Trichotillomania Support in Auckland
Find a therapist in Auckland who understands trichotillomania. Whether you pull your own hair or you’re supporting a child or someone you love, search by suburb or town, from Wellsford to Pukekohe, for someone near you, or choose Online to see who works with people anywhere in Auckland.
Find a therapist for trichotillomania in Auckland
About a third of New Zealanders live in the Auckland region, and more than four in ten Aucklanders were born overseas. Many people here want someone who understands their culture as well as their hair pulling. Very few professionals 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. Each listing explains how the person works, whether they see people in person, online or both, and what they charge. Each one has a private contact form.
The directory includes psychologists, psychotherapists, counsellors, CBT therapists, occupational therapists, hypnotherapists, EFT and NLP practitioners, and BFRB coaches. BFRB stands for body-focused repetitive behaviour, the group that includes hair pulling and skin picking. Many people listed also work online, so you can search for someone online across Auckland.
We’re building the Auckland 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 Auckland
Frequently Asked Questions about Trichotillomania in Auckland
Find a TherapistHow do I find a trichotillomania therapist near me in Auckland?›
Search the directory by your suburb or town, or choose Online to see people who work with clients anywhere in Auckland. Every listing shows how the person works, whether they see people in person or online, and what they charge. Each one has a private contact form.
Can I have sessions online from anywhere in Auckland?›
Yes. Registered psychologists and psychotherapists can see you online wherever you live in New Zealand, including Waiheke and Aotea Great Barrier Island. Hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches can work with you online anywhere too.
How much does trichotillomania therapy cost in Auckland?›
Private sessions in Auckland usually cost NZ$150 to NZ$250, and many sit around NZ$180 to NZ$220. Clinical psychologists tend to charge at the top of that range. Every listing shows its own prices, and many people offer a free first call. Some health insurance policies pay part of the cost for some practitioner types.
What kinds of help are there for hair pulling in Auckland?›
Psychologists, psychotherapists, counsellors, CBT therapists, occupational therapists, hypnotherapists, EFT and NLP practitioners, and BFRB coaches all help people who pull. Different people find different things helpful. What they share here is that they understand hair pulling.
Do I need a GP referral or a diagnosis to get help in Auckland?›
No. You can contact anyone listed in the directory directly, without a doctor’s note and without a diagnosis. Just say you pull your hair and want someone who understands trichotillomania.
My child pulls their hair. What do I do first?›
Stay steady and don’t tell them off; pressure and punishment reliably make pulling worse. Read The Parent’s Guide to Trichotillomania to understand what your child is going through. Then look for someone whose listing says they work with children and teens.
Are there trichotillomania support groups in Auckland?›
We haven’t found an in-person group just for hair pulling in Auckland yet. The IOCDF lists online groups, and HealthUnlocked has an online BFRB forum. Anxiety NZ runs free general anxiety groups in St Lukes and Northcote. If you run a group, tell us and we’ll list it for free.
How common is hair pulling in Auckland?›
Trichotillomania affects an estimated 1–2% of people, which could mean 18,000 to 36,000 Aucklanders. It usually starts around ages 10–13 but can begin at any age. It’s a body-focused repetitive behaviour recognised in the DSM-5 and ICD-10. Read our complete guide to trichotillomania.
How to get in touch with a therapist
You can message anyone listed here today. You don’t need a doctor’s note or a diagnosis. Use the private contact form on their listing and say what it is: “I pull my hair. I’m looking for someone who understands trichotillomania.” If you’d like to work in a language other than English, or with someone who shares your culture, say so in your first message.
You can search the Auckland directory by suburb or town. Crossing the harbour or the city at rush hour can take up most of an evening. On Waiheke or Aotea Great Barrier Island, or north of Warkworth, a weekly trip into the city is a big ask. Online sessions let you work with someone who gets it from home.
New Zealand has one national register for each regulated profession. That means a registered psychologist or psychotherapist anywhere in the country can see you online. Hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches aren’t registered by the state, so they can work online anywhere too.
Your GP practice may also have a free health improvement practitioner. That route exists, but sessions are short and you usually can’t choose someone who understands hair pulling.
How to choose who to work with
People who pull find help from many directions: psychologists, psychotherapists, counsellors, hypnotherapists, EFT and NLP practitioners, occupational therapists and coaches. Different people find different things helpful. What matters is that the person understands hair pulling and that you feel at ease with them.
If you’d like to check a registered professional, New Zealand has free public registers. Only people registered with the Psychologists Board can call themselves a psychologist. The same goes for psychotherapists and the Psychotherapists Board. You can look people up on the Psychologists Board register and the Psychotherapists Board. “Counsellor” isn’t a protected title, and many counsellors choose to join the New Zealand Association of Counsellors. Hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches belong to their own 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 in Auckland
Auckland has no charity just for hair pulling or other BFRBs. These organisations can help.
