Trichotillomania Support in Gisborne
Find a therapist in Gisborne 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 Te Araroa to Gisborne city, for someone near you, or choose Online to see who works with people anywhere in Tairāwhiti Gisborne.
Find a therapist for trichotillomania in Gisborne
Tairāwhiti Gisborne is one of New Zealand’s most remote regions. Most of its 51,000 people live in Gisborne city, and Te Araroa is 169 km up the coast. Few therapists anywhere learn about hair pulling in training, so finding one close to home here is harder still. 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 shows 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, psychiatrists, 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. If you live in Ruatōria, Tokomaru Bay or inland at Te Karaka, see who works online across Gisborne.
We’re building the Gisborne 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 Gisborne
Frequently Asked Questions about Trichotillomania in Gisborne
Find a TherapistHow do I find a trichotillomania therapist near me in Gisborne?›
Search the directory by city or town, such as Gisborne, Tolaga Bay, Tokomaru Bay, Ruatōria or Te Karaka. 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 in Gisborne?›
Yes. Many people listed work online with clients anywhere in Tairāwhiti, from Hicks Bay to Poverty Bay. Psychologists and psychotherapists hold national registration, so they can work with you from any part of New Zealand. Hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches aren’t tied to a region.
How much does trichotillomania therapy cost in Gisborne?›
Private sessions in Gisborne usually cost NZ$120 to $220, and around $180 to $200 is typical with a psychologist. Clinical psychologists charge the most, and counsellors often charge less. Every listing shows its own prices, and many offer a free first call. Some private health insurance policies pay part of the cost for some practitioner types.
What kinds of help are there for hair pulling in Gisborne?›
People who pull work with psychologists, psychotherapists, counsellors, CBT therapists, hypnotherapists, EFT and NLP practitioners, occupational therapists 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 Gisborne?›
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, then look for someone in the directory whose listing says they work with children and teens.
Are there trichotillomania support groups in Gisborne?›
Not in person that we know of. The IOCDF lists online BFRB groups for people who pull or pick, and the Mental Health Foundation keeps a directory of community groups. If you run a group in Tairāwhiti, tell us and we’ll list it for free.
How common is hair pulling in Gisborne?›
About 1 in 50 people have trichotillomania, so roughly 1,000 people across Tairāwhiti Gisborne. It’s a recognised condition, not a bad habit, and it usually 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 today. You don’t need a GP referral or a diagnosis.
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.
Almost all private practitioners in Tairāwhiti work in Gisborne city. Up the East Coast, from Tolaga Bay to Te Araroa, there are very few. The drive into town along State Highway 35 can take hours. Online sessions close that gap.
Psychologists and psychotherapists in New Zealand hold national registration. That means you can also work online with someone in Napier, Auckland or Wellington. Hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches aren’t registered by the state, so where they live doesn’t limit who they see. You can search the directory for Gisborne by town or online.
Your GP can also refer you for a short package of funded counselling or psychology sessions. That route exists, but it often means a wait, usually without a choice of 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.
If you’d like to check a registered professional, New Zealand has free public registers. Only people registered with the New Zealand Psychologists Board can call themselves a psychologist. You can look them up on the Psychologists Board register. “Psychotherapist” is protected in the same way, through the Psychotherapists Board of Aotearoa New Zealand. Counselling isn’t regulated by the government, and many counsellors join the New Zealand Association of Counsellors instead. Hypnotherapists, EFT and NLP 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 Gisborne
Gisborne has no charity just for hair pulling, and neither does New Zealand as a whole. These organisations can help.
International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)
The main international home for BFRB support since the TLC Foundation for BFRBs wound down. Its directory lists online support groups for hair pulling and skin picking.
Anxiety New Zealand Trust
A charity for people living with anxiety, OCD and related experiences, and their whānau. Its free 0800 ANXIETY helpline (0800 269 4389) is open day and night.
Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand
A national charity with plain-language information, a list of free helplines and a directory of community groups around the country.
Youthline
Free, private support for young people and anyone supporting them, day or night. Call 0800 376 633 or text 234.
1737 Need to talk?
Free call or text 1737 at any time to talk with a trained counsellor if things ever feel too much to handle on your own.
Support groups in Gisborne
We don’t know of any in-person trich groups in Tairāwhiti right now, and they’re rare across New Zealand. Online groups fill that gap, and they reach the East Coast as easily as Gisborne city.
- IOCDF online BFRB groups: peer groups on Zoom for anyone who pulls or picks, listed on the IOCDF support group directory. Many run from overseas, so check the start time in New Zealand.
