Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors Therapists in Seattle, WA

Behaviors like skin picking, hair pulling, or nail biting often come from stress or self-soothing patterns that feel impossible to stop. I use compassion-based and behavioral techniques to help you understand these urges and develop healthier coping tools. Our goal is to reduce shame, increase awareness, and create sustainable change.

Body-focused repetitive behaviors such as hair pulling (trichotillomania) and skin picking (excoriation disorder) can be distressing and difficult to manage alone. Treatment focuses on understanding triggers, improving awareness of behaviors, and developing practical strategies to reduce urges. Medication management and behavioral techniques can help individuals gain greater control and reduce the impact these behaviors have on daily life.

Dr. Tice specializes in the treatment of BFRBs, such as picking, hairpulling (trichotillomania), and other issues related to repetitive body issues.

I have extensive training and experience with behavior modification therapy. I start with learning what purpose or function the behaviors serve. Next, we explore if there is a healthier alternative, discover the root cause of the behavior, and/or focus on habit reduction and eventually elimination.

With tics and body focused behaviors, I take a warm approach using exposure and response prevention. I have special training in this area.

Seattle's tech economy — driven by Amazon, Microsoft, and a dense startup ecosystem — has made burnout, imposter syndrome, and the social costs of rapid wealth inequality prominent themes in local therapy. The "Seattle Freeze" — a widely noted phenomenon of difficulty forming close friendships — means therapists here frequently address loneliness, social anxiety, and the challenge of building genuine community in an outwardly welcoming but emotionally reserved city. Seattle's progressive culture sustains strong demand for LGBTQ+-affirming therapists, neurodiversity specialists, and practitioners working with race, identity, and social justice themes. UW Medicine and Swedish Medical Center provide institutional mental health resources alongside one of the most therapist-dense cities in the Pacific Northwest.

Gender ID

	73%	Female
	27%	Male

Session Type

	50%	In Person and Online
	50%	Online Only

Top Treatment Approaches

100%	Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
60%	Behavioral Therapy
60%	Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT)
50%	Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
50%	Psychosocial Therapy
40%	Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
40%	Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

Ages Served

100%	Adult
80%	Young Adult
80%	Teen
50%	Senior
50%	Children

Client Focus

60%	Women
40%	LGBTQ+
40%	Military / Veterans
40%	Persons with Disabilities
30%	Christian

Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors therapists in Seattle, Washington WA

Nicole Waters (Flowing Waters Counseling)

Carolyne Mburu-Gerena

Alexander Tice

Kimberlee Zetocha Halverson

Cheryl S Rubenstein