Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors therapists in Oakland, CA
Browse Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors therapists in Oakland, California. Compare credentials, specialties and therapeutic approach. Contact a therapist to learn more.
BFRB
Arpi Isayan, EMDR Therapist
Licensed Clinical Social Worker, LCSW
I support clients struggling with trichotillomania, skin picking, and other BFRBs (body-focused repetitive behaviors). These patterns often develop in response to anxiety, trauma, or emotional stress. Using EMDR and evidence-based strategies, I help clients better understand their urges, reduce harmful behaviors, and build greater self-awareness and compassion.
8 Years Experience
Online in Oakland, CA (Online Only)
BFRB
Heidi Hartston
Psychologist, PhD
Skin picking, hair pulling and nail biting habits (BFRB's, Body focused repetitive behaviors) are notoriously hard to stop. And they can cause real damage, embarrassment and isolation. If you have had failed attempts to stop these habits, it is not your fault. Working with an experienced therapist using evidence based treatments gives you a big advantage and can lead you to quick and successful long term management. I combine insightful, caring depth work with scientifically validated evidence based techniques that are most effective in freeing you from harmful habits and helping you to reclaim the balanced, happy life you deserve.
35 Years Experience
Online in Oakland, CA (Online Only)
BFRB
Micaela Magazzu-Alaman
Marriage and Family Therapist, LMFT
Hair pulling, skin picking, nail biting, cheek biting, and other body-focused repetitive behaviors can be frustrating, confusing, and difficult to change through willpower alone. Many people have also spent years hiding their behaviors or feeling shame about something they do not fully understand.
I approach BFRBs with curiosity rather than judgment. Together, we can identify patterns, triggers, sensory experiences, environments, emotions, and routines associated with the behavior. Treatment may include increasing awareness, reducing barriers to change, modifying environments, finding alternative sensory experiences, and developing individualized strategies based on what your particular behavior is providing or responding to.
The goal is not shame or perfect control. It is greater awareness, choice, self-understanding, and access to tools that can reduce the impact BFRBs have on your life.
11 Years Experience
Online in Oakland, CA
BFRB
Diaspora Therapy Group
Marriage and Family Therapist, DSW, LMFT
We offer compassionate, non-shaming support for body-focused repetitive behaviors such as hair pulling, skin picking, and nail biting. We focus on increasing awareness, reducing shame, understanding triggers, and building practical coping strategies. Our work is strengths-based and respects the role BFRBs may play in emotional regulation.
7 Years Experience
Online in Oakland, CA
BFRB
Jennifer Warkentin
Marriage and Family Therapist, LMFT
Repetitive picking, restricting, exercising, or injurious behaviors require specialized care. I use a body-positive approach to treat these and pay special attention to the underlying causes contributing to symptomatic behaviors.
18 Years Experience
Online in Oakland, CA (Online Only)
Oakland has a politically engaged, social-justice-oriented community where many therapists approach their work through an anti-oppression lens, specializing in racial trauma, activist burnout, and healing within BIPOC communities. The city's proximity to San Francisco means therapists here frequently work with the compounding stresses of the Bay Area housing crisis, economic displacement, and the grief of gentrification. Oakland has strong LGBTQ+ and creative communities, with demand for affirming therapists who work at the intersection of identity, community belonging, and personal well-being. Highland Hospital and UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital Oakland provide institutional anchors alongside a network of independent practitioners.
Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors therapists in Oakland, CA Statistics
Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors therapists in Oakland, CA average 15 years of experience and charge around $242 per session. 100% offer online sessions. The top treatment approaches are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) (88%), Psychoeducational Therapy (88%), and Family Systems Therapy (75%).
Average years in practice
15 Years Experience
Average cost per session
$242
Accept insurance
63%
Offer sliding scale
25%
Gender ID
| 54% |
Female |
|
| 23% |
Male |
|
| 15% |
Non-Binary |
|
| 8% |
Gender Fluid |
|
Session Type
| 62% |
In Person and Online |
|
| 38% |
Online Only |
|
Top Treatment Approaches
| 88% | Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) |
| 88% | Psychoeducational Therapy |
| 75% | Family Systems Therapy |
| 63% | Behavioral Therapy |
| 63% | Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) |
| 63% | Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) |
| 63% | Narrative Therapy |
Ages Served
| 100% | Adult |
| 75% | Young Adult |
| 63% | Senior |
| 63% | Teen |
| 38% | Children |
Client Focus
| 63% | Women |
| 50% | LGBTQ+ |
| 50% | Persons with Disabilities |
| 38% | Asian |
| 38% | Black / African American |