Trichotillomania Support in Kent

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.

There’s more in our guide to how to talk to someone who can help.

Kent has no charity just for hair pulling or other body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs). The UK’s BFRB charity runs its groups online. Locally, Kent has independent Mind charities and its own round-the-clock helpline.

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

Many people who pull describe the same loop, even if they’ve never put it into words.

It starts with a build-up. An itch, a tingle, a feeling that one hair is wrong. Sometimes it’s tension, boredom or tiredness. Sometimes there’s no clear trigger at all.

Then comes the pull, and with it a brief sense of relief. Some people feel a small release, like a knot loosening. Others describe it as satisfying, or say it simply makes the feeling stop.

The relief doesn’t last. Soon after, many people notice the gap, the hair in their hand, the time that’s passed. Guilt or embarrassment often follows. And those feelings can build the tension again, which starts the loop over.

This is why “just stop” misses the mark. The pulling does something for the person in that moment, even when they wish it didn’t. Knowing that isn’t an excuse. It’s a more accurate picture of what’s going on.

Trichotillomania is not a bad habit, not attention-seeking, not self-harm and not a lack of willpower. It’s a recognised condition, and the cycle is part of how it works, not a sign of personal failure.