Trichotillomania Support on the West Coast
Find a therapist on the West Coast who understands trichotillomania. Whether you pull your own hair or you’re supporting a child or someone you love, search by town, from Karamea to Haast, for someone near you, or choose Online to see who works with people anywhere on the West Coast.
Find a therapist for trichotillomania on the West Coast
The West Coast runs 600 km from Kahurangi Point to Awarua Point. Fewer than 35,000 people live along it, the smallest population of any region in New Zealand. Very few practitioners on the Coast 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 Karamea, up the Grey Valley or in South Westland, see who works online across the West Coast.
We’re building the West Coast 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 on the West Coast
Frequently Asked Questions about Trichotillomania in West Coast
Find a TherapistHow do I find a trichotillomania therapist near me on the West Coast?›
Search our directory by town, such as Greymouth, Westport, Hokitika, Reefton or Franz Josef. 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 on the West Coast?›
Yes. Many people listed work online with clients anywhere on the West Coast, from Karamea to Haast. Psychologists and psychotherapists register nationally, so they can work with you wherever you live in New Zealand.
How much does trichotillomania therapy cost on the West Coast?›
Private sessions on the West Coast 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 on the West Coast?›
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 on the West Coast?›
We haven’t found an in-person trichotillomania group on the West Coast yet. The International OCD Foundation lists free online BFRB groups open to adults anywhere. If you run a group on the West Coast, tell us and we’ll list it for free.
How common is hair pulling on the West Coast?›
About 1 in 50 people have trichotillomania, so roughly 700 people across the West Coast. 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 on the West Coast 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 of the Coast’s practitioners are based in Greymouth, Westport and Hokitika. From Franz Josef to Haast, the nearest in-person appointment can be hours away on State Highway 6. 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 the West Coast and include people based elsewhere in New Zealand who work online.
Your GP can also refer you to free short-term counselling through the West Coast PHO. 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 on the West Coast
The West Coast 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 on the West Coast
We haven’t found an in-person trichotillomania group on the West Coast yet. With towns this far apart, 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 Greymouth. 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 West Coast group? Tell us and we’ll list it for free.
From Hallopeau to DSM-5: How Hair Pulling Got Its Name
Hair pulling is old, but its name is not. In 1889 the French dermatologist François Henri Hallopeau described a patient who pulled out his hair. He called it trichotillomania, from the Greek words for hair (thrix), pulling (tillein) and mania.
For almost a century the name stayed mostly in medical journals. Many people who pulled never heard it. They thought they had a strange private habit that nobody else shared.
That began to change in 1987, when the American Psychiatric Association added trichotillomania to its diagnostic manual, the DSM. In 2013 the DSM-5 moved it into a group of conditions related to obsessive-compulsive disorder, next to skin picking. The World Health Organization’s ICD-10 lists it as F63.3.
These labels matter for one plain reason. They confirm that trichotillomania is a recognised condition with a name, not a bad habit, not self-harm and not a lack of willpower. It is a body-focused repetitive behaviour, and it is common.
Many people only find the word as adults, often in a search bar. Learning that it has a name, and a long history, is often the moment the silence starts to lift.
About this page
Sources: Stats NZ (2023 Census and June 2025 population estimates); 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; Healthpoint (West Coast PHO counselling; GROW Mental Health); International OCD Foundation; Anxiety New Zealand Trust; Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand; Youthline; 1737 Need to talk?; Wikipedia (West Coast Region).
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 West Coast therapist or practitioner who works with trichotillomania?
Be found by people looking for help with hair pulling across the West Coast, in person or online.
About the West Coast
The West Coast, or Te Tai Poutini, is New Zealand’s least populous region, home to about 34,700 people. It runs between the Tasman Sea and the Southern Alps. Greymouth is the seat and largest town, with Westport to the north and Hokitika to the south. Locals call themselves Coasters.
Ngāi Tahu prized the region for pounamu, which is still carved on the Coast. Gold found near the Taramakau River in 1864 set off a rush, and by 1866 Hokitika was briefly New Zealand’s most populous settlement. Coal followed, centred on Westport and the Buller. Reefton and the Grey Valley lie inland. In South Westland, Franz Josef and Fox sit below glaciers. Over 80% of the land is managed by the Department of Conservation.
Attractions on the West Coast
The West Coast’s sights run the length of State Highway 6, from limestone arches in the north to glaciers in the south.
Ōpārara Basin Arches, near Karamea
The Ōpārara River has carved these limestone tunnels in Kahurangi National Park. The Ōpārara Arch is the largest natural rock arch in the southern hemisphere, about 219 metres long and 43 metres high by Department of Conservation measurements. The smaller Moria Gate Arch takes its name from The Lord of the Rings.
Pancake Rocks and Blowholes, Punakaiki
At Dolomite Point in Paparoa National Park, layered limestone around 22 to 30 million years old has weathered into stacks that look like piles of pancakes. At high tide, swells force seawater up through vertical blowholes. Walkways loop through the formations, and parts are wheelchair-accessible.
Shantytown Heritage Park, near Greymouth
Local volunteers opened Shantytown in 1971, 10 km south of Greymouth. Thirty historic buildings recreate a 19th-century gold-mining town, including a church built in 1866. A bush tram runs to a sawmill site, pulled by “Gertie”, an 1877 steam engine.
Hokitika Gorge, inland from Hokitika
The Hokitika River has ground this gorge out of granite, 33 km inland from Hokitika. A suspension bridge built in 1933 still crosses it. In 2020 the Department of Conservation added a second, 90-metre bridge, turning the track into a loop.
Franz Josef Glacier / Kā Roimata o Hine Hukatere, Franz Josef
This 12 km glacier in Westland Tai Poutini National Park descends to under 300 metres above sea level, into temperate rainforest. Its Māori name means “the tears of Hine Hukatere”. Julius von Haast named it after the Austrian emperor in 1865. The area is part of the Te Wāhipounamu World Heritage Area.