Trichotillomania Support in New Jersey

Find a therapist in New Jersey who understands trichotillomania. Whether you pull your own hair or you’re supporting a child or someone you love, search by city or town, from Newark to Atlantic City, for someone near you, or choose Online to see who works with people anywhere in New Jersey.

Find a therapist for trichotillomania in New Jersey

New Jersey has more mental health professionals per person than almost any other state. Yet very few of them have ever worked with hair pulling. Finding the ones who have, from Bergen County to Cape May, is the reason this directory exists.

The directory includes therapists, counselors, psychologists, social workers, hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners, NLP practitioners and coaches. 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, so you can get in touch without sharing your details publicly.

If there’s no one near you yet, you can see who works online across New Jersey.

Open the full directory →

Frequently Asked Questions about Trichotillomania in New Jersey

Find a Therapist

How do I find a trichotillomania therapist near me in New Jersey?›

Search our directory by town or city. Every listing shows how the person works, what they charge and whether they see people in person, online or both. Most in-person options are in North Jersey, around Princeton and near Cherry Hill. Elsewhere, many people choose online sessions.

Can I have sessions online from anywhere in New Jersey?›

Yes. Many people listed work online with clients anywhere in New Jersey. Licensed psychologists from most other states can also work with New Jerseyans online, though New York isn’t part of that agreement yet. Hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches aren’t limited by state lines.

How much does trichotillomania therapy cost in New Jersey?›

Private sessions in New Jersey usually cost $150 to $250, with around $200 typical. Every listing shows its own prices. Some insurance plans pay part of the cost for some practitioner types, and many people offer a free first call.

What kinds of help are there for hair pulling?›

People who pull work with therapists, counselors, psychologists, social workers, 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 doctor’s note or a diagnosis to get help in New Jersey?›

No. You can contact anyone listed in our directory directly, without a doctor’s note 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 New Jersey?›

Yes. OCD New Jersey lists in-person BFRB groups in Fairfield and Mahwah, plus free online groups for children, teens and adults. BFRB Changemakers and the International OCD Foundation list online groups too. If you run a group, tell us and we’ll list it.

How common is hair pulling in New Jersey?›

About 1 in 50 people have trichotillomania, so roughly 90,000 to 190,000 New Jerseyans. It’s a body-focused repetitive behavior recognized in the DSM-5 and ICD-10, 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 here today. You don’t need a doctor’s note or a diagnosis first.

When you write, say what it is: “I pull my hair. I’m looking for someone who understands trichotillomania.” How they reply tells you a lot about whether they’re a good fit.

Most New Jersey practitioners work in Bergen, Essex and Morris counties, close to New York City. There are also clusters around Princeton and in Cherry Hill, near Philadelphia. Sussex County in the northwest and Salem and Cumberland counties in the south have far fewer. Online sessions close that gap.

Licensed psychologists from most other states can work with New Jerseyans online under an interstate agreement. Pennsylvania is part of it, but New York isn’t yet. New Jersey has signed a similar agreement for counselors, but it isn’t in use here yet. Hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches aren’t bound by these rules and can work with people in any state.

You can also go through your insurance, NJ FamilyCare or a community mental health center. 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, counselors, psychologists, social workers, hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches. Different people find different things helpful. What matters is that you feel understood.

If you’d like to check a licensed clinician, New Jersey has one free public lookup. The New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs license search covers psychologists, licensed professional counselors (LPCs), licensed clinical social workers (LCSWs) and marriage and family therapists. “Psychologist” is a protected title in New Jersey. A licensed associate counselor (LAC) is still completing supervised hours toward an LPC. Many other good kinds of help aren’t licensed by the state at all and belong to their own professional 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?

Charities and groups in New Jersey

New Jersey has no charity just for hair pulling or other body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs). It does have a state branch of the national OCD organization, which keeps a list of local BFRB groups.

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

The main US home for BFRB support, including trichotillomania. Its website explains hair pulling in plain terms, and its support-group listings include online BFRB groups open to people anywhere in the US.

OCD New Jersey

The New Jersey affiliate of the IOCDF, run by volunteers and professionals. Its website lists hair pulling and skin picking groups that meet in New Jersey and online.

BFRB Changemakers

A US nonprofit focused on hair pulling, skin picking and related behaviors. It hosts a free monthly online peer group for adults.

NAMI New Jersey

The state branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Its free peer and family groups aren’t specific to hair pulling but welcome anyone.

