Peace from Picking & Pulling

Azra Kim Profile
Azra Kim

Azra Kim, LCSW, PMH-C

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Expertise:

OCD, Anxiety, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Exposure & Response Prevention Therapy, Trichotillomania

Learn More About Azra Kim
  • Do you find yourself picking at your skin or pulling your hair—and wondering why it’s so hard to stop? This self-guided course helps you make sense of those urges and take steps toward lasting change. You’ll learn about five key components that drive picking and pulling behaviors—sensory, cognitive, affective, motor, and place (SCAMP)—and discover what role each one plays in your experience. Through practical exercises and personalized reflection, you’ll identify your own picking or pulling profile and begin building a recovery plan that actually fits you.

    Whether you’re just starting to explore these habits or looking to deepen your recovery, this course offers clarity, compassion, and actionable strategies to help you move from urge to understanding—and from picking to peace.

    1. Describe the five core components that contribute to skin picking and hair pulling behaviors
      (Sensory, Cognitive, Affective, Motor, and Place—SCAMP)
      Gain a clear understanding of the SCAMP model and how each factor can influence urges and habits.

    2. Identify your unique picking/pulling patterns using the SCAMP framework
      Learn how a self-monitoring exercise can help you recognize which SCAMP components show up in your own experiences.

    3. Develop a personalized recovery plan based on your SCAMP profile
      Select at least one strategy from each SCAMP category to practice this week and begin shifting your behavior with intention.

    • American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.).

    • Carlson, E. J., Malloy, E. J., Brauer, L., Golomb, R. G., et al. (2021). Comprehensive Behavioral (ComB) treatment of trichotillomania: A randomized clinical trial. Behavior Therapy, 52(6), 1543–1557.

    • Grant, J. E., Dougherty, D. D., & Chamberlain, S. R. (2020). Prevalence, gender correlates, and co-morbidity of trichotillomania. Psychiatry Research, 288, 112948.

    • Grant, J. E., & Chamberlain, S. R. (2020). Prevalence of skin picking (excoriation) disorder. Journal of Psychiatric Research, 130, 57–60.

    • Halteh, P., Scher, R. K., & Lipner, S. R. (2017). Onychophagia: A nail-biting conundrum for physicians. The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 28(2), 166–172.

    • Mansueto, C. S., Stemberger, R. M., Thomas, A. M., & Golomb, R. G. (1997). Trichotillomania: a comprehensive behavioral model. Clinical psychology review, 17(5), 567–577.

    • Shulman, J. D., Beach, M. M., & Rivera-Hidalgo, F. (2004). The prevalence of oral mucosal lesions in U.S. adults: Data from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988–1994. Journal of the American Dental Association (1939), 135(9), 1279–1286.

    • Teng, E. J., Woods, D. W., Twohig, M. P., & Marcks, B. A. (2002). Body-focused repetitive behavior problems. Prevalence in a non-referred population and differences in perceived somatic activity. Behavior Modification, 26(3), 340–360.