Kisha Reynolds: Hypnotherapy for Hair Pulling & Skin Picking | Episode 173Kisha Reynolds: Hypnotherapy for Hair Pulling & Skin Picking | Episode 173
Brain Shaman
Hypnotherapist Kisha Reynolds talks with Michael Waite about body-focused repetitive behaviours, sharing her own history with nail biting and hair pulling and how hypnotherapy can reduce these urges. The conversation also touches on anxiety, sleep, culture and the power of reshaping long-held beliefs in the subconscious mind.
52:34•10 Jun 2026
Rewiring Hair Pulling and Skin Picking: Hypnotherapy with Kisha Reynolds
Episode Overview
- Body-focused repetitive behaviours such as nail biting, hair pulling and skin picking are driven by strong sensory urges and can feel addiction-like rather than simple bad habits.
- BFRBs differ from OCD because they are not primarily about preventing a feared outcome; they are often responses to stress, anxiety, boredom or the need for soothing.
- Hypnotherapy targets the subconscious mind by bypassing the critical filter, helping to change deep-rooted beliefs and patterns that keep BFRBs going.
- Anchors, like placing a hand on the chest and breathing when an urge arises, can give people a practical alternative in the moment and significantly reduce episodes.
- Combining hypnotherapy with traditional therapy, sleep support, faith and community can reduce shame, improve self-understanding and make long-standing habits more manageable.
“The very thing that I was bullied for became my superpower.”
How do people cope with the urge to pull their hair, bite their nails, or pick their skin until it hurts? This conversation between host Michael Waite and hypnotherapist Kisha Reynolds gives a raw, practical look at body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs) and what might actually help. Kisha shares how bullying in childhood sparked intense nail biting that later grew into trichotillomania and skin picking.
She explains that BFRBs are “almost like an addiction”, driven by powerful sensory urges rather than fears about cleanliness or safety, and often carried out in secret with a lot of guilt and shame afterwards. If you’ve ever wondered why some habits feel impossible to stop, you’ll hear Kisha break down the difference between the conscious and subconscious mind.
She describes the “critical mind” as a filter that fiercely protects old beliefs – even harmful ones like “I’m not enough” – and how hypnotherapy works by gently taking that filter offline so new, healthier patterns can be laid down. There’s plenty of practical detail too. Kisha explains how inductions work, why different personality types need different approaches, and how anchors (like placing a hand on the chest and breathing) give people a real-time alternative to pulling or picking.
She also talks about combining hypnotherapy with traditional therapy, sleep work, and faith, plus teaching clients self-hypnosis so they’re less dependent on ongoing sessions. Along the way she reflects on race, culture, and mental health, including how the church, therapy, and community can all play a part. Her line, “The very thing that I was bullied for became my superpower,” sums up the mix of honesty and quiet humour that runs through the whole conversation.
If compulsive habits around your body feel like a secret you’re carrying alone, this episode might leave you wondering what new story you could write about your own brain and behaviours.
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