Trichotillomania Support in New York

Find a therapist in New York 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 Buffalo to New York City, for someone near you, or choose Online to see who works with people anywhere in New York.

Find a therapist for trichotillomania in New York

New York City has one of the few peer groups for people who pull that still meets in person. Outside the city, finding someone who understands hair pulling is much harder, from Long Island to Buffalo. That gap is the reason this directory exists.

The directory includes therapists, counselors, psychologists, psychotherapists, CBT therapists, occupational therapists, hypnotherapists, EFT and NLP practitioners, and BFRB coaches. Every listing explains how that person works, whether they see people in person, online or both, and what they charge. Each one has a private contact form. From the North Country to the Southern Tier, many people listed also work online.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Trichotillomania in New York

Find a Therapist

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

Search the directory by your city or town, or choose Online to see people who work with clients anywhere in New York. Every listing shows how the person works, whether they see people in person or online, what they charge, and has a private contact form.

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

Yes. Anyone licensed in New York can see you online wherever you live in the state. New York hasn’t yet joined the agreements that let psychologists and counselors from other states work with you online. Hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches aren’t bound by these rules.

How much does trichotillomania therapy cost in New York?›

Private sessions usually cost $130–$350, with around $175–$250 typical. Manhattan and Brooklyn run highest, often $250 or more, and upstate is often lower. Every listing shows its own prices, and many people offer a free first call.

What kinds of help are there for hair pulling in New York?›

Therapists, counselors, psychologists, CBT therapists, occupational therapists, hypnotherapists, EFT and NLP practitioners, and BFRB coaches all help people who pull. Different people find different things helpful. What they share here is that they understand hair pulling.

Do I need a doctor’s note or a diagnosis to get help in New York?›

No. You can contact anyone listed in the directory directly, without a doctor’s note and without a diagnosis. Just say you pull your hair and want someone who understands trichotillomania.

My child pulls their hair. What do I do first?›

Stay steady and don’t tell them off; pressure and punishment reliably make pulling worse. Read The Parent’s Guide to Trichotillomania to understand what your child is going through. Then look for someone whose listing says they work with children and teens.

Are there trichotillomania support groups in New York?›

Yes. The NYC BFRB Support Group is a free, peer-led group for adults that meets in person once a month and on Zoom the other weeks. The IOCDF also lists a free online BFRB group open to all New Yorkers. If you run a group, tell us and we’ll list it for free.

How common is hair pulling in New York?›

Trichotillomania affects about 1 in 50 people, which means hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. It usually starts around ages 10–13 but can begin at any age. Most people who pull have never knowingly met another person who does. Read our complete guide to trichotillomania.

How to get in touch with a therapist

You can message anyone listed here today, without a doctor’s note or a diagnosis. Use the private contact form and say what it is: “I pull my hair. I’m looking for someone who understands trichotillomania.” Plain words like that save you from being steered toward general stress work.

Most people in New York who understand hair pulling practice in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Westchester and on Long Island. Smaller groups work around Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany. In the Adirondacks, the Catskills or the Southern Tier, the nearest office can be hours away, so online sessions often make more sense.

New York hasn’t yet joined the agreements that let psychologists and counselors licensed in other states work with you online. So for a licensed clinician, look for someone licensed in New York. They can see you online anywhere in the state. Hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches aren’t bound by those licensing rules.

If you have Medicaid or insurance through work, your plan can also connect you with someone. That route exists, but it often takes longer, and you usually can’t choose a person who understands hair pulling.

How to choose who to work with

People who pull find help from many directions: therapists, counselors, psychologists, hypnotherapists, EFT and NLP practitioners, occupational therapists and coaches. Different people find different things helpful. What matters is that the person understands hair pulling and that you feel at ease with them.

If you’d like to check a licensed clinician, New York has a free public lookup. The State Education Department’s Office of the Professions licenses psychologists, mental health counselors (LMHC) and clinical social workers (LCSW). It also licenses marriage and family therapists, creative arts therapists and psychoanalysts. You can search them at NYSED’s online verification. Hypnotherapy, EFT, NLP and coaching aren’t licensed by the state. Practitioners in those fields belong to their own associations instead.

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 York

New York has no charity just for hair pulling. These organizations can help today.

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

The main US home for BFRB support. BFRB stands for body-focused repetitive behavior, the group that includes hair pulling and skin picking. It runs online events and keeps a list of support groups, including the NYC group for people who pull.

OCD New York

The New York branch of the IOCDF, founded in 2010. It brings together people with OCD and related conditions, their families and professionals across the state. Its focus is OCD, but it’s a useful local link to the wider IOCDF community.

