CBT for Body Focused Repetitive Behaviours in London, UK-wide and Online Via Video Link

We provide Cognitive Behavioural Therapy – CBT for Body Focused Repetitive Behaviours (BFRBs) from our main offices in London, with 180 other locations across the UK. If you want to organise Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for nail-biting, skin-picking or hair-pulling you can call 01732 808626 or email appointments@thinkcbt.com There are no waiting lists and appointments can usually be made within just a few days of contacting us.

Online CBT Treatment for BFRBs

Body Focused Repetitive Behaviours including skin picking, nailbiting, hair pulling and cheek/lip biting can be treated effectively using online CBT delivered via video link. Video bass CBT and Habit Reversal Therapy work in exactly the same way as face-to-face sessions with the added convenience and flexibility of attending your sessions from home.

What are Body Focused Repetitive Behaviours?

Body Focused Repetitive Behaviours or BFRBs commonly include problems with skin picking, hair pulling and nail, cheak or lip biting. Although they are associated with emotional and physical urges, they are not tics or simple habits. BFRBs are complex and engrained psychological problems that lead to repetitive physical damage and high levels of emotional distress. Common disorders include:

Nail-Biting Disorder

Nail-biting also known as Onychophagia involves persistent nail-biting and chewing leading to exposure of the cuticle, severe soreness and infection. Lots of people bite their nails as a habit or nervous reaction, however nail-biting disorder is a severe and engrained repetitive impulse.

Skin-picking Disorder

This is also known as Excoriation Disorder and usually involves repetitive picking, scratching or continuous digging into areas or patches of the skin. This often leads to scabbing, scarring and physical damage if not addressed over time. Skin-picking can be hidden or exposed and may lead to severe disfiguration in some cases.

Hair-pulling Disorder

Hair-pulling or trichotillomania involves pulling or plucking at the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes and other areas of the body. This can lead to bald patches, soreness and follicular infections. Up to 20% of people (usually children) suffering from trichotillomania also eat the hair which is known as trichophagia. This can lead to digestion problems and in severe cases cause a blocking of the intestinal tract.

Other Body Focused Repetitive Behaviours include nail picking, skin or scab biting, lip biting and cheek chewing. These behaviours are sometimes experienced along-side the three main categories of BFRBs outlined above.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for BFRBs

The recommended treatment of choice for Body Focused repetitive Behaviours is Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. The research demonstrates that CBT is superior to other forms of therapy and performs better than medication.
In particular, there are three specific forms of CBT known as Habit Reversal Therapy (HRT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT).
These different therapeutic approaches can be delivered as individual interventions or as an integrated CBT treatment plan customised to meet the specific needs of the patient. Each approach focuses on awareness of triggers, internal thoughts and feelings, alternative behaviours and competing responses to alter the problem behaviour.

How Many Sessions of CBT Will be Required?

£85

The number of sessions required to effectively treat a BFRB will depend on the severity of the problem, the age of the client and the psychological reasons that maintain the repetitive behaviour. Typically, BFRBs can be treated with eight-twelve sessions for adults, however this may vary for children and will depend on the issues identified during the initial CBT appointment. The cost of a CBT appointment to treat a BFRB starts at £85, with an additional £10 supplement for London and evening appointments.

If you you are looking for CBT treatment for a BFRB, work with a properly qualified and professionally accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist. All of our CBT therapists have achieved the UK accreditation standards set by the British Association of Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy.

There are other therapies including hypnosis, NLP and regressive forms of counselling that claim to provide results for BFRBs. Our advice is to follow the published scientific evidence and only use Cognitive Behavioural Therapy in the treatment of Body Focused Repetitive Behaviour. You can check the published data by visiting the NICE website or by following the guidance provided by The TLC Foundation. If you want to talk to a CBT expert about treatment for a BFRB, please call 01732 808626 or email info@thinkcbt.com