Trichotillomania Support in Southland
Find a therapist in Southland 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 Anau to Bluff, for someone near you, or choose Online to see who works with people anywhere in Southland.
Find a therapist for trichotillomania in Southland
Southland covers more than 30,000 square kilometres, but only about 105,000 people live there. Around half of them live in Invercargill. Few therapists anywhere learn about hair pulling in training, and in a region this spread out, finding one who does 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 Fiordland, the Catlins or on Stewart Island, see who works online across Southland.
We’re building the Southland 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 Southland
Frequently Asked Questions about Trichotillomania in Southland
Find a TherapistHow do I find a trichotillomania therapist near me in Southland?›
Search the directory by town or city, such as Invercargill, Gore, Winton, Te Anau, Riverton or Bluff. 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 Southland?›
Yes. Many people listed work online with clients across Southland, from Milford Sound to Stewart Island. Psychologists and psychotherapists hold national registration. Hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches aren’t tied to a region.
How much does trichotillomania therapy cost in Southland?›
Private sessions in Southland usually cost $120 to $250, and around $160 to $200 is typical. Clinical psychologists tend to charge the most. Every listing shows its own prices, and many offer a free first call. Some private health insurance plans pay part of the cost for some practitioner types.
What kinds of help are there for hair pulling in Southland?›
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 Southland?›
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 Southland?›
We don’t know of an in-person group in Southland right now. The IOCDF lists online BFRB groups on Zoom that anyone in New Zealand can join. If you run a group in Southland, tell us and we’ll list it for free.
How common is hair pulling in Southland?›
About 1 in 50 people have trichotillomania, so around 2,000 people across Southland. 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 in the Southland directory 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.
Most practitioners in Southland work in Invercargill, with a few in Gore. Te Anau is about two hours’ drive from Invercargill, and Stewart Island is a ferry ride from Bluff. Online sessions close that gap.
Psychologists and psychotherapists hold national registration, so they can see you online wherever you live in New Zealand. Hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches aren’t tied to a region at all.
Many Southland GP practices also offer free, short appointments with a health improvement practitioner through WellSouth. That route exists, but the sessions are brief, 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.
If you’d like to check a registered professional, New Zealand has free public registers. “Psychologist” and “psychotherapist” are protected titles. You can look up psychologists on the New Zealand Psychologists Board register and psychotherapists on the Psychotherapists Board of Aotearoa New Zealand register. 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 Southland
Southland has no charity just for hair pulling. 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 national charity for people living with anxiety, OCD and related experiences. It isn’t focused on hair pulling. Its free helpline on 0800 ANXIETY (0800 269 4389) is open 24 hours a day.
Number 10
A youth one-stop shop on Deveron Street in Invercargill. It offers free health and social services for young people aged 10 to 24. Call 03 214 1013.
Youthline
Free support for young people and anyone supporting them, day or night. Call 0800 376 633 or text 234.
1737 Need to talk?
Call or text 1737 at any time if things ever feel too much to handle on your own. Trained counsellors and peer support workers answer.
Support groups in Southland
We don’t know of an in-person group for hair pulling in Southland right now. Most people join groups online, and for something this private, many find that easier.
- IOCDF online BFRB groups: groups on Zoom for anyone who pulls or picks, listed on the IOCDF support group directory.
- 1737 peer support: call 1737 and ask for a peer support worker, someone with their own lived experience of mental health challenges.
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 Southland group? Tell us and we’ll list it for free.
The Silence Before the Search
Most people who pull keep it to themselves for years before they look for help. Many have never said the word “trichotillomania” out loud.
The silence often starts in childhood. A child notices a bare patch and learns to hide it with a fringe, a cap or a careful parting. Later come eyebrow pencils, false lashes and excuses about swimming or sleepovers. Hiding it becomes a daily routine.
Shame keeps the silence going. People worry they’ll be told to just stop, or that no one will understand. Most people who pull have never knowingly met another person who does, so it can feel like you’re the only one.
It helps to know what trichotillomania is, and what it isn’t. It’s a recognised body-focused repetitive behaviour, listed in the DSM-5 and ICD-10. It isn’t a bad habit, attention-seeking, self-harm or a lack of willpower. About 1 in 50 people have it.
For many people, the search itself is the first step out of the silence. Typing the word, reading about it and seeing that others live with it too can change how it feels to carry.
About this page
Sources: Stats NZ population estimates and Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand (population and geography); New Zealand Psychologists Board; Psychotherapists Board of Aotearoa New Zealand; New Zealand Association of Counsellors; TherapyRoute, Lifetimes and The Psychology Hub (session cost data); WellSouth; International OCD Foundation (including its BFRB support group listings); Anxiety New Zealand Trust; Number 10; Youthline; 1737 and HealthEd.
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 Southland therapist or practitioner who works with trichotillomania?
Be found by people looking for help with hair pulling across Southland, in person or online.
About Southland
Southland, or Murihiku, is New Zealand’s southernmost region, with about 105,000 people. Invercargill is its only city and holds about half of them. Fiordland National Park fills the west, and Stewart Island/Rakiura lies across Foveaux Strait.
Invercargill was laid out in the 1850s, and its main streets are named after Scottish rivers, including the Dee and the Tay. Gore, on the Mataura River, calls itself the world capital of brown trout fishing and hosts the NZ Gold Guitar Awards for country music. Te Anau, on Lake Te Anau, is the gateway to Fiordland. Bluff is known for its Foveaux Strait oysters. Riverton, on the Aparima estuary, is one of the country’s earliest European settlements. In the east, the Catlins coast mixes farmland, native forest and wild beaches.
Attractions in Southland
Southland’s sights run from a fiord you can drive to and a Jurassic fossil forest to New Zealand’s newest national park.
Milford Sound/Piopiotahi, Fiordland
Glaciers carved this fiord, which runs about 15 km inland from the Tasman Sea. Mitre Peak rises 1,692 metres straight from the water. It is the only fiord in New Zealand you can reach by road, through the Homer Tunnel, which opened in 1953.
Rakiura National Park, Stewart Island
New Zealand’s newest national park opened in 2002 and covers about 85% of Stewart Island/Rakiura. Rakiura means “glowing skies”, a reference to the southern lights. Around 15,000 southern tokoeka, the Stewart Island kiwi, live on the island, and some feed in daylight.
Curio Bay, the Catlins
At low tide the sea uncovers the stumps and logs of a forest that grew about 180 million years ago, when New Zealand was part of Gondwana. It is one of the most extensive fossil forests of its age in the world. Hoiho, the rare yellow-eyed penguin, nest nearby.
Queens Park, Invercargill
This park of about 80 hectares was set aside in the city’s original plan in 1857. It has a rose garden, a Japanese garden, a rhododendron dell and an indoor winter garden of tropical plants. There is also an aviary and animal enclosures, and it is a New Zealand Garden of National Significance.
Stirling Point, Bluff
The southern end of State Highway 1, and of Te Araroa, the 3,000 km walking trail from Cape Reinga. Its signpost points to cities around the world. An anchor-chain sculpture here matches one at the entrance to Rakiura National Park, and the Foveaux Walkway follows the coast around Bluff Hill/Motupōhue.