Many people who struggle with skin picking describe slipping into a trance-like state — only becoming aware once time has passed or the damage is done. These moments can feel confusing, frustrating, and deeply upsetting.In this webinar, using research and lived experience, we’ll explore the science behind these “picking trances,” why they happen, and how dissociation and focused attention play a role.

We'll explore how hormonal changes across the menstrual cycle can influence BFRB urges, helping normalize fluctuations and reduce self-blame. Using an ACT approach, we’ll connect body, emotions, and behavior to explain why urges change. Participants will learn flexible, phase-based strategies to respond with awareness and self-compassion rather than control.

If excoriation disorder (skin picking) has ever felt addictive, hard to stop, relieving in the moment, and frustrating afterward, you’re not alone.In this two-part webinar, we explore what addiction recovery can teach us about skin picking. We’ll look at why willpower often isn’t enough, how the brain gets stuck in repetitive cycles, and how approaches like harm reduction and stimulus control can support real change.The goal isn’t to label or shame. It’s to reduce stigma, increase understanding, and offer practical ways to loosen the grip of skin picking.

In Part 2, we focus on the how. Building on the understanding from Part 1, this session translates proven strategies from addiction recovery into practical tools for managing skin picking.We’ll explore how to apply approaches like harm reduction, stimulus control, and behaviour change in everyday life, with an emphasis on realistic steps rather than perfection. The aim is to help you move from insight to action, using strategies that support change with compassion and flexibility.

In this conversation, Meryl and Laura come together to talk openly about skin picking and hair pulling (BFRBS) from different, deeply personal perspectives.Meryl shares her experience as a counsellor and Chief Community Officer at SkinPick, as well as a parent of children who live with skin picking and hair pulling. Laura brings her voice as a SkinPick therapist who also lives with trichotillomania herself.Together, they reflect on what it’s like to support, treat, and live with these conditions. This session isn’t about techniques or “fixing” behaviour. It’s about understanding, compassion, and the realities that don’t always make it into clinical explanations.A space for honesty, connection, and feeling less alone.