Review
“This is a much-needed book, written at long last by acknowledged experts possessed of extensive experience. It represents the next wave in BFRB treatment. While comprehensive treatment has been transformative and has been utilized and taught for years, it was not widely accessible to sufferers or clinicians. This book will finally change all that. Countless sufferers will surely benefit from the availability of the know-how this book contains. I will recommend it to everyone, and I give it my highest endorsement.”
—Fred Penzel, PhD, licensed psychologist with thirty-eight years’ experience in treating BFRBs; author of The Hair Pulling Problem; executive director of Western Suffolk Psychological Services in Huntington, NY; and founding member of the Science Advisory Board of The TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors
“A long-awaited gift that did not disappoint. Written in a conversational and compassionate style, the authors share practical information that can help the reader create a customized and comprehensive behavioral plan to best manage their BFRB symptoms. Many helpful ideas and self-awareness tools are shared to offer structure and guidance during this healing journey.”
—Renae Reinardy, PsyD, director of Lakeside Center for Behavioral Change; project developer for www.couragecritters.com, and board member of The TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors
“This is the definitive guide for those who pick or pull. Within these pages, you will first learn the specific challenges that face everyone in your situation. Then you will be guided through concrete steps—the same ones that thousands of people have taken—to win control over your urges, including a ‘take-action’ attitude that will support you during those tempting times. If you feel overwhelmed by the prospect of taking on your problem—even if you don’t feel ready to take action—start by reading this inspiring book.”
—Reid Wilson, PhD, author of Stopping the Noise in Your Head
“An incredibly helpful and must-have self-help resource for anyone seeking relief from problematic hair pulling or skin picking. Written by expert clinicians, this highly readable book presents a comprehensive behavioral treatment program (ComB) that addresses the sensory, cognitive, emotional, physical, and environmental aspects of pulling and picking. Accompanying forms and worksheets guide readers through clearly described treatment steps, which are also illustrated by a series of informative case examples. Additional chapters provide valuable information about increasing treatment motivation, maintaining treatment gains, and managing hair, skin, and nail health.”
—John Piacentini, PhD, ABPP, professor of psychiatry at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior, and director of the Semel Institute’s Child OCD, Anxiety, and Tic Disorders Program Clinic
“An excellent, practical self-help program that brings dignity to those who suffer from BFRBs. It is filled with clinical pearls that come from the authors’ years of experience on the forefront of working with and understanding real people with BFRBs. Their commitment to helping sufferers shines through in this tailored approach to each person’s unique blend of triggers, and the focus on reaching beyond the condition to the whole person. As a professional, I have relied on their ComB approach for many years, and highly recommend it!”
—Aureen Pinto Wagner, PhD, director of The Anxiety Wellness Center in Cary, NC; and author of Up and Down the Worry Hill, Worried No More, and What to Do When Your Child has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
“This is a much-needed, wonderfully written book for anyone who suffers with a BFRB. Written by three experts in the field who are pioneers in the conceptualization and treatment of these often-misunderstood behaviors, it is a clinical triumph! Drawing from decades of experience, the authors provide an easy-to-use, step-by-step guide to help sufferers develop a cutting-edge plan for overcoming their hair pulling or skin picking behavior. The approach is comprehensive, compassionate, and informed by years of clinical wisdom. Overcoming Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors will impact the lives of everyone who reads it.”
—Suzanne Mouton-Odum, PhD, clinical assistant professor at Baylor College of Medicine; director of Psychology Houston, PC; and coauthor of A Parent Guide to Hair Pulling Disorder and Out of the Rabbit Hole
“This book will make a great contribution to the body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB) community. Its clear explanation of the comprehensive model for behavioral treatment (ComB) and step-by-step procedural instructions make it a user-friendly guide to reducing hair pulling or skin picking. The principles and methods are brought to life throughout via relatable case descriptions.”
—David A. F. Haaga, PhD, professor in the department of psychology at American University, and member of the Scientific Advisory Board of The TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors
“This comprehensive and practical guide to self-care is a godsend for people with BFRBs. The information and treatment techniques offered reflect well the extraordinary wisdom, skill, and down-to-earth styles of the authors, who know as much or more about this topic as anyone in the world. The treatment presented (ComB) is a well-studied, person-centered approach that allows readers to understand their own patterns of behavior and choose from a range of techniques that best match their experiences. Clinical vignettes and plenty of practical material bring this treatment alive for people suffering with BFRBs.”
—Melinda A. Stanley, PhD, distinguished emeritus professor in the department of psychiatry and behavioral Sciences at Baylor College of Medicine
“Overcoming Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors is an easy-to-read, step-by-step, self-directed treatment guide. Based on research-supported cognitive behavioral principles, this excellent, practical handbook provides readers with the essentials to understanding their BFRBs, and leads them to discover strategies for implementing effective action plans. Easy-to-use worksheets and intervention strategy lists provide valuable tools for increasing awareness, monitoring experiences, and developing targeted, individualized interventions. A compassionate and empowering writing style and relatable examples offer hope and much-needed support. Readers will undoubtedly benefit from this fundamental, comprehensive self-help guide—a ‘must-have’ for those struggling with hair pulling, skin picking, nail biting, or other BFRB.”
—Marla W. Deibler, PsyD, founder and executive director at The Center for Emotional Health of Greater Philadelphia, and executive board member and faculty member of the Professional Training Institute (PTI) at The TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors
“Finally! A self-help workbook for BFRBs, authored by three of the professionals most qualified to write it! Stripped of their titles and degrees, Charley, Sherrie, and Ruth introduce themselves with the kind of personal warmth and empathy so prevalent at the TLC retreats. Overcoming Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors is not only a great introduction and review of the ComB model for treating these disorders, but through case examples, homework illustrations, and motivation building, the authors guide the reader through the transformation of this model into a self-tailored treatment program. I highly recommend this workbook for those who struggle with, live with, or work with BFRBs!”
—Allen H. Weg, EdD, founder and director of Stress and Anxiety Services of New Jersey; faculty member of The TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors’ Professional Training Institute (PTI); and president of OCD New Jersey, an affiliate of the International OCD Foundation
About the Author
Ruth Goldfinger Golomb, LCPC, is a senior clinician with the Behavior Therapy Center of Greater Washington. She has specialized in providing CBT for people with a wide range of clinical disorders since the mid-eighties. She is a member of The TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors Scientific Advisory Board. She regularly presents at professional workshops, meetings, and conferences. She is coauthor of The Hair Pulling "Habit" and You, Stay Out of My Hair, and Psychological Interventions for Children with Sensory Dysregulation. Charles S. Mansueto, PhD, is founder and director of the Behavior Therapy Center of Greater Washington, a leading center for the treatment of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders. He has over thirty-five years of experience providing cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) for a broad range of clinical problems. He has written extensively and presented nationally and internationally on obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and related disorders. He is past president and currently serves as a member of the Scientific Advisory Board of The TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors. He is also a member of the Scientific and Clinical Advisory Board of the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF); and of OCD Mid-Atlantic, an IOCDF affiliate. He retired as a tenured professor of psychology after thirty-six years in the University System of Maryland. Sherrie Mansfield Vavrichek, LCSW-C, is a senior clinician at the Behavior Therapy Center of Greater Washington. She specializes in CBT for body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB) and a wide range of clinical problems. She integrates mindfulness, meditation, and Buddhist philosophy in her CBT practice and in her life. She is the author of The Guide to Compassionate Assertiveness and coauthor of The Hair Pulling "Habit" and You. She has presented at national conferences on numerous mental health topics, including compassionate assertiveness.
