Seattle One-Day Workshop: Living with & Healing from Hair Pulling and Skin Picking

Do you feel you’ve tried everything, and nothing works?

Are you worried that you will live with pulling and picking behaviors for the rest of your life?

Do you seek deeper understanding of your child’s behavior, and strategies to better assist them?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, this educational workshop is for you.

Join Christina Pearson, Founding Director of the Trichotillomania Learning Center, author, recovered hair puller and skin picker, as she delves into the underlying causes of these behaviors and provides key tools for recovery. Learn about advances in research and treatment of trichotillomania, skin picking and related problems.  Discover the latest developments in neurobiology and genetics, and the different models of cognitive treatment.  Spend the afternoon learning exercises and techniques designed to strengthen awareness and control of these behaviors in the daily healing process. We will end the day with a wrap-up Question and Answer session and community building activities.

This workshop is appropriate for ages 14 and older.

TLC is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. 
This program is a fundraiser: all proceeds support TLC’s ongoing effort to decrease the isolation and increase the knowledge of these disorders.

Limited partial scholarships and payment plans are available. For information, contact the TLC office.

9:30am:    Opening Introductions Interactive Exercises   
We will begin with an overview of the day, followed by orientation excercises designed to prepare attendees for this day of learning and self-exploration.

10:00am:    Getting Grounded in What We Know:
Advances in Recent Research and Emerging Treatment Directions
Christina will present an intriguing overview of the latest scientific findings in the field of neurobiology, and the implications of these findings for trichotillomania and skin picking.  Next, new data on genetics, animal modeling, and cognitive behavioral therapy advances will be discussed. We will also review recent analyses of pulling and picking problems, and how to effectively make headway in reducing unwanted behaviors.  This morning presentation will lay the groundwork for the afternoon sessions, where we will learn much more experientially how to put some of this knowledge to use in our daily lives.


11:45am:    LUNCH:   On Your Own
There are several restaurants nearby in the neighborhood – we will provide a list.  You are also welcome to bring your own lunch and snacks.

1:00pm:    Developing Mindfulness &Intentional Focus Techniques to Support Treatment
As we learned in the morning session, a great deal of focus in the past few years has centered on developing “intentional awareness,” or mindfulness, as a core component of newer forms of Cognitive Behavioral Therapies - such as Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), both of which have been found helpful for compulsive hair pulling.  This session will review these concepts, along with ways to identify how these techniques can be applied to our daily lives. Finally, we will practice three experiential exercises, with the goal of discovering the point at which new and healthier choices can be made in response to impulses to pull and pick.

2:30pm:    Break

3:00pm:    Where the Rubber Meets the Road:  Putting to Use What We Have Learned
Going deeper in applying what we have learned, we will spend time practicing and  clarifying the use of these techniques, and identify how to insert them into everyday living. Ultimately the goal is to invite in, and then reinforce, new positive behaviors, in     such a way that unwanted negative behaviors are eventually crowded out!

4:00pm:    Wrap-up Question & Answer Period   
During this final session we will address questions and concerns, followed by developing an individual roadmap to support ongoing recovery.  Networking and goodbyes to follow!

4:30pm:    Closure and home

Event Cancellation Policy:

Cancellations must be received in writing via email, mail or fax. Voice-mail messages are not valid or accepted. Cancellation deadline dates are as follows:

Up to 30 days prior to the event: TLC will cancel your registration and issue a refund of paid registration fees, minus a $25.00 processing fee.

29-10 days prior to the event: TLC will cancel your registration and issue a refund of paid registration fees, minus a $60.00 late cancellation-processing fee, regardless of the reason for the cancellation (including medical emergencies).

10 days prior up through event date: No refunds will be issued, regardless of the reason for the cancellation (including medical emergencies). TLC cannot make exceptions to this policy, as we must prepay most meeting expenses.