Mental Health Association in New Jersey

A statewide nonprofit based in Springfield. It runs NJ MentalHealthCares, a free phone line at 1-866-202-4357 that offers support and helps you find local services.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Call or text 988, any time of day or night, if things ever feel too much to handle on your own.

Support groups in New Jersey

New Jersey is one of the few states with in-person hair pulling groups. OCD New Jersey’s BFRB group list has contact details for each one.

North Jersey TTM Support Group: a peer group for adults who pull or pick. It has met monthly in Fairfield for more than 15 years.
Mahwah BFRB Support Group: a monthly peer group for teens aged 13 and up and adults, with family and friends welcome.
Center for Emotional Health: free online groups for children, teens and adults with BFRBs, and the people who support them.

For parents: our guide The Parent’s Guide to Trichotillomania helps you understand what your child is going through.

Do you run a New Jersey group? Tell us and we’ll list it for free.

The Sensory Side of Pulling

Ask people who pull what they’re looking for, and many describe a feeling. It might be a hair that feels coarse, kinked or out of place. It might be one that seems thicker or wirier than the rest. The fingers go looking for it, often before the person notices.

Touch is only part of it. Some people like the small tug as a hair comes free. Others study the root, run the hair across their lips, or roll it between their fingers. Some bite or chew it. None of this is strange or rare. These are some of the most common parts of the experience.

The senses also shape where pulling happens. Many people pull more in quiet, still moments: reading, scrolling, driving or lying in bed. There, the hands are free and the mind has room to drift. Others pull when they feel under- or over-stimulated.

This sensory pull helps explain why telling someone to “just stop” misses the mark. Trichotillomania isn’t a bad habit, self-harm or a lack of willpower. It’s a body-focused repetitive behavior with its own patterns, and those patterns are different for every person.

Many people feel relief when they first hear someone else describe that search for the “right” hair. It can be the first time the experience makes sense.

About this page

Sources: TherapyExplained New Jersey therapy cost data (2026); PSYPACT; Counseling Compact Commission; New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs; New Jersey Professional Counselor Examiners Committee; International OCD Foundation; OCD New Jersey; BFRB Changemakers; NAMI New Jersey; Mental Health Association in New Jersey; 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

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 New Jersey therapist or practitioner who works with trichotillomania?

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About New Jersey

New Jersey, the Garden State, is the most densely populated state in the US. Newark is its largest city, and Trenton, on the Delaware River, is the state capital. Newark’s Ironbound district is known for its Portuguese and Brazilian restaurants. Across the Hudson from Manhattan, Hoboken and Jersey City look straight onto the New York skyline.

Princeton is home to Princeton University, and New Brunswick to Rutgers. In the northwest, the Delaware Water Gap cuts through the Kittatinny Ridge. The south holds the Pine Barrens, part of the 1.1-million-acre Pinelands National Reserve, the country’s first national reserve. The Jersey Shore runs down the Atlantic coast from Sandy Hook to Cape May.

Attractions in New Jersey

New Jersey draws visitors for its inventors and immigrants, its sculpture and its long Atlantic shoreline.

Thomas Edison National Historical Park (West Orange)

Thomas Edison opened his laboratory here in 1887 and worked in it until his death in 1931. The motion picture camera and improved phonographs came out of these brick buildings. The park also includes Glenmont, the family home, and a full-size replica of the Black Maria, the first building made for shooting films.

Central Railroad of New Jersey Terminal (Jersey City)

Built in 1889, the terminal stands at the northern edge of Liberty State Park, which opened in 1976. Millions of immigrants processed at nearby Ellis Island started their new lives by passing through this station. Today it is the departure point for ferries to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

Grounds For Sculpture (Hamilton)

Sculptor Seward Johnson opened this 42-acre sculpture park in 1992 on the site of the former New Jersey State Fairgrounds. Around 300 contemporary sculptures stand among its gardens and trees, many by Johnson himself. Six indoor galleries host changing exhibitions, and the grounds double as an arboretum.

Lucy the Elephant (Margate City)

James V. Lafferty built this six-story wooden elephant, clad in tin, in 1881 to draw buyers to his beachfront land. It is the oldest surviving roadside attraction in the US and a National Historic Landmark since 1976. Visitors climb a spiral stair to the howdah on its back.

Cape May Lighthouse (Lower Township)

The current 157-foot tower was lit in 1859 and still guides ships entering Delaware Bay. It is the third lighthouse built at Cape May Point. A cast-iron spiral stair of 199 steps leads to views over the ocean, the bay and the Victorian town of Cape May.