Trich Talks!

Holly Johnson (@trich.journey) returns to the podcast one year later, opening up about how her journey with BFRBs has evolved since her last appearance. She shares the highs, and the real, unfiltered growth she’s experienced along the way—offering insight, honesty, and hope for anyone navigating their own path. This episode is pure motivation. Follow Holly’s walking page @mindfulmilesclub_ Listen...

After struggling for years with skin/nail picking personally, as well as noticing the issue come up again and again in her professional life working in behavioral health, Emma (@tranquilitips) is now working to build something new to support this community. TranquiliTips are cuticle protectors that work by creating a barrier to protect the skin, while redirecting picking motions to the sleeve rath...

Today’s episode of Trich Talks is a special one. Barbara reads from The Trichster Diaries and she officially comes to the end of the book. In this episode, she opens up about what it was like sharing her trichotillomania with her husband (then her new boyfriend!)—something that felt scary, vulnerable, and ultimately so freeing. He even makes a little cameo, which makes this episode extra meaningfu...

In today’s episode of Trich Talks , Barbara reads from her memoir, The Trichster Diaries . She highlights the small but meaningful moments of connection that help break the silence around trichotillomania, while also embracing the humor in the unexpected ways it shows up—or doesn’t—in daily life. Through it all, she reminds us just how powerful it can be to share our experiences with trusted frien...

Aleshia Wisch (@thealeshiawisch) has lived with trichotillomania for decades and now helps women heal through nervous-system–first support rooted in lived experience. She is the founder of the Becoming Her Movement and is passionate about helping women move out of shame and into safety, self-trust, and real change—without relying on willpower or self-blame. — Living with a BFRB isn’t about willpow...

Aleshia Wisch (@thealeshiawisch) has lived with trichotillomania for decades and now helps women heal through nervous-system–first support rooted in lived experience. She is the founder of the Becoming Her Movement and is passionate about helping women move out of shame and into safety, self-trust, and real change—without relying on willpower or self-blame. — Living with a BFRB isn’t about willpow...

In this episode of Trich Talks , Barbara reads from The Trichster Diaries and opens up about her struggle with hair pulling while working as a classroom teacher. Standing in front of students each day while privately — or maybe not so privately — battling urges took an emotional toll. She reflects on what it felt like to remain in a role she knew was negatively impacting her trichotillomania, yet...

In this episode of Trich Talks , Barbara reads from The Trichster Diaries and reflects on the different places and situations that used to trigger her hair pulling. From the car to the bathroom to post-dance recitals, she shares the environments that sparked the urge and the compulsive need to check the mirror after each pull. Barbara explores the cycle of pulling → checking → shame, and the emoti...

Jessie Hannah (@barebecoming) has lived with a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB) for over 25 years, beginning at age seven. For much of her life, she believed it was something she should be able to control through willpower alone, a belief that kept her stuck in silence and shame. Everything shifted when she participated in group CBT for BFRBs and experienced, for the first time, what it fel...

Steven Goddard (@bearsy84) is a London-based man in his 40s who has been living with trichotillomania for over 25 years. Through his experience, Steven has come to recognize how deeply trich impacts men, despite being far less openly discussed than it is among women. He speaks candidly about the stigma, isolation, and pressure many men feel to keep their struggles private, and the toll that silenc...

On today’s episode of Trich Talks , Barbara reads from her book The Trichster Diaries and revisits the tips and tricks she once relied on to manage trichotillomania. More than six years later, she reflects on which strategies still hold up, which ones she’s outgrown, and how her understanding of recovery has evolved. The episode is filled with honesty, humor, and perspective, inviting listeners to...

On today’s episode of Trich Talks , Barbara reads an excerpt from The Trichster Diaries and reflects on why the concept of being “pull-free” doesn’t fully make sense for her. She explores how recovery is often framed in all-or-nothing terms, why that narrative can feel limiting or even harmful, and what redefining healing has looked like over time. The episode invites listeners to consider their o...

Amaya (@lemuriidae) has had BFRBs since early childhood, and embraces the bald life. They are pursuing a degree in research psychology, and would like to study BFRBs in the future to improve our understanding of these often overlooked conditions. In their (somewhat limited) spare time they love to cook, make art, dance, and hang out with their pet snake named Dirt. — Living with a BFRB isn’t about...

