I am a trauma-informed coach who helps people with Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs) holistically heal from the inside out. I’m also a survivor of dermatillomania and trichotillomania of over 25 years. When I say I understand the struggle and the hopelessness, I mean it with every cell in my body. I’ve lived this. I’ve bled for this. Literally.

And I’ve also healed this.

In this post I list the modalities, therapies, tools and techniques I tried, tested and experimented with on my personal journey of healing dermatillomania and trichotillomania (skin picking and hair pulling).

My Dark Knight of The Soul

I started picking and pulling around age 11. Throughout my entire adolescent and grown up life afterwards there wasn’t a single day I’d go without doing either behavior. By my late teens, I had bald patches on my head and scars all over my face, chest, and shoulders. What followed was a decade—essentially my entire 20s—lost to deep depression, physical and mental health issues, suicidal ideations, and what felt like a never-ending dark night of the soul. I didn’t just hit rock bottom—I set up camp.

Now 38, I’ve spent the last eight years based between Hawai’i and California while simultaneously traveling across 6 continents. That gave me unique access to both ends of the healing spectrum: indigenous wisdom and nature-based ancient practices from around the globe—AND the latest neuroscience, technology, and research-backed approaches of western psychology.

Today, I call Venice, CA home. It’s the little pocket of the world where none of the below tools are considered too “out there” or “woo woo.” And honestly, it has been a blessing. My community gave me permission to try everything. With no judgment, just support, encouragement, and - most importantly - access. That alone was healing.

A Reluctant Trauma Coach

Over time I trained and certified in over a dozen modalities myself—trauma-informed coaching, holistic health coaching, EFT tapping, hypnosis and more. Make no mistake though: I never intended to be a coach. I did it to help myself.

I’m a travel entrepreneur at heart—the founder of eco-luxury wellness hotel brand Heart Core Hotels and the sister nonprofit Heart Core Fund, which organizes travel experiences for kids who’ve never left their neighborhood. But after everything I learned on my own healing journey, I felt a moral responsibility to share what I had access to— for those who don’t. That’s the birth story of healbfrbs.com.

I’ve essentially turned my healing process into a living experiment.

Most of the modalities below might surprise you. Some may shock you. I hope at least one gives you a spark of possibility.

I’ve always lived my life in an unconventional way, so it makes sense that my healing was unconventional, too. I had a bigger vision—one that didn’t include spending my life picking, pulling, hiding, concealing and apologizing. So I did the uncomfortable. The scary. The unhinged. The things people whispered about. But slowly… it worked.

The modern and the ancient walk into a bar…

Without further ado, here is what I tried and tested on my journey to overcoming dermatillomania and trichotillomania, in no particular order:

Traditional talk therapy – didn’t make too much of a dent, but it’s where I first found language for my pain, and the courage to say it out loud.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) – helped me see the link between thoughts, feelings, and actions; and notice my patterns instead of being run by them.
Somatic trauma-informed therapy – taught me what I didn’t know: that my body remembers everything and needs to become part of the healing conversation. The body keeps the score.
IFS (Internal Family Systems) – helped me meet all my inner parts instead of trying to silence them.
Dance – when words failed, movement and music became my therapy.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) – helped release stored trauma by rewiring how my brain holds memories.
Habit Reversal Therapy – one of the few therapies made FOR BFRBs; it taught me how to replace, track, and interrupt automatic behaviors.
Biohacking – from red light therapy to cold plunges—I explored ways to regulate my nervous system with science.
Dietary changes & mind–gut connection – gut health changed my mental health. Food became medicine.
Journaling – my mind on paper. Often raw, always real.
Habit tracking – visibility creates accountability; you can’t change what you don’t measure.
Holotropic & other forms of breathwork - breath opened emotional portals I didn’t know existed.
Mindfulness + various forms of meditation – helped me become the observer, not the victim, of my thoughts.
10-day silent Vipassana retreat – no phone, no talking, no running. Just me and my mind—24 hours a day. Brutal. Transformative.
EFT tapping – emotional acupuncture without needles; surprisingly effective for calming impulses.
Hypnosis & hypnotherapy – reached places in my subconscious talk therapy could never touch.
NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming) – helped me rewire limiting beliefs and rewrite mental scripts.
Reiki, Chinese Medicine & energy healing – invited me to see the body as an energetic system, not just a physical one.

Amen Clinics brain scan — a literal look inside my brain at one of Dr. Daniel amen’s clinics; seeing neural patterns, overactive regions, and deficiencies validated that BFRBs weren’t “willpower problems,” but brain wiring issues that can be supported and changed.
Nootropics, adaptogenic mushrooms & cognitive-enhancing oils — lion’s mane, cordyceps, functional blends, and MCT oil helped improve focus, reduce brain fog, and support neuroplasticity so my brain could learn how not to pick and pull.
Red light therapy — both for skin healing (scar repair, inflammation reduction) and for mood regulation; light frequencies impact hormones, collagen, and nervous system calm.
Chiropractic adjustments (beyond spine alignment) — regular nervous system resets improved blood flow, brain-body communication, emotional release, and surprisingly, mental clarity and reduced compulsive urges.
Removing lifestyle triggers: toxic mold, EMFs, gluten & other silent stressors — eliminating hidden environmental stress was huge; my nervous system was constantly fighting toxins, and when I removed them, my impulses softened noticeably. Safety isn’t just emotional — it’s physical.
The F-word: Forgiveness, grace & gratitude — emotional hygiene. BFRBs leave us drowning in shame. These practices rewired my self-talk, softened perfectionism, and helped me treat myself like someone worth healing.
Sensory deprivation floating pods — weightlessness reduced anxiety, recalibrated my nervous system, and gave my brain true stillness; with no stimulation, my urges quieted down in a way I didn’t know was possible.
Exposure therapy (facing triggers gently & intentionally) — instead of avoiding mirrors or picking zones forever, I learned how to face them calmly; redefining my relationship with triggers so they lost power.

