Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs)

BFRBs like hair pulling, skin picking, nail biting, and cheek chewing are more than just habits. They can be automatic, compulsive, and incredibly hard to stop—even when you want to. You might find yourself doing them without realizing it, or feeling intense urges that only seem to ease after engaging in the behavior.

Many people feel ashamed, isolated, or frustrated by how much time, energy, or damage these behaviors cause—but you're not alone, and it's not about willpower. These behaviors are part of a larger pattern that can be understood and treated.

Common BFRBs I Work With:

  • Trichotillomania (hair pulling)

  • Excoriation disorder (skin picking)

  • Nail biting and cheek/lip chewing

How Treatment Helps

I use a combination of CBT-based approaches, including Habit Reversal Training (HRT), Stimulus Control, and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to help you:

  • Increase awareness of urges and triggers

  • Interrupt automatic behavior patterns

  • Build alternative coping strategies

  • Reduce shame and self-judgment

  • Develop a more compassionate, values-based response to urges

  • Reclaim time, energy, and focus from the behavior

Whether your BFRB is tied to stress, boredom, anxiety, perfectionism—or it seems to happen “out of nowhere”—treatment is possible. You don’t have to manage it alone.