Mental Health Professionals
The people most interested in seeing you recover from your compulsive picking habit are, in order of most-to-least concern:
Those closest to you emotionally are your best allies in conquering a compulsive skin picking or finger picking habit. But depending on your relationships with these people, they can also be a hindrance — even a cause — of a chronic picking habit.
Your therapist — on the other hand — is a professional paid to be on your side and solve your problems. For those nervous about the potential cost of a psychotherapist — the value of the strictly professional relationship you will have with your therapist should weigh heavily when making the decision to go ahead with therapy for compulsive picking.
Mental health professions span the gamut from:
- Behaviorists – these therapists focus on tactical methods to reduce undesired behaviors (dermatillomania, trichotillomania, nail biting, etc). Behavior Modification, Stimulus Control, Habit Reversal Training, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP) — these are all behavior-focused regimens meant to eliminate or reduce unwanted compulsive behavior.
- Cognitive Therapists — a more process-oriented discipline, the cognitive approach focuses on the thoughts and “cognitions” that are associated with compulsive behaviors.
- Hybrid Therapists — Taking a holistic approach to treating impulse control and anxiety disorders, Cognitive Behavioral Therapists combine the best and most effective techniques from the behavioral and cognitive disciplines.