TrichStop is the world’s leading platform for Trichotillomania treatment

Our Mission

We’re the go-to online community for people suffering from compulsive hair pulling.

At TrichStop, we believe that everyone should have access to the tools they need to find treatment and develop coping skills that will help them live their best life.

Our Team

The people behind TrichStop include experienced and accredited psychologists (Psy.D), marriage and family therapists (LMFT), professional counselors (LPC), clinical social workers (LCSW), editors, and advisors.

Michaela Chatzimanoli

Clinical Psychologist

Michaela is a Clinical Psychologist, trained in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy during her Masters at Leiden University, in the Netherlands. She is also a graduate of the TLC foundation Professional Training Institute (BFRB.org). Her work interest and experience is placed on Attachment Disorders, Psychosomatic Complaints and research, while treating addiction, Eating Disorders, Depression and anxiety-stress related complaints.

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Tasneem Abrahams

Occupational Therapist

Tasneem graduated from the University of Cape Town, South Africa in 2002 with a Bachelor of Science in Occupational Therapy. She is also a graduate of the TLC foundation Professional Training Institute (BFRB.org).

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Ana Perović

Clinical Psychologist

Ana is a Clinical Psychologist and a Psychotherapist. She holds M.Sc. in Clinical Psychology with a background in mentalization and attachment theory. She is trained in in Personal Construct Psychotherapy within Serbian Constructivist Association in Belgrade, Serbia. Her personal interest in mindfulness practices along with a mindfulness training she completed within Association for Mental Health Promotion led to incorporating practices such as meditation and breathing exercises in her therapy work.

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Dr. Vladimir Miletić

MD, Psychotherapist

Vladimir is a psychotherapist and mindfulness instructor. He graduated from University of Belgrade's School of Medicine and trained in psychotherapy at the Serbian Constructivist Association where he taught constructivist psychology for several years, eventually becoming their consultant for borderline and psychotic states. In 2015 he edited the Handbook of LGBT Psychotherapy, the first gay-affirmative psychotherapy textbook in Serbia.

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Trudi Griffin

MA, LPC

Trudi Griffin is a Licensed Professional Counselor putting her clinical knowledge, experience, and passion for research to write about mental health. She earned a Master of Science degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling: Addictions and Mental Health from Marquette University (Milwaukee, WI), and is a double graduate of the University of Wisconsin Green Bay with Bachelor’s degrees in Communications and Psychology.

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Lindsay Meissner

clinical social worker

Lindsay is a clinical social worker who earned her masters degree from the Silberman School of Social Work at Hunter College.  Beginning as a youth camp counselor, her direct services experience now spans 13 organizations over 15 years. She has nine years of experience as a licensed social worker, and approximately seven as a clinical therapist for adults ages 18 and up.

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LaVerne Kalafor

Clinical Social Worker

LaVerne is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker/Therapist with many years of experience working with families and children, individuals and groups. Born and raised in New Jersey, she completed her MSW degree at Rutgers University and one of the first to become licensed as a NJ Clinical Social Worker in 1986. She earned a second masters level degree in 2000 as an Educational Specialist (Ed. S.) in Psychology at Rider University. She worked as a school psychologist and as a licensed clinical social work in both the public and private practice domains.

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Dr. Arthur S. Trotzky

Ph.D, LPC

Dr. Arthur S. Trotzky (Ph.D.), is an internationally known treatment specialist, well known for his work in addictions. Dr. Trotzky transitioned exclusively to Internet therapy after a successful and prestigious career. Dr. Trotzky was therapist and case manager in the Recovering Professionals Program at Ridgeview Institute in Smyrna, Georgia. Prior to his work at Ridgeview Institute, Dr. Trotzky was a senior staff therapist for a Child and Family Clinic for 27 years and Clinical Director of a first of a kind twelve-step rehabilitation center. Dr. Trotzky is an advisor to TrichStop.

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Dr. Margarida Rafael

Clinical Psychologist

Dr. Rafael got her doctorate degree in clinical psychology in 2017, and has worked in private practice ever since. She studied in Chicago, trained with medical and psychology researchers from Boston to Los Angeles, and is now based in Lisbon, Portugal. Most of her clinical experience is based on trauma related disorders and underlying anxiety problems. Through a relational approach, Dr. Rafael relies on empirical based knowledge and strategies in therapy while focusing on building a strong therapeutic alliance with her clients.

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Vedrana Mirkovic

clinical psychologist

Vedrana is a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist. She graduated from University of Novi Sad, Department of Psychology and is trained in Transactional-assimilative approach to psychotherapy and Sociopsychodrama. She is most interested in identity development and identity integration and qualitative research in psychology. She has experience in working with adolescents and their parents, especially concerning themes like sexual orientation and gender identity.