International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)
The main international home for hair pulling and skin picking support since the TLC Foundation for BFRBs wound down at the end of 2025. It has plain guides, online talks and a list of support groups you can join from Auckland.
Anxiety New Zealand Trust
Support for anxiety, OCD and related experiences, for you and your whānau. Its free 0800 ANXIETY helpline is open day and night, and it runs free peer support groups for Aucklanders.
Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand
A national charity with clear information on finding support in Aotearoa, plus a list of free community support groups.
Youthline
Support for young people aged 12 to 24, with centres in Auckland Central, Waitematā and South Auckland. Call 0800 376 633, text 234 or use webchat, any time.
1737 — Need to talk?
Free call or text 1737, 24 hours a day, to reach a trained counsellor. If someone is in immediate danger, call 111.
Support groups in Auckland
We haven’t found an in-person group just for hair pulling in Auckland yet. Most groups for people who pull meet online right now. Here’s what we’ve been able to confirm:
- Anxiety NZ peer support groups: free groups for Aucklanders aged 18 and over, meeting in St Lukes and Northcote. They’re for anxiety in general, not hair pulling.
- IOCDF support groups: a searchable list of hair pulling groups. Many meet online on US time, so check the start time in Auckland.
- BFRB Community on HealthUnlocked: an online forum run with the IOCDF, where you can read and post at any hour.
For parents: watching your child pull is hard. The Parent’s Guide to Trichotillomania helps you understand what your child is going through.
Do you run an Auckland group? Tell us and we’ll list it for free.
About this page
Sources: Stats NZ 2023 Census and Auckland Economic Monitor (population and overseas-born residents); New Zealand Psychologists Board; Psychotherapists Board of Aotearoa New Zealand; New Zealand Association of Counsellors; International OCD Foundation (including its BFRB support group listings); BFRB Community on HealthUnlocked; Anxiety New Zealand Trust (including its Auckland peer support groups); Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand; Youthline; 1737 Need to Talk?; Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora (Access and Choice); TherapyRoute Auckland cost guide (2026) and published fees from Auckland private practices.
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 Auckland therapist or practitioner who works with trichotillomania?
Be found by people looking for help with hair pulling across Auckland, in person or online.
About Auckland
Auckland is New Zealand’s largest city and region, home to about 1.8 million people, roughly a third of the country. It sits on a narrow isthmus between the Waitematā and Manukau harbours, on a field of about 50 volcanoes. Wellington is the capital, but Auckland held that role from 1841 to 1865.
Ponsonby is known for its cafés and restaurants, and Karangahape Road for independent shops and late-night bars. Devonport, a short ferry ride across the harbour, keeps its streets of Victorian villas. The region runs from Wellsford in the north to the market gardens around Pukekohe in the south. Black-sand surf beaches line the west coast, and Waiheke Island’s vineyards sit out in the Hauraki Gulf.
Attractions in Auckland
Auckland mixes a harbour city with volcanoes, wild beaches and protected islands. These five are spread across the region.
Auckland War Memorial Museum, Auckland Domain
The museum’s Greek Revival building opened in 1929 on Pukekawa, a dormant volcano in the Auckland Domain. Its halls of memory list Aucklanders killed in the wars of the 20th century. The Māori collections include Hotunui, a carved meeting house built at Thames in 1878, and the war canoe Te Toki a Tāpiri.
Rangitoto Island, Hauraki Gulf
Rangitoto rose from the sea about 600 years ago. It is the youngest and largest of Auckland’s volcanoes, and the island holds the world’s largest pōhutukawa forest. Ferries cross from downtown Auckland, and the summit track climbs through black lava fields to a 259-metre lookout.
Piha and Lion Rock, West Auckland
Piha is a black ironsand surf beach on the west coast, inside the Waitākere Ranges Regional Park. Lion Rock, the remains of a volcanic vent, stands in the middle of the beach. It was once a pā of Te Kawerau ā Maki, and its Māori name, Te Piha, gave the beach its name.
Goat Island Marine Reserve, Leigh
Created in 1975, the Cape Rodney–Okakari Point Marine Reserve near Leigh was New Zealand’s first marine reserve. Nothing can be fished or taken, so snapper, blue maomao and crayfish gather in the shallows. You can snorkel straight from the beach towards Te Hāwere-a-Maki / Goat Island.
Auckland Botanic Gardens, Manurewa
Opened in 1982, the gardens cover 64 hectares in Manurewa, South Auckland, including 10 hectares of native forest. They hold more than 10,000 plants, including a garden of threatened native species and a children’s garden. Entry is free.