Trichotillomania Support in Washington

Find a therapist in Washington 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 Seattle to Spokane, for someone near you, or choose Online to see who works with people anywhere in Washington.

Find a therapist for trichotillomania in Washington

The Cascades split Washington in two, and most practitioners work west of the mountains, around Puget Sound. Since 2022, licensed psychologists in most other states can also work with Washingtonians online. Connecting you with people who understand hair pulling, wherever you live, is the reason this directory exists.

The directory includes therapists, counselors, psychologists, hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners, NLP practitioners and 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.

If you live on the Olympic Peninsula, in the Columbia Basin or anywhere far from a city, you can see who works online across Washington.

Open the full directory →

Frequently Asked Questions about Trichotillomania in Washington

Find a Therapist

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

Search our directory by town or city. Every listing explains how the person works, what they charge and whether they see people in person, online or both. Most in-person options are around Seattle, Bellevue and Tacoma. Elsewhere, many people choose online sessions.

Can I have sessions online from anywhere in Washington?›

Yes. Many people listed work online with clients anywhere in Washington. Licensed psychologists from most other states can also work with Washingtonians online. Hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches aren’t part of the licensing agreements, and their listings say where they work.

How much does trichotillomania therapy cost in Washington?›

Private sessions in Washington usually cost $100 to $250, with Seattle and Bellevue toward the top. 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 in Washington?›

People who pull work with therapists, counselors, psychologists, 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 Washington?›

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 Washington?›

We haven’t found a regular in-person trichotillomania group in Washington yet. You can join online groups through the International OCD Foundation’s listings and BFRB Changemakers, and NAMI Washington runs general peer groups. If you run a group, tell us and we’ll list it.

How common is hair pulling in Washington?›

About 1 in 50 people have trichotillomania, so roughly 80,000 to 160,000 Washingtonians. It’s a recognized 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 contact anyone listed here directly, today, without a doctor’s note 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 Washington practitioners work in the Seattle, Bellevue and Tacoma area. Smaller clusters sit in Spokane, Vancouver, Everett and Olympia. East of the Cascades, towns are farther apart, and the nearest office can be a long drive away. Online sessions matter here.

Washington is part of an agreement that lets licensed psychologists from other member states work with you online. The state has also signed up to a similar agreement for counselors, but it isn’t in use here yet. These agreements only cover licensed clinicians. They don’t apply to hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners or coaches.

You can also go through your insurance, Apple Health or a community mental health agency. 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, hypnotherapists, EFT practitioners and coaches. Different people find different things helpful. What matters is that you feel understood.

You can check a practitioner’s state credential for free if you’d like to. Washington’s Department of Health licenses psychologists and licensed mental health counselors (LMHCs). Hypnotherapists who charge for sessions in Washington must register with the Department too. You can look up all of them with its Provider Credential Search. Many other good kinds of help, like EFT and coaching, aren’t regulated by the state at all. They belong to their own professional 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 Washington

Washington has no charity or organization just for hair pulling or other body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs). These are the national and statewide organizations most useful to Washingtonians who pull.

International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)

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

OCD Washington

The IOCDF’s official Washington affiliate, based in the Seattle area. It focuses on OCD rather than hair pulling, but it shares local events and news on related conditions.

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 Washington

The state branch of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, based in Seattle, with local affiliates across the state. Its free peer and family groups aren’t specific to hair pulling, but they welcome anyone.

Crisis Connections

A Seattle nonprofit that runs two statewide lines. Teen Link (866-833-6546) is an evening call, text and chat line for teens, answered by trained teen volunteers. The Washington Warm Line (877-500-9276) connects adults with peers who have their own lived experience of mental health challenges.

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. It’s free and confidential.

Support groups in Washington

We haven’t found a free, regular in-person trichotillomania group anywhere in Washington yet. Most Washingtonians who pull connect with others online, and for something this private, many people find that easier.

IOCDF support-group listings: online BFRB groups that anyone in Washington can join.
BFRB Changemakers: a free monthly online peer group for adults who pull or pick. It’s scheduled in Eastern Time, so check the Pacific start time.
NAMI Washington: general mental health peer groups, in person through local affiliates and online.