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Dr. R. Y. Langham

Ph.D, MFT

Dr. R. Y. Langham holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from Fisk University, a Master of Marriage and Family Therapy (M.M.F.T.) in Marriage and Family Therapy from Trevecca Nazarene University, and a Ph.D. in Family Psychology from Capella University. She is currently a family psychologist, medical, health & wellness contributor, copywriter, researcher and psychological consultant. Dr. R. Y.

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Katerina Nikolakopoulou

Clinical Psychologist

Katerina Nikolakopoulou, is a licensed clinical psychologist with a BSc degree in Psychology from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and a MSc in Cognitive Neuropsychology from the Vrije Universiteit van Amsterdam. She started running her own practice in Amsterdam in 2016 and moved her practice to Athens in 2020. Since 2018 she continued working on her education following a 4-year training to become a systemic psychotherapist.

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Dr. Dawn Ferrara

LPC, Psy.d, LMFT

With over 25 years of clinical practice, Dawn brings experience, education and a passion for educating others about mental health issues to her writing. She holds a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Counseling, a Doctorate in Psychology and is a Board-Certified Telemental Health Provider. Practicing as a Licensed Professional Counselor and Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Dawn worked with teens and adults, specializing in anxiety disorders, work-life issues, and family therapy.

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Ivana Savic

Psychologist

I am Ivana Savić, psychologist and psychotherapist. I have been actively working as a therapist for many years now, helping individuals and families to deal with various clinical issues, including body focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs), depression, grief and trauma. I graduated from the University of Belgrade and I was also trained as a systemic and family psychotherapist. Apart from working as a therapist, I’ve been supporting vulnerable groups in the society by being a part of non profit organizations that are promoting importance of mental health among youth.

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Daiana Cimpoies

Clinical Psychologist
My name is Daiana, I am a wife, a mother, a clinical psychologist and psychotherapist. I have a MSc degree in clinical psychology and counseling from the West University of Timisoara. I have been trained in CBT and EMDR Therapy and have almost 10 years of experience in working with children, adolescents and adults. My clinical journey started with autistic children and their families. Since then, I have helped people with anxiety related disorders, depression, impulse control disorders, PTSD and parenting difficulties.
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Laura Santner

LCSW, PTR

Laura Santner is a Clinical Social Worker and a Registered Poetry Therapist specializing in the treatment of Anxiety and Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors. She received her training at New York University and the International Federation for Biblio/Poetry Therapy. Laura Santner is a graduate from the Trichotillomania Learning Center's (TLC) Professional Training Institute and participated in TLC’s Early Clinician Award Program. Ms.

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Maya Schonbach

B.A. Psychology
Maya holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Reichman University in Israel and a Bachelor of Math from the University of Waterloo in Canada. Maya works with clients using psychodynamic approaches as well as various CBT interventions including ACT. Maya’s research focuses on OCD, specifically Relationship OCD, as well as transdiagnostic CBT protocols.
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Marlene Hidalgo

Clinical Psychologist

I studied Psychology at University of Costa Rica and worked at the outpatient division of the Children's National Hospital, as well with survivors to childhood cancer and their families. At Cornell I studied the processes of transmission from parental to non-parental roles in late adolescence with Urie Bronfenbrenner at the Human Development and Family Studies Department. Interested in Field Work and diversity across cultures I went on to study Cultural Anthropology at the New School for Social Research in New York.

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Take control of your life

Find freedom from hair pulling through professional therapy and evidence-based behavioral techniques.

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We’ve helped thousands of people

Average reduction in Trichotillomania symptoms
Symptom severity measured via the hair pulling test, taken every session
within 3 weeks
over 73 of clients experience reduction in symptoms
within 3 months
clients experience substantial reduction in symptoms of 41 on average (compared to symptom severity at the beginning of the program)

93
of clients who finish the main modules of the program would recommend TrichStop to others

Words from clients

January 2023

The experience was quite insightful and beneficial. It increased my capacity for empathy for myself and ultimately allowed me to live more happily. I would most definitely recommend it to anyone else who is interested in looking for help for trichotillomania, and in fact, I have already recommended it to patients.

April 2022

Yes, I would recommend this program. I have never met someone else with trich, but if I ever do, I would tell them about TrichStop with enthusiasm.
How would I summarize the program? Overall, it has been positive and illuminating. I have made a lot of progress toward managing my pulling, and I believe I have the tools I need to continue improving. I could not have done this by myself. For years, I thought I should be able to find a way to stop pulling by myself, but that is impossible. I really needed to learn about these techniques and organize strategies around my particular lifestyle.

January 2022

This program, and most significantly my therapist, really allowed me to explore and analyze the core of who I am and as a result, my pulling. While I had tried many other unsuccessful methods to stop myself from pulling, this program was truly helpful in my understanding of myself and why I pull and I will continue to reference practices learned here. I would definitely recommend to anyone who needs help with this behavior.

