Trichotillomania Support in Tyne and Wear

Find a therapist in Tyne and Wear 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 Blaydon to Sunderland, for someone near you, or choose Online to see who works with people anywhere in Tyne and Wear.

Find a therapist for trichotillomania in Tyne and Wear

Tyne and Wear packs about 1.18 million people into five boroughs along two rivers: Newcastle, Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside and Sunderland. The Metro links all five, so a practitioner across the river is rarely far away. 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.

If you’d rather talk from home, see who works online across Tyne and Wear.

Open the full directory →

Frequently Asked Questions about Trichotillomania in Tyne and Wear

Find a Therapist

How do I find a trichotillomania therapist near me in Tyne and Wear?›

Search our directory by town or city, such as Newcastle, Sunderland, Gateshead, South Shields, North Shields or Washington. 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 Tyne and Wear?›

Yes. Many people listed work online with clients anywhere in Tyne and Wear, from Whitley Bay to Washington. 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 Tyne and Wear?›

Private sessions in Tyne and Wear usually cost £50 to £140, with around £55 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 in Tyne and Wear?›

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 Tyne and Wear?›

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

How common is hair pulling in Tyne and Wear?›

About 1 in 50 people have trichotillomania, so roughly 23,500 people across Tyne and Wear. 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 Tyne and Wear work in Newcastle, many of them in Jesmond and Gosforth. Others see people in Gateshead, Sunderland, Tynemouth and the Shields. If you work shifts or care for children, an evening session online can be easier than crossing the Tyne. UK registration isn’t split by county, so anyone listed can work with you online wherever you live.

You can also refer yourself to NHS Talking Therapies in your borough. 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 Tyne and Wear

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

Tyneside and Northumberland Mind

The local Mind for Newcastle, Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside, as well as Northumberland. It runs a support line for anyone 16 or over, plus wellbeing groups.

Sunderland Mind

An independent local charity affiliated to Mind, based in the East End of Sunderland. It runs listening support, wellbeing groups and counselling for adults, young people and families.

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 Tyne and Wear

We haven’t found an in-person trichotillomania group in Tyne and Wear yet. For now, most people here who pull connect with others online.

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 Tyne and Wear 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. Many people notice two kinds.

Automatic pulling happens without much awareness. A hand drifts up while you read, watch TV, sit in traffic or lie in bed. You may only notice afterwards, when you see hairs on the pillow or the desk.

Focused pulling feels more intentional. It often starts with a hair that feels wrong: coarse, kinked or out of place. An urge builds until you pull it, and then there’s a moment of relief or “rightness”. Some people then look closely at the root, or run the hair across their lips.

Most people do both, and the mix can change with mood, tiredness or the time of day. Knowing your own pattern can make it easier to describe to someone who understands.

None of this is a bad habit or a lack of willpower. Trichotillomania is a recognised condition, listed in the DSM-5 and ICD-10, and part of a family called body-focused repetitive behaviours, or BFRBs. It is not attention-seeking and not self-harm.

About this page

Sources: Jenny Bradley Counselling, Susan Irving, Newcastle Psychologist and Select Psychology (session cost data); Health and Care Professions Council; Professional Standards Authority; BFRB UK & Ireland; OCD Action; Tyneside and Northumberland Mind; Sunderland Mind; Samaritans; Tyne and Wear (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 Tyne and Wear therapist or practitioner who works with trichotillomania?

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

Get listed

About Tyne and Wear

Tyne and Wear is a small, mostly urban county in North East England, named after the two rivers that run through it. It was created in 1974 from parts of Northumberland and County Durham. Its county council was abolished in 1986, but the name lives on in the Metro. The coast runs from Whitley Bay past Tynemouth and South Shields to the beaches at Roker and Seaburn.

Newcastle is the largest city, with Gateshead facing it across the Tyne. Grainger Town holds the 1830s classical streets around Grey Street. The Quayside runs beneath the Tyne Bridge, and the Ouseburn Valley has independent bars and music venues. Jesmond sits beside the wooded Jesmond Dene. Sunderland became a city in 1992 and was once one of the world’s biggest shipbuilding towns. Nissan opened its car factory in Washington in 1986.

Attractions in Tyne and Wear

Tyne and Wear pairs an Anglo-Saxon church and a Norman keep with a coast of priory ruins, cliffs and lighthouses.

Angel of the North, Gateshead

Antony Gormley’s steel sculpture was completed in 1998 on a hill at Low Eighton, on land once used by Team Colliery. It stands 20 metres tall, and its wings span 54 metres. The wings tilt 3.5 degrees forward. It is made of weathering steel, which gives it its rust-red colour.

The Castle, Newcastle

Robert Curthose, eldest son of William the Conqueror, built a wooden castle here in 1080, and it gave Newcastle its name. Henry II replaced it with the stone keep between 1172 and 1177. Henry III added the Black Gate in the 1240s. The East Coast Main Line now runs between the two.

Tynemouth Priory and Castle, Tynemouth

A monastery stood on this headland by the 7th century, and three kings were buried here. The priory was suppressed in 1539. Its walls and gatehouse later protected the mouth of the Tyne. The army stayed until 1956, and English Heritage looks after the site today.

Souter Lighthouse, Whitburn

First lit in 1871, it was the first lighthouse in the world designed and built to use alternating electric current. Its red and white tower stands 23 metres tall on the cliffs between South Shields and Sunderland. Trinity House switched it off in 1988, and the National Trust has owned it since 1990.

St Peter’s Church, Monkwearmouth, Sunderland

Benedict Biscop founded a monastery here in 674, bringing stonemasons and glassworkers from Gaul to build the church. Bede wrote about its building. Its west wall and porch survive from that first church. A tower was added above the porch later.