Workshop Schedule | About the Presenters | Who Should Attend | About TLC

Join TLC Founder and recovered puller/picker Christina Pearson, John Piacentini, PhD, Director of the UCLA Child OCD, Anxiety, and Tic Disorders Program, and Tara Peris, PhD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the UCLA Geffen School of Medicine/Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, for a day-long workshop on living with, and healing from, hair pulling & skin picking.

Presentations for adults, teens and parents will cover important new research findings to experiential hands-on exercises that can help shift perspectives.

This one-day session offers a powerful educational experience for sufferers, family members, and interested professionals. Attendees will develop new insight into WHY it can be so difficult to alter these behaviors, and also learn about emerging understanding of more effective ways to both live with, and heal from, these problems. 

"Had no idea it would be so helpful..." S.R., Dallas, TX workshop attendee

PLEASE NOTE: On-Campus parking is an additional $11.00, paid directly to the UCLA parking attendant.

LUNCH is on your own. Several optins available on-campus or in Westwood (about a 10-15 minute walk). Brown bags welcome!

This workshop is for adults and teens age 14 and older who are affected by hair pulling, skin picking and related problems, as well as parents, spouses, partners and support persons. Limited partial scholarships and payment plans are avaialble. Scroll to the bottom for information.

10:00am - 10:30am:

Opening welcome / introductions / orientation exercise

10:30am - 11:45am:

Brief Overview of Current Treatment Trends & Recent Research Findings
John Piacentini, PhD

Dr. Piacentini will provide an up-to-date overview of the epidemiology, causes, functional impact, and most effective emerging treatment approaches currently available for the Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs) of hair pulling and skin picking. He will present on some of the groundbreaking research that TLC is involved in, and review emerging scientific developments that have the promise to help find new ways to understand and treat BFRBs.

Teen Talk: Strategic Tools for Coping with Picking & Pulling
Tara Peris, PhD

For TEENS Only! This breakout session will provide an opportunity for teens to share experiences with picking and pulling, and talk about what has helped and what hasn't. There will be an opportunity to learn about new treatment approaches and discuss treatment obstacles and successes of your own. We'll answer questions, offer support, and trade helpful tips for managing impulses to pull or pick.  

11:45am - 1:00pm: LUNCH ON YOUR OWN
Please bring a brown bag lunch, or plan to walk 10-15 minutes to either the student union (which offers your usual college campus fare) or Westlake Village (a downtown area with several restaurants)

1:00pm - 2:15pm:

What Good Cognitive Behavioral Treatment (CBT) looks like & how to find it
John Piacentini, PhD

Current scientific research suggests CBT is the most effective approach to treating BFRBs. Yes, better than any medication! In this session, Dr. Piacentini will review what CBT is and how it works. The specific techniques common to good CBT for BFRBs will be presented as will a number of more recent techniques such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). CBT for commonly co-occurring problems such as anxiety and depression will also be briefly described. Ways to differentiate good CBT from bad CBT and the questions you should ask any prospective therapist to determine the quality of treatment he/she is likely to provide, will be reviewed.

From the Inside Out: Navigating the Teen years
Christina Pearson

 Join Christina, a recovered hair puller and skin picker, to discuss the ups and downs of being a teenager while also having to deal with a Body Focused Repetitive Behavior (BFRB). Learn some useful techniques for being less reactive when an impulse does arise, and share ideas for maintaining motivation, dealing with school, parents, friends, and life in general! 

2:15pm – 2:45pm: ½ hour BREAK

2:45pm – 4:00pm:

Mindfulness, Motivation, & Maintaining Success in Relapse & Recovery
Christina Pearson

For attendees struggling with a BFRB, this session will focus on the realities of living with the ebb & flow of a chronic behavioral condition. How do we avoid the dangers of forgetfulness and denial that can trip us up when we are doing well, and how do we extricate ourselves from the desolate pitfalls of relapse and get back on track? Practical exercises and useful self-evaluation strategies that helped Christina on her own path to a sustainable recovery will be shared and discussed. Handouts will be available.

Helpful Parenting Perspectives & Strategies
Tara Peris, PhD

This session will focus on providing parents with further information about parenting a child with hair pulling or skin picking problems. We'll answer questions, offer support, and cover a range of parenting topics. In particular, we'll discuss how to monitor symptoms and talk about these issues with your child, how to manage the emotions it stirs up at home, and how to support treatment exercises while still granting kids space and autonomy.

4:00pm – 5:00pm:

Closing Q & A & Wrap-up

 The last session will start with a brief Q & A with today’s presenters: Dr. John Piacentini, a leading researcher in the field and a member of the TLC Scientific Advisory Board; Christina Pearson, someone who has lived with the disorders and maintained long-term recovery, and Dr. Tara Peris, whose primary focus is on improving treatment outcomes for the whole family. Next, highlights of the day will be discussed, followed by networking and how getting more involved with TLC can enhance your recovery process.

About the Presenters

John Piacentini, PhD, is Professor of Psychiatry and BioBehahavioral Sciences at the UCLA Geffen School of Medicine and Director of the UCLA Child OCD, Anxiety, and Tic Disorders Program. He is a member of TLC's Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), The Anxiety Disorders Association of America SAB, and Chair of the Tourette Syndrome Association Behavioral Sciences Consortium. He has received multiple grants and authored and co-authored numerous papers, chapters, and books on the treatment of childhood OCD, anxiety, tics, and TTM including Cognitive Behavioral Treatment of Childhood OCD: Therapist Guide and Child Workbook and Managing Tourette Syndrome: A Behavioral Intervention.

Tara Peris, PhD, is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences at the UCLA Geffen School of Medicine/Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior. Her clinical specialties include evidence-based assessment and treatment of childhood OCD, anxiety, and trichotillomania. Her research focuses on strategies for integrating families in treatment more effectively. She is the recipient of an NIMH career development award and a NARSAD Young Investigator Award.

Christina Pearson, Founder, Trichotillomania Learning Center

Christina Pearson is the Founding Director of the Trichotillomania Learning Center, a national nonprofit organization she founded in 1991. Christina grew up with both trichotillomania and skin picking, and is no longer controlled by these compulsions, which she attributes to the recovery work she has done over the past 20 years. Christina is a dynamic advocate for effective treatment, and consults with practitioners nationwide. She was involved in organizing the TLC Genetics Consortium and Field Study, consulted on 5 NIMH trich-related grants, and brought together the world’s leading researchers and clinicians to develop a deeper understanding of these behaviors. In pursuit of her goal to develop resources, she has designed a series of workshops for those who seek recovery. She recently published her first book, Pearls: Meditations on Recovery from Hair Pulling and Skin Picking, and is hard at work on her next writing project. Christina presents regularly at conferences, workshops and retreats around the country, and has worked with thousands struggling with compulsive hair pulling and skin picking.

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.

To apply, email leslie@trich.org with the following information:

1. What do you hope to gain from attending the workshop?

2. Why are you requesting financial assistance?

3. Names and ages of all applying for assistance.

4. Location from where you are traveling (if applicable)

Applications will be accepted until Nov. 21. Applicants will be notified of the award amount no later than Nov. 28. Due to the overwhelming number of applications we receive, and the limited number of scholarships available, payment plans may be offered in lieu of scholarships. Scholarships average approx. $30/person and are subject to change.

For more information, contact the TLC office.

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.