NAMI New York State

The state branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, based in Albany. Its local affiliates, from NAMI Buffalo & Western New York to groups on Long Island, run free peer and family programs. It isn’t focused on hair pulling, but it helps with the anxiety and low mood that often come with it.

Mental Health Association in New York State

An Albany-based nonprofit that has pushed for better mental health care across the state for more than 50 years. Its Mental Health Information Center, at 800-766-6177, links callers to local, statewide and national mental health programs on weekdays.

988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

Call or text 988 at any time if distress turns into a crisis.

Support groups in New York

Outside New York City, most groups for people who pull meet online. Here’s what we’ve been able to confirm:

NYC BFRB Support Group: a free, peer-led group for adults with hair pulling or skin picking. It meets in person once a month and on Zoom the other weeks. See the IOCDF listing to join.
IOCDF online BFRB group: a free Zoom group that meets twice a month, open to people who pull and their families.
NAMI New York State affiliates: free peer and family groups across the state. They aren’t specific to hair pulling, but anyone is welcome.

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 New York group? Tell us and we’ll list it for free.

Not all pulling is the same

People who pull often describe two different kinds of pulling. Many have both.

The first happens without noticing. You’re reading, scrolling, driving or watching TV, and your hand drifts up. Minutes later you find hair on the page or the floor, with little memory of pulling it. This is often called automatic pulling.

The second is focused. You notice a hair that feels coarse, crooked or out of place, and you feel a strong urge to remove it. There may be searching with the fingers or in the mirror. Pulling brings a moment of relief or satisfaction, and sometimes people then play with the hair or examine the root. This is often called focused pulling.

The two can look very different from the outside. One person pulls mostly in bed at night without thinking. Another stands at the bathroom mirror after a stressful day. The same person may do both at different times.

Knowing which kind you notice most can make it easier to describe what happens. It can also help you explain it to someone new. Neither kind is a bad habit, a lack of willpower or a form of self-harm. Both are part of a recognized condition, and both are common.

About this page

Sources: International OCD Foundation (including its NYC BFRB Support Group and online BFRB group listings); OCD New York; NAMI New York State and the NAMI New York affiliate directory; Mental Health Association in New York State; 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline; New York State Education Department, Office of the Professions (online license verification); PSYPACT Commission map, New York bills A06744 and S7136, and Counseling Compact membership (2026); published New York therapy cost data (2026).

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 York therapist or practitioner who works with trichotillomania?

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About New York

New York is the fourth most populous state in the US. Albany is the capital, and New York City is by far its largest city. The Erie Canal, opened in 1825, linked the Hudson River to Lake Erie and built a chain of cities across the state.

Buffalo sits on Lake Erie in the far west, a short drive from Niagara Falls. Rochester grew up around Eastman Kodak. Syracuse is home to Syracuse University, and Ithaca to Cornell. Between them lie the Finger Lakes, eleven long, narrow lakes lined with vineyards. The Hudson Valley runs north from the city toward Albany, with the Catskills to its west. The Adirondacks fill the northeast, and the Thousand Islands dot the St. Lawrence River. Long Island stretches east from Brooklyn and Queens to Montauk.

Attractions in New York

Beyond New York City, the state draws people for its waterfalls, mountains, lakes and small-town museums. These five are spread across the state.

Niagara Falls State Park, Niagara Falls

Opened on July 15, 1885, this is the oldest state park in the United States. Frederick Law Olmsted and Calvert Vaux designed its paths and viewpoints. The park holds the American Falls, the Bridal Veil Falls and part of the Horseshoe Falls, where Lake Erie’s water drops toward Lake Ontario.

Adirondack Park, northern New York

New York created the Adirondack Park in 1892. At about 6 million acres, it is the largest protected area in the lower 48 states. That’s bigger than Yellowstone, Everglades, Glacier and Grand Canyon National Parks combined. It has more than 3,000 lakes and Mount Marcy, the state’s highest peak at 5,344 feet.

Corning Museum of Glass, Corning

Corning Glass Works founded this museum in 1951 to mark its 100th anniversary. It holds more than 50,000 glass objects spanning 3,500 years, from ancient Egypt to modern sculpture. Glassmakers give live demonstrations, and visitors can try glassworking in its studio.

National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Cooperstown

The Hall of Fame opened in Cooperstown on June 12, 1939. Its first class, elected in 1936, included Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb, Honus Wagner, Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson. The museum sits in a small village on Otsego Lake and holds bronze plaques for every member.

Walkway Over the Hudson, Poughkeepsie

This former railroad bridge opened in 1889 and carried freight trains until a fire in 1974. It reopened on October 3, 2009, as a state park for walkers and cyclists. The walkway runs 1.28 miles between Poughkeepsie and Highland, about 212 feet above the Hudson River.