Trager Approach and Relaxation for Compulsive Picking

A movement re-education and relaxation approach quite similar to the Feldenkrais Method is Trager Approach. Similarly to Feldenkrais, Trager Approach was also the creation (and namesake) of one man — in this case physician Milton Trager. When used in a comprehensive plan to attack anxiety and stress, Trager exercises can help alleviate the physical symptoms and manifestations of a compulsive picking disorder.

Key elements of Trager therapy that differ from other alternative compulsive picking therapies:

• The practitioner-customer relationship in Trager is that of a “Teacher->Student”, not “Therapist->Patient”
• Trager Approach focuses on educating the student on better movement patterns, using rote learning methods — i.e. students repetitively perform exercises until they become ingrained as a better habit of movement

Though Trager has been more documented as a successful treatment for disorders related to compulsive finger picking — such as trichotillomania and stereotypic movement disorder — there is no reason it shouldn’t be tried for compulsive finger picking as well. The principles of relaxation and meditation together with habit reversal (kicking one bad habit by displacing it with a better one — such as more free graceful movements) are sound.