Trichotillomania Support on the Isle of Wight

Find a therapist on the Isle of Wight who understands trichotillomania. Whether you pull your own hair or you’re supporting a child or someone you love, search by town, from Ryde to Freshwater, for someone near you, or choose Online to see who works with people anywhere on the Isle of Wight.

Find a therapist for trichotillomania on the Isle of Wight

About 141,000 people live on the Isle of Wight, with the Solent between them and the mainland. Seeing someone in Southampton or Portsmouth means a ferry, a catamaran or the last passenger hovercraft in the world. Few professionals on either side 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. 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.

Online sessions mean you don’t have to cross the water at all. You can see who works online across the Isle of Wight.

We’re building the Isle of Wight 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 on the Isle of Wight

Frequently Asked Questions about Trichotillomania in Isle of Wight

Find a Therapist

How do I find a trichotillomania therapist near me on the Isle of Wight?›

Search our directory by town, such as Newport, Ryde, Cowes or Sandown. 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 on the Isle of Wight?›

Yes. Many people listed work online with clients anywhere on the island, from Cowes to Ventnor. UK registration isn’t split by county, so you can also work online with someone on the mainland without crossing the Solent.

How much does trichotillomania therapy cost on the Isle of Wight?›

Private sessions on the Isle of Wight usually cost £45 to £120, with around £50 to £70 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 on the Isle of Wight?›

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 on the Isle of Wight?›

We haven’t found an in-person group on the Isle of Wight 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 on the island, tell us and we’ll list it for free.

How common is hair pulling on the Isle of Wight?›

An estimated 1–2% of people have trichotillomania, so roughly 1,400 to 2,800 people on the Isle of Wight. 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 through their private contact form. 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 a good fit.

Most practitioners on the island work in Newport and Ryde, with some in Cowes, Sandown and Shanklin. There are fewer in the West Wight and along the south coast around Ventnor. UK registration isn’t split by county, so someone in Hampshire, or anywhere else in the UK, can work with you online.

You can also refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies Isle of Wight if you’re 16 or over. 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. “Practitioner psychologist”, “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 on the Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight has no charity just for hair pulling or other body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs). These groups serve people on the island.

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. It runs a helpline and free peer support groups on Zoom for people anywhere in the UK.

Isle of Wight Youth Trust

An island charity based in Newport. It supports young people aged 5 to 25 with their mental health, including counselling. It also supports parents and carers.

Two Saints Safe Haven

A mental health crisis service on the High Street in Newport. You can phone, email or visit in person.

Samaritans

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

Support groups on the Isle of Wight

We haven’t found an in-person hair pulling group on the Isle of Wight yet. Online groups are the main option, and anyone on the island 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 an Isle of Wight 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. It even changes for the same person from one day to the next.

Some pulling happens without noticing. You’re reading, scrolling or driving, and your hand drifts to your hair. Only later do you see the hairs on the desk or the car seat. This is often called automatic pulling.

Other pulling is focused. You notice an urge, often tied to a certain hair that feels coarse, kinked or out of place. You search for it and pull it on purpose. Some people describe a strong need to get it “just right”.

Many people do both. Automatic pulling might happen in front of the TV in the evening. Focused pulling might come with stress, boredom or a quiet moment alone in the bathroom.

Knowing your own pattern can make it easier to explain. It also helps you see that pulling isn’t random, and it isn’t a character flaw. Trichotillomania is not a bad habit, not self-harm, not attention-seeking and not a lack of willpower.

When you first contact someone, it’s fine to describe what your pulling looks like. “Mostly when I’m reading at night, from my eyebrows” gives them a real picture to start from.

About this page

Sources: Office for National Statistics estimates (via Wikipedia); Isle of Wight private session fee data (2026); Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (NHS Talking Therapies Isle of Wight); Health and Care Professions Council; Professional Standards Authority; BFRB UK & Ireland; OCD Action; Isle of Wight Youth Trust; Two Saints; Samaritans.

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 an Isle of Wight therapist or practitioner who works with trichotillomania?

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About the Isle of Wight

The Isle of Wight is England’s largest island, home to about 141,000 people. Newport, in the centre, is the county town. Ryde is the largest town, linked to Portsmouth by catamaran and hovercraft. Cowes, on the north coast, hosts the Cowes Week sailing regatta each summer.

The whole island became a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2019. More than half of it is a National Landscape, mostly in the west. Sandown and Shanklin share a long sandy bay on the east coast. Ventnor sits on the Undercliff, a sheltered strip of old landslips on the south coast. In the West Wight, Freshwater and Totland lead out to chalk downs and the Needles.

Attractions on the Isle of Wight

People come to the Isle of Wight for royal history, chalk cliffs and the fossils of dinosaurs that once lived here.

Osborne (East Cowes)

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert built Osborne as their seaside home between 1845 and 1851. Albert designed the Italian-style house, and Thomas Cubitt built it. Victoria died here in 1901. The grounds include the Swiss Cottage, where the royal children learned to garden and cook, and the Queen’s private beach.

Carisbrooke Castle (Newport)

A motte-and-bailey castle was built here in the 12th century, almost certainly by Richard de Redvers. Charles I was held prisoner here from 1647 to 1648 and failed to escape through his window bars. Donkeys still work the wheel in the well-house. The castle museum covers Charles I and island history.

The Needles Old Battery and New Battery (West High Down)

The Old Battery was built between 1861 and 1863 to guard the Needles passage against a French invasion. A tunnel leads to a searchlight post above the Needles rocks. From 1955, the New Battery was used to test British rockets in secret, including Black Knight and Black Arrow. The National Trust cares for both.

Ventnor Botanic Garden (Ventnor)

Sir Harold Hillier founded the garden in 1970 on the site of the Royal National Hospital for Diseases of the Chest. The hospital had come here for the same mild climate. The sheltered Undercliff lets subtropical and tender plants from around the world grow outdoors.

Dinosaur Isle (Sandown)

This museum opened in 2001 in a building shaped like a giant pterosaur. It holds around 40,000 specimens. Displays include an Iguanodon skeleton known as “Pink Iggy” and Neovenator salerii, a large meat-eating dinosaur found on the island in 1978.