November 2021

This program was an incredibly positive experience. The tools and conversation were immensely helpful to address something not many people know about or understand. It often feels like with trich you have to pretend it's not there or that you are ok, and it was nice to talk about it. I would definitely recommend this program to someone else, if anything to know that someone understands and cares about what you are going through.

June 2021

This program has been very beneficial on my path to building happiness. It has made me challenge myself and focus not just on stopping this behaviour, but in realizing that it had stemmed from insecurities and unhappiness as part of the bigger picture. I’m beginning to work on what is really important- building happiness instead of looking for it. Yes I would recommend this program.

May 2021

I struggled with hair-pulling from the time I was a small child. At the time I didn't understand what was happening with me internally and neither did my parents or others around me. The Trichstop program has definitely changed my life. It is one of the best decisions I've made. I learned to become aware of the behavior and the settings and triggers that lead to the behavior. I now have the tools I need to live a life that is not dominated by hair-pulling. I have also learned so much more about myself thanks to the sessions with my therapist. I would 100% recommend the program to anyone who is seeking help with pulling-behavior. If you are dedicated to making the change and facing the things that are difficult to face, this program is going to work!

May 2021

Trichstop has met all my expectations and above! I have been struggling with hair pulling for most of my life. I have tried everything over the years and nothing has helped. I enjoyed the step by step guided program with the ongoing support of my therapist. I have a new understanding that have helped me navigate my hair pulling and other ongoing issues. I highly recommend this program to anyone ready to tackle their hair pulling.

April 2021

My experience with the program has been enlightening. I wasn't expecting it to be beneficial in multiple different areas of my life, but it certainly has been. Examining the causes and effects of my pulling has helped me identify areas of my life that needed change. I have learned a lot about myself, the ways in which my struggles are related, and how I can overcome them. I would definitely recommend the program to someone looking for help with their pulling behaviors. The approaches and techniques introduced in the program are varied, so I am sure most people would benefit from at least one of the sessions.

March 2021

In general, I had a great experience with this program and it allowed me to reduce the amount of pulling that I engage in. The online component made it easy to integrate into my schedule, especially in the middle of a pandemic. The fact that everything was done in written form allowed me to reflect on and adjust my answers before submitting them, which is something that would have been more difficult in person. More time is allowed for me to think about my answers to the therapist's questions when I have a week to get the session done. However, the fact that there was no explicit appointment for any of the sessions sometimes made it difficult to maintain the regular schedule. During busier weeks, this therapy was the first thing to go, which inevitably made the therapy a little bit less effective (I took several weeks off for the holidays). Overall, my pulling was reduced and I was given many strategies to cope with my anxiety; however, I do expect that my pulling with continue to reduce and I apply the strategies I've learned in this therapy. I would most definitely recommend this therapy to someone who needs the same type of help. I would recommend making sure that you have enough time for the coming months (more than the next 8 weeks, so as to allow for some time off if necessary). I don't think that this therapy would have been very effective for anyone who's not fully ready to immerse themselves in their negative thoughts and to spend a lot of time thinking about their bad habits and behaviors. My pulling has been one of the things that is constantly on my mind especially since I've started the program. In the long run, this will surely be helpful, but in the short-term, it can feel quite isolating.

January 2021

I have been struggling with Trichotillomania for more than 5 years, it started when I was around 12 years old. All these years, I tried to deal with it on my own. I tried to cover up the bald spots on my lashes and eyebrows, but I never attacked the problem at its source. I suddenly stopped pulling on my eyebrows after 2 years, but I could never stop pulling on my eyelashes. A few months ago, my partner and I came across Trichstop and I decided to give it a try. I was not sure about it at first because I did not like the idea that I would be doing therapy, but I ended up viewing it differently. It is a way to help myself, there is nothing wrong with it. When I started the sessions, I was super motivated and positive. I was very determined to finally stop pulling. Each of the sessions was super beneficial and made me learn so much about myself and my experience with Trichotillomania. It was amazing to always have someone who's qualified to talk to and explain what you are going through without any judgment. Today, I finished the main program and I have not pulled in more than 3 months! I am super happy. At the moment, I could not always see how each session was beneficial, but week after week I started noticing that I was internalizing some of the practices that I learned about. This is when I started seeing progress. The program is truly amazing and I advise anyone to do it if they are going through something similar. I am very grateful for Trichstop. Their program is well structured and they are dedicated to helping their clients.

Our Leadership

TrichStop is a Helping Minds Ltd. brand
Nathan Margulis
CEO
Eran Price
COO
Dr. Vladimir Miletić
CLINICAL LEAD

Get the support you need

Take control of your life and find freedom from hair pulling through professional therapy and evidence-based behavioral techniques.

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