Trichotillomania Support in Leicestershire

Find a therapist in Leicestershire 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 Hinckley to Melton Mowbray, for someone near you, or choose Online to see who works with people anywhere in Leicestershire.

Find a therapist for trichotillomania in Leicestershire

At the 2021 census, Leicester became one of the first UK cities where no single ethnic group makes up a majority. Hair pulling turns up in every one of its communities, and in most of them it stays hidden. Very few professionals, anywhere in the county, learned about it 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.

If you live in a village far from anyone listed, see who works online across Leicestershire.

We’re building the Leicestershire 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 Leicestershire

Frequently Asked Questions about Trichotillomania in Leicestershire

Find a Therapist

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

Search our directory by town, such as Leicester, Loughborough, Hinckley, Coalville, Melton Mowbray or Market Harborough. 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 Leicestershire?›

Yes. Many people listed work online with clients anywhere in Leicestershire, from Hinckley to Melton Mowbray. 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 Leicestershire?›

Private sessions in Leicestershire usually cost £45 to £100, with £60 to £70 typical in Leicester. 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 Leicestershire?›

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 Leicestershire?›

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

How common is hair pulling in Leicestershire?›

About 1 in 50 people have trichotillomania, so roughly 21,000 people across Leicester and Leicestershire. 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.” How they reply tells you a lot about whether they’re the right fit.

Leicester has the largest group of practitioners in the county. Loughborough comes next, followed by Hinckley and the towns along the M1. Melton Mowbray, Market Harborough and Lutterworth have far fewer, and the villages of the Vale of Belvoir and Charnwood have almost none. Online sessions close that gap. UK registration isn’t split by county, so anyone listed can work with you online wherever you live in Leicestershire.

You can also refer yourself to Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Talking Therapies, the local NHS 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, psychotherapists, hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches. Different people find different things helpful. What matters most is that you feel understood.

You can also check a clinician’s registration if you’d like. 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 Leicestershire

Leicestershire has no charity just for hair pulling or other body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs). The UK’s BFRB charity runs its groups online, and the local Mind covers the city, the county and Rutland. These are the organisations most useful to people in Leicestershire 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 groups.

Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Mind

The local, independent Mind for Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland. It runs one-to-one wellbeing support by phone, video or in community venues, and you can refer yourself on its website.

Mind

The national mental health charity. Its website explains how to get support, and its infoline can point you to help near you.

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 Leicestershire

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

The Hidden Weight of Concealment

For many people who pull, hiding it takes more energy than the pulling itself.

It starts small. You part your hair a new way, or fill in your brows each morning. You start wearing hats, or turn down swimming and windy days out. Some people avoid hairdressers for years. Others keep the lights low at home.

Each of these makes sense on its own. Together they add up to a second job that nobody else can see. You’re always checking mirrors, planning outfits and steering conversations away from your hair.

Concealment also feeds the silence. If nobody knows, nobody asks, and you never learn that roughly 1 in 50 people live with the same thing. Most people who pull have never knowingly met another person who does.

None of this is a character flaw. Trichotillomania is not a bad habit, not attention-seeking, not self-harm and not a lack of willpower. Hiding it is a very human response to something that feels exposing. Naming what you hide, and how, is a useful place to start a first conversation. “I haven’t been to a hairdresser in six years” says a great deal in one line.

About this page

Sources: Office for National Statistics and Leicestershire County Council (census data); Leicester Therapy, Authentic Counselling and Psychotherapy and Lumina Wellbeing and Counselling (session cost data); Health and Care Professions Council; Professional Standards Authority; BFRB UK & Ireland; OCD Action; Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland Mind; Mind; Samaritans; Vita Health Group (Leicester, Leicestershire & Rutland Talking Therapies).

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 Leicestershire therapist or practitioner who works with trichotillomania?

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

Get listed

About Leicestershire

Leicestershire is an East Midlands county of about 1.1 million people, with Leicester at its centre. The River Soar runs north through the county towards the Trent. North-west of the city, the rocky hills of Charnwood Forest hold some of the oldest rocks in England. Further west, the National Forest has been planted across the old coalfield around Coalville and Ashby-de-la-Zouch.

Loughborough is the county’s second town and home to Loughborough University. Melton Mowbray gives its name to a protected pork pie, and Stilton cheese is made in dairies in the Vale of Belvoir. Hinckley grew on hosiery knitting. Market Harborough is an old market town on the Northamptonshire border, and Lutterworth lies in the farmland of the south, close to the M1.

Attractions in Leicestershire

Leicestershire draws people for its castles and battlefields, its deer park and the canals and railways that once served its industry.

Bradgate Park, Newtown Linford

An 850-acre deer park in Charnwood Forest, home to red and fallow deer since medieval times. Lady Jane Grey was born here in 1537, and the ruins of her family’s brick house stand by the River Lin. Old John, a folly built in 1784, crowns the highest hill. Charles Bennion gave the park to the people of Leicestershire in 1928.

Bosworth Battlefield Heritage Centre, near Sutton Cheney

Richard III was killed near here on 22 August 1485, and Henry Tudor took the crown as Henry VII. The centre stands on Ambion Hill, long thought to be the battlefield. A survey led by the Battlefields Trust later placed the fighting about a mile to the south-west. Its finds include a tiny silver-gilt boar badge, Richard’s emblem.

Great Central Railway, Loughborough

Steam trains run for eight miles between Loughborough Central and Leicester North. The line opened in 1899 as part of the Great Central’s route to London and closed in 1969. Volunteers ran their first passenger train in 1973. Each station is restored to a different era, from Edwardian Rothley to 1950s Loughborough.

Foxton Locks, near Market Harborough

Ten locks in two staircases of five lift the Grand Union Canal’s Leicester line up a steep hillside. They opened in 1813 and form the largest flight of staircase locks on the English canal system. A steam-powered boat lift ran beside them from 1900. Foxton Canal Museum now fills its old boiler house.

Belvoir Castle, Vale of Belvoir

A castle has stood on this ridge since just after 1066, and the Manners family has owned it since 1508. James Wyatt began the present Gothic Revival building in 1801. A fire in 1816 nearly destroyed it, and the rebuild was largely finished by 1832. It remains the seat of the Dukes of Rutland.