Trichotillomania Support in Tasman
Find a therapist in Tasman who understands trichotillomania. Whether you pull your own hair or you’re supporting a child or someone you love, search by town, from Collingwood to Murchison, for someone near you, or choose Online to see who works with people anywhere in Tasman.
Find a therapist for trichotillomania in Tasman
Golden Bay’s only road link to the rest of Tasman is State Highway 60, over Tākaka Hill. The drive from Riwaka to Tākaka is under 60 km but takes about an hour of hairpin bends. Few practitioners on either side of that hill 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. 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. The directory includes therapists, counsellors, psychologists, psychotherapists, hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches.
If you live in Golden Bay, up the Motueka Valley or around Murchison, see who works online across Tasman.
We’re building the Tasman 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 Tasman
Frequently Asked Questions about Trichotillomania in Tasman
Find a TherapistHow do I find a trichotillomania therapist near me in Tasman?›
Search our directory by town, such as Richmond, Motueka, Tākaka, Māpua or Brightwater. 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 Tasman?›
Yes. Many people listed work online with clients anywhere in Tasman, from Golden Bay to Murchison. Psychologists and psychotherapists register nationally, so they can work with you wherever you live in New Zealand.
How much does trichotillomania therapy cost in Tasman?›
Private sessions in Tasman usually cost NZ$130 to NZ$250, and around NZ$150 to NZ$200 is typical. Clinical psychologists sit at the top of that range. Every listing shows its own prices, and many people 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?›
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 Tasman?›
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 Tasman?›
We haven’t found an in-person trichotillomania group in Tasman yet. The International OCD Foundation lists free online BFRB groups open to adults anywhere. If you run a group in Tasman, tell us and we’ll list it for free.
How common is hair pulling in Tasman?›
About 1 in 50 people have trichotillomania, so roughly 1,200 people across Tasman. 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 in Tasman 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 the area work in Richmond and in Nelson city next door, with a few in Motueka. Golden Bay, the Motueka Valley and Murchison have very few. Online sessions close that gap, and many people who pull prefer to start from home anyway.
Psychologists and psychotherapists in New Zealand register with a national board, so they can work with you online from anywhere in the country. Counsellors, hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches aren’t tied to a region either. You can search the directory for Tasman and include people based elsewhere in New Zealand who work online.
Your GP can also refer you to free short-term mental health support. 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 is that you feel understood.
You can check registration if you’d like to. “Psychologist” and “psychotherapist” are protected titles in New Zealand. The New Zealand Psychologists Board has a free public register search, and the Psychotherapists Board of Aotearoa New Zealand keeps its own register. Counsellors are self-regulated, and many belong to the New Zealand Association of Counsellors. Other good kinds of help 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 Tasman
Tasman has no charity just for hair pulling or other body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs), and neither does the rest of New Zealand. These organisations cover BFRBs internationally, or mental health across the country.
International OCD Foundation
A US-based foundation that is now the main international home for BFRB information. Its online directory lists free peer groups for hair pulling and skin picking, several of them open to adults anywhere.
Anxiety New Zealand Trust
A national charity with a free 24/7 helpline on 0800 ANXIETY (0800 269 4389). Many people who pull also live with anxiety.
Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand
The national mental health charity. Its website has plain information and a directory of community support groups around the country.
Youthline
Free support for young people. Call 0800 376 633 or text 234 for free.
1737 Need to talk?
Call or text 1737 for free, any time of day or night, to talk with a trained counsellor if things feel too much to handle on your own.
Support groups in Tasman
We haven’t found an in-person trichotillomania group in Tasman yet. Most people here who pull connect with others online, and for something this private, many find that easier.
- International OCD Foundation online BFRB groups: free peer groups on Zoom for people who pull or pick, including groups open to adults in any country.
- GROW Mental Health: free, member-run community groups, face to face and online, listed for Richmond and Motueka. They cover many mental health experiences, not hair pulling alone.
For parents: our guide The Parent’s Guide to Trichotillomania helps you understand what your child is going through.
Do you run a Tasman group? Tell us and we’ll list it for free.
The Pull-and-Relief Cycle
Many people who pull describe the same loop, even if they’ve never put it into words.
