Trichotillomania Support in Dorset

Find a therapist in Dorset 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 Lyme Regis to Christchurch, for someone near you, or choose Online to see who works with people anywhere in Dorset.

Find a therapist for trichotillomania in Dorset

Dorset’s local Mind began in Bournemouth in 1946, when psychiatrist Doris Odlum set up the Bournemouth Association for Mental Health. Today the county has plenty of therapists and counsellors. Yet 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 here has told us they understand trichotillomania and already help people who pull. The directory includes therapists, counsellors, psychologists, psychotherapists, 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.

Dorset has no motorway, and many villages are a long drive from Bournemouth or Dorchester. If that’s you, see who works online across Dorset.

We’re building the Dorset 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 Dorset

Frequently Asked Questions about Trichotillomania in Dorset

Find a Therapist

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

Search our directory by town, such as Bournemouth, Poole, Weymouth, Dorchester, Christchurch or Bridport. 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 Dorset?›

Yes. Many people listed work online with clients anywhere in Dorset, from Lyme Regis to Shaftesbury. 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 Dorset?›

Private sessions in Dorset usually cost £50 to £120, with around £60 to £75 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 Dorset?›

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 Dorset?›

We haven’t found an in-person trichotillomania group in Dorset 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 Dorset, tell us and we’ll list it for free.

How common is hair pulling in Dorset?›

About 1 in 50 people have trichotillomania, so roughly 16,000 people across Dorset. It’s a recognised 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 here directly, 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.” Their reply tells you a lot about whether they’re the right fit.

Most practitioners in Dorset work in Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch, where about half the county’s people live. Others are based in Dorchester, Weymouth, Wimborne and Sherborne. West and north Dorset have far fewer. Online sessions close that gap. UK registration isn’t split by county, so anyone listed can work with you online wherever you live in Dorset.

You can also refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies, which Steps2Wellbeing runs across Dorset. 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, psychotherapists, hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches. Different people find different things helpful. Feeling understood matters more than any label.

You can also check a clinician’s registration. Titles such as “clinical psychologist” and “counselling psychologist” are protected by law in the UK. The Health and Care Professions Council keeps a free register lookup for them. Many counsellors, psychotherapists and hypnotherapists belong to registers approved by the Professional Standards Authority, which runs its own practitioner check. Other good kinds of help aren’t regulated at all and 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 Dorset

Dorset has no charity just for hair pulling or other body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs). The UK’s BFRB charity runs its groups online, and Dorset Mind works across the whole county. These are the organisations most useful to people in Dorset who pull.

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.

OCD Action

A national charity for OCD and related conditions, including BFRBs. Its website has plain-language information on hair pulling, and it runs a helpline and free online support groups.

Dorset Mind

The county’s local Mind, which grew out of the Bournemouth Association for Mental Health. It offers counselling, mentoring and peer groups for adults, and community groups for young people across Dorset.

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 Dorset

We haven’t found an in-person trichotillomania group in Dorset yet. Most people here who pull connect with others online, and for something this private, many find that easier.

BFRB UK & Ireland adults group: a free peer-led group on Zoom, 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 Dorset group? Tell us and we’ll list it for free.

Not All Pulling Is the Same

Hair pulling doesn’t look the same for everyone, or even for one person from day to day.

Some pulling happens without noticing. People call this automatic pulling. It often starts while reading, scrolling, watching TV or driving. A hand drifts to the scalp or brows, and only later does the person see the hairs on the desk or the car seat.

Other pulling is focused. The person knows they’re doing it, and it can feel hard to stop. They may hunt for a hair that feels coarse, kinked or out of place. Focused pulling often follows a strong feeling, such as stress, boredom or tension, and brings a short sense of relief.

Most people who pull do both. The mix can shift with age, with the seasons of life, and with what’s going on at home or at work.

Knowing your own pattern can make things feel less random. It also makes a first conversation easier, because you can describe when and how it happens. Trichotillomania is not a bad habit, not attention-seeking, not self-harm and not a lack of willpower. Whether pulling is automatic or focused, it’s part of the same recognised condition.

About this page

Sources: Check Your Head Counselling, Alex Maunder Taylor, Alison Thompson Therapy and Select Psychology (session cost data); Health and Care Professions Council; Professional Standards Authority; BFRB UK & Ireland; OCD Action; Dorset Mind; Samaritans; Steps2Wellbeing (NHS Talking Therapies Dorset); Dorset and Transport in Dorset (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 Dorset therapist or practitioner who works with trichotillomania?

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About Dorset

Dorset is a county on the south coast of England. Bournemouth is its largest town, and Dorchester has been its county town for more than 700 years. Most of its coastline belongs to the Jurassic Coast World Heritage Site, and two National Landscapes cover more than half its countryside.

Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch form one built-up area in the east, home to about half the county’s people. Poole Harbour is one of the largest natural harbours in the world. Weymouth has been a seaside resort since the 18th century, and hosted the 2012 Olympic sailing events off Portland. Thomas Hardy set his novels here and renamed Dorchester “Casterbridge”. Sherborne, Shaftesbury and Blandford Forum are old market towns in the north. In the far west, Lyme Regis is where Mary Anning dug fossils from the cliffs in the early 1800s.

Attractions in Dorset

Dorset pairs a coast of fossils and sea arches with Norman ruins, a Saxon abbey town and the island where Scouting began.

Corfe Castle, Isle of Purbeck

Henry I completed its stone keep by 1105, on a gap in the Purbeck Hills. Lady Mary Bankes held the castle through a siege in 1643, but it fell in 1645. Parliament then voted to pull it down, leaving the ruin you see today. The National Trust has owned it since 1981.

Durdle Door, near West Lulworth

A natural limestone arch on the Jurassic Coast, carved by the sea through a band of Portland limestone. It stands about a mile west of Lulworth Cove. The Weld family owns it as part of the Lulworth Estate, and it’s open to the public.

The Tank Museum, Bovington

Founded in 1947, after Rudyard Kipling visited Bovington in 1923 and urged that its First World War tanks be kept. It displays almost 300 vehicles. They include a British Mark I, the world’s oldest surviving combat tank, and Tiger 131, the only working Tiger I.

Sherborne Abbey, Sherborne

St Aldhelm founded a Saxon cathedral here in 705. Its fan-vaulted ceiling was finished around 1490. After the abbey closed in 1539, the people of Sherborne bought it as their parish church. Two brothers of Alfred the Great, Æthelbald and Æthelberht, are believed to be buried inside.

Brownsea Island, Poole Harbour

The largest island in Poole Harbour, reached by boat. Robert Baden-Powell ran an experimental camp for 21 boys here in August 1907, which launched the Scout movement. The National Trust has owned it since 1962, and it’s one of the few places in southern England with native red squirrels.