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

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

Hair Pulling and the Wider BFRB Family

Trichotillomania belongs to a group of conditions called body-focused repetitive behaviors, or BFRBs. They all involve pulling, picking, biting or chewing at your own body, again and again, in a way that’s hard to stop.

Skin picking is the closest relative. It’s recognized as its own condition, called excoriation disorder, and it sits next to trichotillomania in the DSM-5. Other BFRBs include nail biting, cheek biting, lip biting and chewing the inside of the mouth.

Many people who pull also pick or bite. Some notice that when pulling eases, picking gets stronger, or the other way around. That can feel confusing, as if the problem has just moved. In fact, it’s a common pattern across the BFRB family.

These behaviors share a feel as well as a name. There’s often an urge or a sense that something is “wrong” with a hair, a patch of skin or a nail. Acting on it brings a moment of relief. Then the urge returns. They often show up during quiet, still moments, like reading, watching TV or lying in bed.

None of them is a bad habit, attention-seeking, self-harm or a lack of willpower. Knowing that your pulling is part of a wider, well-described family can make it easier to name what’s happening. It can also help you see how many people live with something similar.

About this page

Sources: Washington State Legislature; Washington State Department of Health; PSYPACT Commission; Counseling Compact Commission; Sentio Counseling and Jade Path Counseling Washington therapy cost data (2026); International OCD Foundation; OCD Washington; BFRB Changemakers; NAMI Washington; Crisis Connections; 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline; US Census Bureau.

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 Washington therapist or practitioner who works with trichotillomania?

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About Washington

Washington is the Pacific Northwest state of about 8 million people, split by the Cascade Range. Olympia is the state capital. Seattle is the largest city and home to the University of Washington. Mount Rainier, at 14,410 feet, is the state’s highest peak.

West of the mountains, most people live around Puget Sound, from Everett through Seattle and Bellevue to Tacoma. The Olympic Peninsula holds Olympic National Park, including the Hoh Rain Forest. East of the Cascades, the land turns dry. Spokane, the second-largest city, sits near the Idaho border. The Columbia River runs past the Grand Coulee Dam and the orchards of Wenatchee. It then forms much of the border with Oregon, passing Vancouver on its way to the Pacific.

Attractions in Washington

Washington draws visitors for a volcano you can see from Seattle, two world’s fair sites and a long history of trade on the Columbia River.

Space Needle (Seattle)

Built as the centerpiece of the 1962 World’s Fair, the 605-foot tower opened on the fair’s first day, April 21, 1962. Architect Victor Steinbrueck shaped its narrow waist, and John Graham Jr.‘s team designed the saucer top. It now has The Loupe, the world’s first rotating glass floor.

Mount Rainier National Park

Congress created the park on March 2, 1899, making it the fifth national park in the United States. Its 14,410-foot volcano is the most glaciated peak in the lower 48 states, and its glaciers feed five major rivers. The park lies about 65 miles southeast of Seattle.

Museum of Glass (Tacoma)

Opened in 2002 on Tacoma’s Thea Foss Waterway, the museum is known for its 90-foot steel cone, designed by Arthur Erickson. Inside the cone is a working hot shop where you can watch glass being blown. The 500-foot Chihuly Bridge of Glass links it to downtown, showing work by Tacoma-born artist Dale Chihuly.

Riverfront Park (Spokane)

The 100-acre park sits on the site of Expo ‘74, when Spokane became the smallest city at the time to host a world’s fair. The fair’s U.S. Pavilion and an old railroad clock tower still stand beside Spokane Falls. The park’s Looff Carrousel, hand-carved in 1909, is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (Vancouver)

The Hudson’s Bay Company set up Fort Vancouver on the Columbia River in 1825. It became the company’s headquarters for a fur-trading region stretching from southern Alaska to northern California. The stockade and buildings you see today, including the bakehouse and blacksmith shop, were rebuilt on the 1829 fort site using archaeological records.