Trichotillomania Learning Center to Hold 19th Annual Conference May 4-6 in Chicago

Santa Cruz, CA, April 11, 2012 --(PR.com)-- Approximately 500 attendees are expected to take part in workshops dedicated to research development, treatment and personal growth on the path to recovery at the Trichotillomania Learning Center’s (TLC) 19th annual conference, to be held at the Marriott O’Hare in Chicago, May 4 through 6.

The conference is for attendees with body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs), their family members and loved ones, researchers, and clinicians seeking to improve their strategies for treating BFRBs. Special programs will be offered for younger children, teens, parents and adults with trichotillomania or compulsive skin-picking.

“The conference presents a chance for attendees to learn more about BFRBs from leading experts, as well as meet people from around the country who have the same disorder,” said Christina Pearson, TLC’s Founding Director. “For attendees with BFRBs, it’s an excellent opportunity for them to take home information that will support a strong recovery.”

On May 5, a dinner will be held celebrating people of all ages who have stepped out of the shadows of these behaviors and are actively promoting awareness of trichotillomania and skin picking disorder. Honorees will include twelve year-old Chloe McCarty, whose YouTube video set to the Sixx:A.M. song “Skin” has inspired thousands of young people; Tina Miller, who runs the internationally popular Facebook support network “Learning2Live Pull-Free”; and Fred Bartlett, who has been a pioneer in philanthropy to support research in this field.

Treatment workshops will offer an in-depth understanding of behavioral therapy and how it applies to the attendee’s life. Attendees also have opportunity to learn self-help techniques to support the recovery process, while teens and young children learn more about this disorder and managing it in their lives.

The conference will also feature results of multiple research studies that will be reported for the first time, including:

· The Trichotillomania Family Study: Part 1 – The Role of Family Environment Variables, presented by Dr. Nancy Keuthen, Harvard/Massachusetts General Hospital
· The Trichotillomania Family Study: Part 2 – Comorbidity of Trichotillomania and Related Disorders in First Degree Biological Relatives, presented by Dr. David Pauls, Harvard/Massachusetts General Hospital
· N-Acetylcysteine for the Treatment of Pediatric Trichotillomania, presented by Dr. Michael Bloch, Yale University
· Reward Processing in Trichotillomania: Results of a Functional MRI Study, presented by Dr. Matthew P. White, Stanford University
· Treatment Outcomes from the Multi-Site Randomized Controlled Trial of DBT-Enhanced HRT for Trichotillomania, presented by Dr. Nancy Keuthen, Harvard/Massachusetts General Hospital

The deadline to register for the conference is May 2. For further information and to register, visit www.trich.org/involved/cal-conference-sched.html.

About Trichotillomania Learning Center
Founded in 1991, the Trichotillomania Learning Center (TLC) is a nonprofit organization devoted to ending the suffering caused by hair pulling disorder, skin picking disorder and related body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs). TLC provides education, outreach and support of research into the cause and treatment of BFRBs.

TLC is happy to assist journalists in reaching experts and individuals with BFRBs for interviews.