found an in-person trichotillomania group in Cumbria yet. Online groups are the main option, and anyone in the county can join:

BFRB UK & Ireland adults group: a free peer-led Zoom group, once a month, for anyone 18 or over who pulls or picks.
BFRB UK & Ireland under-18s group: a monthly Zoom group for children and teens aged 7 to 18.
BFRB UK & Ireland parents and loved ones group: a monthly Zoom group for anyone supporting someone who pulls.

For parents: our guide The Parent’s Guide to Trichotillomania helps you understand what your child is going through.

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

The Years Before Anyone Is Told

Many people pull for years before they tell a single person. Some have no name for it. They only know that their hands go to their hair, and that they can’t seem to stop.

Finding the word “trichotillomania” is often a turning point. It usually happens late at night, on a phone, after typing something like “why do I pull out my eyelashes”. For many, it’s the first time they learn that other people do this too.

Even then, the silence can go on. People worry about being judged, or about someone asking to see. Some tried once to raise it with a doctor or a teacher and were brushed off. That one reaction can close the subject for years.

None of this means the person doesn’t care. Trichotillomania is not a bad habit, not attention-seeking, not self-harm and not a lack of willpower. Keeping it quiet is part of how the condition is lived.

That’s why the first conversation matters so much. Talking to someone who already understands hair pulling means you don’t have to explain it from scratch, or wonder if they’ve heard of it.

About this page

Sources: Cumbria Intelligence Observatory (Census 2021); UK private therapy cost data (local practitioners in Carlisle, Kendal and Barrow-in-Furness); Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (NHS North Cumbria Talking Therapies); Lancashire and South Cumbria ICB (NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Talking Therapies); Health and Care Professions Council; Professional Standards Authority; BFRB UK & Ireland; Carlisle Eden Mind; Mind in Furness; Samaritans; Wikipedia.

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 Cumbria therapist or practitioner who works with trichotillomania?

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About Cumbria

Cumbria is England’s most north-westerly county, with Scotland across the Solway Firth. Carlisle is its only city, and Barrow-in-Furness is its largest town. Since 2023 two councils have run it: Cumberland in the north and west, and Westmorland and Furness in the south and east.

The Lake District National Park fills the centre of the county and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Scafell Pike, England’s highest mountain, rises there, and Windermere is England’s largest lake. Keswick, Ambleside and the town of Windermere sit inside it. Hadrian’s Wall crosses the north near Carlisle. Kendal and Penrith are old market towns on the edge of the fells. Workington and Whitehaven line the west coast, and Barrow still builds submarines.

Attractions in Cumbria

Cumbria pairs Lake District literary homes with Roman, medieval and prehistoric sites.

Carlisle Castle

William II founded the castle in 1092, and Henry I rebuilt it in stone. For centuries it guarded the border with Scotland. Mary, Queen of Scots was held here in 1568. In 1746 it became the last English fortress to face a siege. It now houses Cumbria’s Museum of Military Life.

Hill Top (Near Sawrey)

Beatrix Potter bought this farmhouse and its 34-acre working farm in 1905. The house and village appear in several of her books, including The Tale of Tom Kitten and The Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck. She left Hill Top to the National Trust when she died in 1943.

Dove Cottage (Grasmere)

William Wordsworth and his sister Dorothy lived in this former inn from 1799 to 1808. He wrote “I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud” and parts of The Prelude here. The Wordsworth Trust opened it to the public in 1891.

Castlerigg Stone Circle (near Keswick)

A ring of 38 standing stones raised about 4,500 years ago, in the late Neolithic period. The fells of Helvellyn and High Seat rise around it. English Heritage looks after the site, and it’s free to visit.

Furness Abbey (Barrow-in-Furness)

Stephen, Count of Blois, founded the abbey in 1123, and it passed to the Cistercians in 1147. Built of local red sandstone, it grew to be the second-richest Cistercian abbey in England, after Fountains. It was surrendered to Henry VIII in 1537.