Based in Northern California, Isa (@isabellahhh.__b) is a student studying digital marketing and psychology, two of her favorite passions. She started her account to raise awareness and show transparency for mental health, joy in everyday life, and her faith is super important to her. Opportunities like Trich Talks is something Isa has always wanted to be a part of, so this is such a blessing! ———...

In this first episode of Season 6, Barbara shares the story of how Trich Talks began: a podcast born from the need to hear real stories, honest conversations, and the voices of people living with trichotillomania and other body-focused repetitive behaviors. She talks about why storytelling has always been so important to her, and how it helped her feel seen, understood, and less alone. This season...

In today’s episode of Trich Talks , Barbara answers listener questions on a range of topics — including how the Keen2 works, whether she has experienced changes in hair regrowth after long-term pulling, and her New Year’s resolution. Ring in the new year with a conversation led by someone who truly understands the trichotillomania experience. — This episode is brought to you by HabitAware. My Keen...

In today’s episode, Barbara reads from her book, The Trichster Diaries . She shares deeper, more personal reflections on living with trichotillomania, speaking openly about self-acceptance, the importance of honesty, and the complexity of acknowledging feelings that don’t fit neatly into recovery narratives. Rather than framing this awareness as something to hide or fix, the conversation centers o...

Angela Hartlin @angelahartlin is a mental health advocate from Nova Scotia, Canada, and author of FOREVER MARKED: A Dermatillomania Diary . She stars in the only documentary about compulsive skin picking, Scars of Shame , and received treatment for the condition after appearing on the CBS daytime talk show, The Doctors. Angela was published in Mabuse-Verlag’s 2022 German compilation of recovery st...

Laura Hope (@hopeandhealingcoach), psych PA-C & BFRB coach, combines clinical expertise with lived trichotillomania experience to empower the BFRB community through habit coaching, support groups, and a BFRB Salon & Spa Directory. Learn more by visiting hopeandhealingcoach.com — This episode is brought to you by HabitAware. My Keen2 brings awareness to my trichotillomania by giving my wris...

In this episode, Barbara reads from The Trichster Diaries , offering more glimpses into her life with trichotillomania, a hair-pulling disorder she’s learned to navigate with honesty and humor. She reflects on the layered emotions of reconnecting with someone from her past and what it meant to open up about her experience in a way she never had before. Barbara also talks about the surprising feeli...

In this heartfelt episode, Barbara reads from her memoir The Trichster Diaries , sharing an intimate look into her college years. Barbara reflects on a time filled with growth, new independence, lasting friendships, and the joy of discovering who she was becoming as a young adult. Alongside these defining experiences, she also opens up about navigating life with trichotillomania during this transf...

Charlene’s @helpme2stop mission to transform TTM care comes from her blend of artistry, holistic understanding, and belief that hair can recover. After studying nursing and beginning her career as a hair extension specialist in 1991, she shifted to advanced hair replacement—but quickly rejected traditional methods that required shaving natural hair. Her philosophy became simple: preserve, don’t de...

Sonja @the_curiousquill25 is a young adult and mental health advocate who openly shares her experiences living with symptoms of trichotillomania, even without a formal diagnosis. Through her journey, she has learned the power of self-awareness, compassion, and resilience, and now uses her platform to help others do the same. On her Instagram page, she explores topics like growth mindset and mental...

In today’s episode, Barbara returns to The Trichster Diaries. She talks about wearing synthetic hair extensions to cover her thinning hair, swimming in the ocean with sunglasses on to hide her eyelashless eyelids, and the constant effort to appear “normal.” As she prepares to enter college, Barbara reflects on the strange sense of peace that comes with letting go of old pressures and stepping into...

In this episode of Trich Talks , Barbara dives into your most thoughtful and relatable questions. From finding ways to feel lovable and beautiful even when pulling starts to get tough again, to sharing her most “necessary” (and yes, sometimes expensive!) Trich Tax, Barbara opens up with honesty, humor, and heart. Tune in for real talk, gentle encouragement, and the reminder that you’re never alone...