Trichotillomania Support in Hampshire

Find a therapist in Hampshire 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 Andover to Portsmouth, for someone near you, or choose Online to see who works with people anywhere in Hampshire.

Find a therapist for trichotillomania in Hampshire

In 1870 the British Army opened its first purpose-built psychiatric hospital at Netley, on Southampton Water. Today Hampshire 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.

Hampshire is a big county, and the New Forest and the downs are a long way from the cities. If that’s you, see who works online across Hampshire.

Open the full directory →

Frequently Asked Questions about Trichotillomania in Hampshire

Find a Therapist

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

Search our directory by town, such as Southampton, Portsmouth, Basingstoke, Winchester, Farnborough or Andover. 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 Hampshire?›

Yes. Many people listed work online with clients anywhere in Hampshire, from Lymington to Fleet. 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 Hampshire?›

Private sessions in Hampshire usually cost £50 to £130, 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 Hampshire?›

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 Hampshire?›

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

How common is hair pulling in Hampshire?›

About 1 in 50 people have trichotillomania, so roughly 38,000 people across Hampshire. 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 Hampshire work in and around Southampton and Portsmouth, where about half the county’s people live. Others are based in Winchester, Basingstoke, Farnborough and Fleet. The villages of the New Forest, the Test Valley and East Hampshire 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 Hampshire.

You can also refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies, which has a local service for every part of Hampshire. 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 Hampshire

Hampshire has no charity just for hair pulling or other body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs). The UK’s BFRB charity runs its groups online, and three local Minds share the county between them. These are the organisations most useful to people in Hampshire 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.

Solent Mind

Hampshire’s largest mental health charity, based in Southampton. It runs wellbeing services in Southampton, Portsmouth, Winchester, Eastleigh, Fareham, Gosport and the New Forest. Havant and East Hants Mind covers Havant, Waterlooville and East Hampshire.

Andover Mind

The local Mind for the north of the county, a charity since 1986. It runs wellbeing centres in Andover, Basingstoke and Aldershot, and a Safe Haven in Basingstoke for evening crisis support.

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 Hampshire

We haven’t found an in-person trichotillomania group in Hampshire 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 Hampshire group? Tell us and we’ll list it for free.

Why It Often Runs in Families

Hair pulling often shows up in more than one person in a family. A parent, an aunt or a cousin may pull too, or pick their skin or bite their nails.

Research on families and twins suggests genes play a part. What a person inherits seems to shape how their body responds to stress, boredom and touch. It doesn’t decide whether someone will pull. Temperament and what’s happening in a person’s life matter too.

Many families only find this out once a child starts pulling. A parent may recognise the signs because they lived with them years earlier and never told anyone. That moment can bring guilt. It can also bring real understanding, because the parent knows how it feels from the inside.

Nobody passes this on by choice, and nobody is to blame. Trichotillomania is not a bad habit, not attention-seeking, not self-harm and not a lack of willpower. It’s a recognised condition, and a family history is simply part of the picture. Knowing about it can make a first conversation easier, whether that’s with your child or with someone who understands hair pulling.

About this page

Sources: Willow Tree Counselling, Andrew Clarke Counselling, Hampshire and Surrey Psychology and Fareham Counselling Centre (session cost data); Health and Care Professions Council; Professional Standards Authority; BFRB UK & Ireland; OCD Action; Solent Mind; Andover Mind; Samaritans; Hampshire County Council and Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHS Talking Therapies); Hampshire County Council, Royal Victoria Country Park timeline; Hampshire and Netley Hospital (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 Hampshire therapist or practitioner who works with trichotillomania?

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

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About Hampshire

Hampshire is the largest county in South East England, home to about 1.9 million people. Winchester, its county town, was the capital of Wessex and of England until the Norman Conquest. The New Forest National Park covers the south-west, and the South Downs National Park runs in from the east.

Southampton and Portsmouth anchor the coast, with Fareham, Gosport and Havant between them. Southampton grew as a port on Southampton Water, and the Mayflower sailed from there in 1620. Portsmouth holds one of the Royal Navy’s main bases, and Southsea is its seafront. Inland, Basingstoke grew from a market town into a business centre. In the north-east, Aldershot remains one of the British Army’s main camps, and Farnborough saw Britain’s first powered flight in 1908.

Attractions in Hampshire

Hampshire pairs Nelson’s flagship and a Norman cathedral with Jane Austen’s last home and the house behind Downton Abbey.

Winchester Cathedral, Winchester

Building began in 1079, and at 170 metres it is the longest medieval cathedral in the world. Jane Austen is buried in the north aisle of the nave. Between 1906 and 1911, diver William Walker worked in flooded trenches beneath it to save its sinking foundations.

HMS Victory, Portsmouth Historic Dockyard

Launched in 1765, Victory was Nelson’s flagship at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, where he was killed on board. She has stood in dry dock at Portsmouth since 1922. She is the world’s oldest naval ship still in commission and serves as the flagship of the First Sea Lord.

Jane Austen’s House, Chawton

Austen moved here in 1809 with her mother, her sister Cassandra and their friend Martha Lloyd, and lived here until 1817. In this house she wrote or revised all six of her novels. It opened as a museum in 1949, and the small table she wrote at is on display.

National Motor Museum, Beaulieu

The 3rd Lord Montagu founded it in 1952 with five cars in the hall of Palace House, as a tribute to his motoring pioneer father. It now holds around 285 vehicles, including the land speed record cars Bluebird CN7 and Golden Arrow. The ruins of Beaulieu Abbey stand on the same New Forest estate.

Highclere Castle, Highclere

Charles Barry, architect of the Houses of Parliament, rebuilt the house in the 1840s for the 3rd Earl of Carnarvon. The 5th Earl funded Howard Carter’s search for Tutankhamun’s tomb, found in 1922, and an Egyptian exhibition fills the cellars. The castle was the main filming location for Downton Abbey.