Behavioral Treatment for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRB)
Treatment of trichotillomania and other BFRBs involves detecting and defining the patient’s individual profile for engaging in their habit(s). Cognitive-behavior therapy methods, such as Habit-Reversal Training (HRT), the Comprehensive Model for Behavioral Treatment of Trichotillomania (ComB), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), are provided at the Seattle Clinic. Since no two patients with these habits are alike, a customized plan of behavioral and cognitive strategies must be developed. These strategies are applied to gradually dismantle the automatic chain of events that leads to pulling or picking and to replace it with more adaptive behaviors. The goal of treatment is to achieve either a substantial decrease in pulling or picking, or abstinence from pulling and picking, as well as self-acceptance so that the patient no longer has to feel embarrassed about hair loss and concealment of hair loss.
The Seattle Clinic will help you, or your child, overcome body focused repetitive behaviors one step at a time. We want to help stop the cycle of pulling or picking so that you, or your child, can feel full of confidence and beauty.
Empirical Suppport
Snorrason, 2012 - How related are pathological hair pulling and skin picking? A review of evidence for comorbidity, similarities and shared etiology.
Woods, D. W., Wetterneck, C. T., & Flessner, C. A., 2006 - A controlled evaluation of acceptance and commitment therapy plus habit reversal as a treatment for trichotillomania. Behaviour Research and Therapy, 44, 639-656.
Resources
The Trichotillomania Learning Center
Skin Pick – Online Resource, Community, Program