It starts with a build-up. That might be tension, restlessness, boredom or an itch or tingle on the scalp. Sometimes it’s a hair that looks or feels “wrong”: coarse, kinked or out of place. The feeling grows until pulling seems like the only way to settle it.
Then comes the pull, and with it a brief sense of relief, release or even satisfaction. For a moment, things feel right again.
The relief doesn’t last. It’s often followed by regret, frustration or shame, especially when someone sees the gap it leaves. Those feelings add to the tension, and the loop starts again.
This cycle helps explain why “just stop” makes so little sense. The urge isn’t a whim, and the relief is real, if short. Trichotillomania is a body-focused repetitive behaviour, not a bad habit, not self-harm and not a lack of willpower.
Seeing the loop laid out can be a relief in itself. Many people have spent years believing they were the only ones caught in it. Being able to describe it, even in a first message, is often where being understood begins.
About this page
Sources: Tasman District Council and Stats NZ (population); The Prow and Contractor Magazine (Tākaka Hill road); TherapyRoute, Lifetimes NZ and The Psychology Hub (session cost data); New Zealand Psychologists Board; Psychotherapists Board of Aotearoa New Zealand; New Zealand Association of Counsellors; Health New Zealand; International OCD Foundation; Anxiety New Zealand Trust; Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand; GROW Mental Health (via Healthpoint); Youthline; 1737 Need to talk?.
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 Tasman therapist or practitioner who works with trichotillomania?
Be found by people looking for help with hair pulling across Tasman, in person or online.
About Tasman
Tasman District covers the north-west corner of the South Island and is home to about 60,000 people. Richmond, the council seat and largest town, sits 13 km south of Nelson on the Waimea Plains. It was named in 1854 after Richmond on Thames near London. Motueka, the second-largest town, is ringed by orchards and hop gardens. It was New Zealand’s main tobacco-growing centre until the early 1980s.
West of Motueka, State Highway 60 climbs over Tākaka Hill, a ridge of marble full of caves and sinkholes, and drops into Golden Bay/Mohua. Tākaka and Collingwood are the bay’s main towns. In the south, Murchison sits on the Buller River, and St Arnaud is the gateway to Nelson Lakes. National parks cover much of the district. Kahurangi, at 4,520 km², is the largest of its three.
Attractions in Tasman
Most of Tasman’s sights are outdoors: three national parks, a spring of record-clear water, the country’s longest sand spit and a cycle trail that links its towns.
Abel Tasman National Park, north of Motueka
New Zealand’s smallest national park opened in December 1942, 300 years after Abel Tasman anchored in Golden Bay. Naturalist Pérrine Moncrieff led the campaign to protect the coast from logging. The Abel Tasman Coast Track, one of the country’s Great Walks, links its granite headlands and tidal inlets.
Te Waikoropupū Springs, near Tākaka
New Zealand’s largest freshwater springs discharge about 14,000 litres a second from an underground marble aquifer. NIWA has measured the water’s visibility at around 76 metres. To Māori the springs are a taonga and wāhi tapu, so the water is closed to all contact. A short, fully accessible loop walk leads to viewing platforms.
Onetahua/Farewell Spit, near Collingwood
New Zealand’s longest sand spit curves east from Cape Farewell, the northernmost point of the South Island. About 25 km is stable land, with another 5 km of shifting sand. It became a Ramsar wetland in 1976. Its steel lattice lighthouse replaced a timber tower in 1897.
Nelson Lakes National Park, St Arnaud
Created in 1956, the park protects about 1,019 km² at the northern end of the Southern Alps. Lakes Rotoiti and Rotoroa sit in glacier-carved valleys ringed by beech forest. Inside the park, Blue Lake/Rotomairewhenua recorded visibility of 70 to 80 metres in a 2011 study.
Tasman’s Great Taste Trail, Richmond and Māpua
This Great Ride of the New Zealand Cycle Trail loops inland from Richmond through Wakefield to Tapawera. It returns along the coast via Motueka and Māpua. Its first section, from Nelson to Māpua, opened in 2013. A small ferry carries riders across the channel between Rabbit Island/Moturoa and Māpua wharf.