Hypnotherapy For Trichotillomania

The National Council for Hypnotherapy (NCH) has published a small study on the effect of hypnotherapy on trichotillomania sufferers, all children in this case.

Trichotillomania, also known as either TTM or trich, is an impulse disorder commonly found in young children although also affecting adults. The sufferer often pulls at their hair, eyelashes or other body hair leaving bald patches.

Some classify this as a habit, similar to nail biting, and others believe it is more stress-related or a mental disorder similar to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Experts disagree over the best method of treatment.

Treatment in the form of hypnosis is usually done either in the form of metaphors, a typically Ericksonian approach, to tone down the aggressive behaviour and migrate this into self preservation or aversion therapy, where the behaviour is linked to nauseating feelings.

This small study, however, involved children that the hypnotherapist felt were expressing repressed anger through the outlet of trichotillomania. Therefore, method chosen was a more non-adversarial approach, telling the child that they had complete awareness and autonomy over whether or not they would pull at their hair and how they chose to care for this part of themselves. Confidence boosting imagery and suggestions were given to enhance this.

Parents were required to no longer comment about, criticise nor punish the child for hair pulling, whether they chose to pull their hair or not. Within 5-7 visits, each child stopped their unwanted behaviour and at 6 months follow up none has relapsed.

The NCH article neglects to mention the name of the hypnotherapist involved. Few details are given on the sufferers involved in the study, presumably to protect identities as the study involved only 3 children, although it emphasises that the cases were considered not to have OCD tendencies, in which case their ability for decision-making could be impaired.