Psilocybin microdosing – tiny doses, big perspective shifts; helped open neuroplasticity and self-compassion.

Ayahuasca ceremonies in the Amazon – with Shipibo, Colombian yagé, and Brazilian lineages. Humbling, incredibly potent medicine. Not a trip—a journey. Here’s why you probably shouldn’t do it.
Psychedelic integration work with Dr. Will Siu, MD.
Kambo ceremonies – purging toxins, purging emotions; not for the faint of heart.
Dr. Joe Dispenza meditations & week-long retreats – neuroscience meets mysticism; rewiring identity for possibility, plus coherence healing. Or, as Dr. Joe would say, breaking the habit of being myself.

Epigenetics & intergenerational trauma work – I grew up near Auschwitz. The concept of epigenetics was transformational. Healing wasn’t just for me.
Chakra cleansing & tuning – my throat and root chakras took nearly a decade to open.
Rapid Resolution Therapy – short-term, powerful emotional reframing.
Shamanic journeying – vision work meets psychological excavation, with a little help from the spirit world. Arvick Baghramian and Sandra Ingerman were two notable guides.
Neuroshamanic 1:1 work with Dr Alberto Villoldo – including energetic removal of birth trauma I didn’t know I had… until my mom later confirmed it.
Past life readings (including with Ainslie MacLeod) – expanded my understanding of patterns beyond this lifetime.
Soul retrieval sessions – calling back lost parts of myself felt poetic, and profoundly real.
Ancient Hawaiian Ho’oponopono – self forgiveness as spiritual surgery.
Visualization, manifestation, vision boards – practicing future-self embodiment.
Reparenting & inner child work – parenting myself with the exact kind of love I needed.
Reframing victimhood mindset - everything happens for you not to you. You’re being prepped, not punished.
Feng Shui – clearing up my home (and my social life by extension) helped shift my mental state.
Yoga + mind-body connection – eventually led me to become a yoga teacher. Remember how the body keeps the score? Try yoga hip opening poses… Bring kleenex…
Sound healing & sound baths – frequency as medicine.
Myofascial release – trauma stored in tissue; releasing knots released memories too.
Supplements – NAC, magnesium, high DHA omegas, a superdose of vitamin D, ashwagandha, 5HTP, among others: supporting my brain’s chemistry for a fighting chance.

Fidget toys – small tools, big lifesavers in anxious moments.

HabitAware vibrating bracelet – a wearable wake-up call to interrupt picking.
Physical blocks – covering mirrors, wearing gloves, hats— healing starts with prevention.
Skincare upgrades – simplicity, quality, and NO toxic ingredients or shame-based harsh scrubbing. (More on the blog.)
Professional skincare help – regular microneedling, chemical peels, hydrafacials. Science meets self-love.
Doodling, scribbling, coloring books – creativity as distraction and regulation.
Human Design readings – helped me understand how I’m designed to operate in this world.
Nature-based ecotherapy – Japanese forest bathing, earthing, grounding; letting nature rewire my nervous system.
Purification practices – water fasting, hydrocolonics, intermittent fasting—clearing space for renewal.
Native American teachings & prayers – reverence for spirit, ancestors, and earth.
Akashic Records and Gene Keys - know thyselves.
Connecting with Spirit Guides - hence the Dragonfly Journal.
Running half-marathons and strength training – pain became purpose. Movement became medicine.
Hiking as soul work – including a 1,000-mile solo pilgrimage with nature and solitude as a therapist.
Ayurveda – 5,000 years of Indian wisdom reminding me I am one with nature, not separate from it.
Blue Zones lifestyle principles – community, purpose, slow living, social belonging. Helped me find my soul family and “come out” with BFRBs.
Sleep tracking & hygiene – REM and deep sleep quality changed everything.
Kink & BDSM as trauma healing – yes, it’s real. Yes, for some it works. Safe and controlled power dynamics can become vehicles for release and repair. Read more.
Art therapy – expressing pain without explaining it.
Mindset work – becoming the version of me who no longer had BFRBs—before it manifested.
Dog therapy – Not actual dog therapy, but cuddles with my chihuahua worked wonders. Perhaps the most underrated medicine of all.

BFRBs are not a life sentence

If you made it to this paragraph and didn’t run away—you deserve a high five for your open heart and open mind. My approach isn’t for everyone. A lot of it may simply not be within reach. Take what resonates, leave what doesn’t.

Let curiosity be your compass.

Bottom line: BFRBs are not a life sentence. They are not something you must “learn to live with.” I personally believe that learning to live with it takes the same level of effort as healing it. You get to choose which path you walk.

Either way, I hope you find freedom. I hope you find peace. And I hope you make the impact—on the world, or simply your world—that you came here to make.

Here’s to your beautifully unhinged new life.

With love and gratitude,
Gaby

If you’d like guidance, take my 30 day self-healer course at healbfrbs.com/course — or if reading this was a full body YES, and you’d like to dive deep with by-the-hand 1:1 guidance, apply for the VIP coaching waitlist at healbfrbs.com/coaching.

Image source: Unsplash

From Rock Bottom to ‘Why Not?’ — My Unhinged Path To Healing BFRBs

My Dark Knight of The Soul

A Reluctant Trauma Coach

The modern and the ancient walk into a bar…

BFRBs are not a life sentence

Dogs & Mental Health: 10 Things My Chihuahua Taught Me About Humans