Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors Therapists in Tacoma, 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.

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

Many people suffer silently through BFRBs. We are here to help you learn how to reduce your hair pulling, skin picking, etc. while navigating the emotional impact of BFRBs. We assist you in learning how to have more awareness of your behaviors, learn how to manage your urges differently, and ultimately reduce the BFRBs and their impact on your life. We offer both individual and class formats for BFRB treatment.

We offer treatment of body-focused repetitive behaviors.

Tacoma is home to Joint Base Lewis-McChord — one of the largest military installations in the United States — and a significant portion of its therapy community is oriented toward the needs of active-duty service members, veterans, and military families navigating trauma, PTSD, and the emotional complexity of military life. The city has undergone significant revitalization in recent decades, with a growing arts and healthcare economy alongside the military and port sectors, and therapists frequently work with the identity and adjustment challenges of a city transforming its self-image. MultiCare Health System and CHI Franciscan provide institutional mental health resources alongside a growing private therapy community. Tacoma's diverse population — including large Pacific Islander, Black, and Latino communities — drives demand for culturally affirming therapists, and the University of Washington Tacoma feeds clinical training into the local community.

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%	Relational Psychotherapy
40%	Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

Ages Served

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

Client Focus

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

Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors therapists in Tacoma, Washington WA

Nicole Waters (Flowing Waters Counseling)

Carolyne Mburu-Gerena

Cheryl S Rubenstein

Juniper Mental Health

Seven Hills Psychology