What are common types of body focused repetitive behaviors?

Body focused repetitive behaviors include actions such as hair pulling, skin picking, and nail biting. These behaviors are often repetitive and can feel difficult to control without structured support and treatment strategies.

Can therapy help reduce the frequency of these behaviors?

Yes, therapy focuses on increasing awareness and introducing structured techniques that help reduce behaviors over time. With consistent practice, many individuals experience improved control and fewer disruptions in daily life.

Is treatment available for younger children and teens?

Yes, therapy is available for children and adolescents. Plans are adapted based on age and developmental needs, and caregiver involvement may be included to support progress at home.

How long does treatment for BFRBs typically take?

The length of treatment varies depending on the individual, severity of symptoms, and consistency of sessions. Many clients see gradual improvement over time as they continue to practice new strategies.

Tics & BFRB Treatments | OCD Wellness

Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviours (BFRBs) Look Different for Everyone

There isn't just one reason why someone picks their skin or pulls their hair. In fact, most people experience a combination of different patterns over time.

BFRBs may be:

Intentional: Done on purpose to achieve a specific goal, such as removing an "imperfect" hair, smoothing the skin, or making something feel "just right."

Emotionally driven: Triggered by stress, anxiety, boredom, frustration, or other difficult emotions. Picking or pulling may temporarily relieve tension or uncomfortable urges.

Automatic: Occurring outside of conscious awareness while reading, studying, watching TV, working on the computer, driving, or talking on the phone. Many people don't realize they're engaging in the behaviour until after it has happened.

Most individuals experience a combination of these patterns rather than just one. Understanding when, where, and why the behaviour occurs is an important first step in treatment. This allows therapy to target the specific triggers and habits that keep the behaviour going, helping you build healthier ways to respond while reducing the urge to pick or pull.

Habit Reversal Training (HRT)

Habit Reversal Training (HRT) is one of the most effective, evidence-based treatments for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviours (BFRBs), including skin picking and hair pulling. It helps individuals become more aware of their behaviours, recognize urges before they occur, and develop practical strategies to respond differently.

The Core Components of HRT

Awareness Training

Learn to recognize the situations, thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, and urges that lead to picking or pulling. Increasing awareness is often the first step toward lasting change.

Competing Response Training

Work with your therapist to develop an alternative behaviour that is incompatible with picking or pulling. This response is practiced whenever an urge arises, helping to interrupt the habit over time.

Support & Accountability

When appropriate, family members or other supports can be involved to provide encouragement, reinforce progress, and help you stay on track between sessions.

While HRT is considered the foundation of treatment for BFRBs, lasting improvement is often achieved by combining it with additional evidence-based strategies that address the emotional, sensory, cognitive, and environmental factors maintaining the behaviour. At OCD Wellness, treatment is individualized to help you build skills that lead to meaningful, long-term change.

Benefits of Treatment:

Reduce the frequency and severity of behaviors such as hair pulling, skin picking, or nail biting.
Increase awareness and control over urges with practical, evidence-based strategies.
Lower feelings of shame, guilt, or isolation often tied to BFRBs.
Improve confidence and self-esteem by developing healthier coping tools.
Enhance daily functioning at school, work, and in relationships.
Support families in understanding BFRBs and creating a compassionate environment.
Promote long-term well-being by addressing both the behaviors and related emot

A tic is a sudden, repetitive, involuntary movement or sound that can be hard to control. Tics are not rhythmic and involve discrete muscle groups. Common tics include rapid or hard eye blinking, throat clearing, sniffing. Studies note, that 50% of children with OCD experience Tic behaviours. Tics can be worsened by increased stress and anxiety. Learning the proper tools and developing confidence around the tics can aid in helping one feel in control.

At OCD Wellness, we offer Comprehensive Behavioral Intervention for Tics (CBIT), a highly effective, evidence-based treatment that helps individuals gain greater control over how they respond to tic urges through awareness training and competing response strategies. Rather than trying to "stop" tics through willpower, CBIT teaches practical skills to recognize early urges, respond differently, and reduce the impact tics have on daily life. Treatment is individualized and may also include identifying environmental factors that influence tics, building coping strategies, and supporting confidence at school, work, and home.

Benefits of Treatment:

Improved control and awareness of tic urges through evidence-based strategies.
Reduced frequency and intensity of motor and vocal tics.
Better daily functioning at school, work, and in social settings.
Decreased stress and anxiety, which often worsen tic symptoms.
Increased confidence and self-esteem by learning practical coping tools.
Support for families in understanding tic disorders and fostering a more supportive environment.
Enhanced overall well-being by addressing both tics and related mental health concerns.

This service is designed for individuals of all ages who are experiencing tics or body focused repetitive behaviors. Each treatment plan is tailored to the individual, ensuring that strategies are appropriate for their age, experiences, and comfort level.

For younger clients, sessions may include caregiver involvement to help reinforce strategies at home. This additional support can improve consistency and strengthen progress outside of therapy sessions.

By adapting treatment to each individual, we create a supportive and effective path toward managing behaviors and improving overall well being.

Progress begins with increased awareness and continues through consistent practice of new strategies. Clients learn to recognize early signs of behaviors and respond with techniques that reduce their frequency and intensity.

Over time, this leads to improved control, reduced disruption, and greater confidence in managing daily situations. The focus is not only on reducing behaviors but also on helping clients feel more in control of their actions.

Therapy reinforces skills with ongoing support, ensuring that progress continues beyond each session.

What are common types of body focused repetitive behaviors?
Body focused repetitive behaviors include actions such as hair pulling, skin picking, and nail biting. These behaviors are often repetitive and can feel difficult to control without structured support and treatment strategies.
Can therapy help reduce the frequency of these behaviors?
Yes, therapy focuses on increasing awareness and introducing structured techniques that help reduce behaviors over time. With consistent practice, many individuals experience improved control and fewer disruptions in daily life.
Is treatment available for younger children and teens?
Yes, therapy is available for children and adolescents. Plans are adapted based on age and developmental needs, and caregiver involvement may be included to support progress at home.
How long does treatment for BFRBs typically take?
The length of treatment varies depending on the individual, severity of symptoms, and consistency of sessions. Many clients see gradual improvement over time as they continue to practice new strategies.