"The definitive guide for those who pick or pull."
--Reid Wilson, PhD, author Stopping the Noise in Your Head
A comprehensive treatment plan grounded in evidence-based cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to help you overcome body-focused repetitive behaviors for good If you have body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRB) such as hair pulling (trichotillomania) or skin picking (dermatillomania), you may feel embarrassed about seeking help. But there are proven-effective strategies you can use to overcome these behaviors and improve your overall quality of life--this book will show you how.
In this evidence-based resource, three renowned experts and clinicians offer powerful CBT skills to help you move past BFRB. You'll learn why you engage in these behaviors, and how to identify your own sensory "triggers"--places, things, or experiences that cause your behavior to become worse. Finally, you'll learn strategies to use when faced with these triggers, and develop your own customized "plan of action" for moving beyond BFRB for good.
With time, practice, and solid skills for managing stress, anxiety, urges, and other triggers, this book will help you break free from BFRB and feel more in control of your life.
About the AuthorCharles S. Mansueto, PhD, is founder and director of the Behavior Therapy Center of Greater Washington, a leading center for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. He has over thirty-five years of experience providing cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for a broad range of clinical problems. He has written extensively and presented nationally and internationally on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related disorders. He is past president and currently serves as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of The TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors. He is also a member of the Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF); and of OCD Mid-Atlantic, an IOCDF affiliate. He retired as a tenured professor of psychology after thirty-six years in the University System of Maryland.
Sherrie Mansfield Vavrichek, LCSW-C, is a senior clinician at the Behavior Therapy Center of Greater Washington. She specializes in CBT for body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB) and a wide range of clinical problems. She integrates mindfulness, meditation, and Buddhist philosophy in her CBT practice and in her life. She is author of
The Guide to Compassionate Assertiveness, and coauthor of
The Hair Pulling "Habit" and You. She has presented at national conferences on numerous mental health topics, including compassionate assertiveness.
Ruth Goldfinger Golomb, LCPC, is a senior clinician with the Behavior Therapy Center of Greater Washington. She has specialized in providing CBT for people with a wide range of clinical disorders since the mid-eighties. She is a member of The TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors Scientific Advisory Board. She regularly presents at professional workshops, meetings, and conferences. She is coauthor of
The Hair Pulling "Habit" and You,
Stay Out of My Hair, and
Psychological Interventions for Children with Sensory Dysregulation.
Foreword writer
Jennifer Raikes is executive director of The TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors. She grew up with trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder), and is an award-winning documentary filmmaker whose film,
Bad Hair Life, aired on public television.