- Community groups: the Mental Health Foundation lists mental health groups around New Zealand in its groups directory.
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 a Gisborne group? Tell us and we’ll list it for free.
When It Starts Shapes How It Looks
Trichotillomania can begin at any age, but when it starts changes how it shows up.
Most often it begins between 10 and 13, around the start of puberty. Pulling usually centres on the scalp at first. Eyelashes and eyebrows often follow. Many young people become skilled at hiding it with fringes, hats, make-up or a careful parting, long before anyone else notices.
In very young children it can look quite different. A toddler may twist and pull hair while falling asleep, feeding or sucking a thumb. Some pull from a parent’s hair, a pet or a soft toy. They often have no sense that anything is out of the ordinary.
When it starts in adulthood, it’s often during a stretch of change or pressure, such as a new job, a move or becoming a parent. Adults may pull from places others rarely see, such as the legs, arms or pubic area.
At every age, the experience is more alike than different. There’s an urge, a pull and often a sense of release, followed for many by embarrassment. Trichotillomania is a recognised body-focused repetitive behaviour. It isn’t a bad habit, attention-seeking, self-harm or a lack of willpower, whenever it began.
About this page
Sources: Stats NZ (2023 Census population and Māori descent); New Zealand Psychologists Board; Psychotherapists Board of Aotearoa New Zealand; New Zealand Association of Counsellors; TherapyRoute and Lifetimes NZ (session cost data); Pinnacle and Health NZ (Tairāwhiti mental health services); Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand; International OCD Foundation (including its BFRB support group listings); Anxiety New Zealand Trust; Youthline; 1737 Need to talk?; Te Ara (East Coast places).
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 Gisborne therapist or practitioner who works with trichotillomania?
Be found by people looking for help with hair pulling across Gisborne, in person or online.
About Gisborne
Gisborne, or Te Tairāwhiti, is a region of about 51,000 people on the eastern tip of the North Island. At the 2023 Census, 56 per cent of residents were of Māori descent, the highest share of any region. Ngāti Porou, Rongowhakaata, Ngāi Tāmanuhiri and Te Aitanga-a-Māhaki are its main iwi.
Gisborne city sits on Poverty Bay, or Tūranganui-a-Kiwa, and is home to about 38,000 people. The Waipaoa River flats behind it are grape and orchard country. State Highway 35 runs north around East Cape through Tolaga Bay, Tokomaru Bay, Ruatōria and Te Araroa. Inland from Ruatōria rises Mount Hikurangi, at 1,752 metres the highest non-volcanic peak in the North Island. It is sacred to Ngāti Porou, and ownership returned to the iwi in 1990.
Attractions in Gisborne
Gisborne’s sights run from the first meetings between Māori and Europeans to a national tree collection and a wharf built before the coast had good roads.
Puhi Kai Iti / Cook Landing Site, Gisborne
This national historic reserve on Kaitī Beach Road marks where James Cook’s crew came ashore in October 1769. Nine Māori were killed in the encounters that followed. The site also honours the earlier landings of the Horouta and Te Ikaroa-a-Rauru waka. Its granite obelisk, unveiled in 1906, was the country’s first monument to a European explorer.
Tairāwhiti Museum, Gisborne
The regional museum and art gallery sits in Kelvin Park beside the Taruheru River, in a building opened in 1977. Its exhibitions focus on the art and history of Tairāwhiti, with an emphasis on taonga Māori. Beside it stand Wyllie Cottage and the wheelhouse and captain’s cabin of the Star of Canada, wrecked off Kaitī Beach in 1912.
Eastwoodhill Arboretum, Ngātapa
The National Arboretum of New Zealand covers more than 131 hectares of hill country northwest of Gisborne. Douglas Cook began planting it in 1910. It holds one of the largest collections of Northern Hemisphere trees south of the equator, including about 170 species on the IUCN endangered list.
Tolaga Bay Wharf, Tolaga Bay
The Tolaga Bay Harbour Board built this 660-metre concrete wharf between 1926 and 1929, when roads to Gisborne were poor. Ships loaded meat, wool and maize here, and 133 of them worked the port in 1936. The last cargo ship called in the late 1960s. It is now a Category 1 historic place.
Te Waha o Rerekohu, Te Araroa
This giant pōhutukawa stands in the grounds of Te Waha o Rerekohu Area School, near the beach at Te Araroa. It is reputed to be the largest pōhutukawa in New Zealand, about 21 metres tall and 40 metres across. It is named after Rerekohu, an ancestor whose food store once stood beside it.