Dr. Charles S. Mansueto, Ph.D., is founder and director of the Behavior Therapy Center of Greater Washington in Silver Spring, Maryland, where he has been involved in the study and treatment of hundreds of BFRB sufferers. He is a founding member of TLC’s Scientific Advisory Board (SAB).
Aneela Idnani is the Co-Founder and Marketing/Design Lead at HabitAware, a mental health tech startup and TIME Magazine Best Invention recipient. As a trichotillomania advocate and "40 Under 40" honoree, Aneela is dedicated to raising awareness of Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs). She also serves on advisory boards, including the International OCD Foundation Twin Cities Chapter.
Dr. John Piacentini is Professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and Chief of Child Psychology (in Medical Psychology) in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and the UCLA Semel Institute where he directs the Child OCD, Anxiety and Tic Disorders Program, the Center for Child Anxiety, Resilience, Education and Support (CARES), and Tourette Association of America Center of Excellence. He is TLC’s SAB Chair.
Gessie M. Perez is a mental health advocate and author, passionate about raising awareness for BFRBs which she has lived with since the age of 11. Through her personal experiences with hair-pulling, bipolar disorder, and OCD, she strives to break the stigma surrounding mental health. Gessie is the author of “Triumphant Trichster” and “A Trichy Situation”.
Dr. Suzanne Mouton- Odum, Ph.D., is a psychologist in private practice in Houston, Texas. She obtained her doctoral degree from the University of Houston in Counseling Psychology and completed her residency in Clinical Psychology at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. She is TLC’s SAB Vice Chair and co-owner of StopPulling.com & StopPicking.com.
Carolina Santillán Torres Torija is a Cognitive Behavioral Psychotherapist and a Fulbright Scholar. She teaches at UNAM FES Iztacala and has trained at the University of Pennsylvania's Anxiety Clinic under Dr. Edna Foa, as well as the Beck Institute for Cognitive Therapy. She has additional training in Mindfulness and Motivational Interviewing. Carolina is a member of the American Psychological Association and specializes in psychotherapy, teaching, and research.
Dr. Tara Peris is Professor and Vice Chair for Research at the Jane and Terry Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. She is also Associate Director of the Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Co-Director of the UCLA Child OCD, Anxiety, and Tic Disorders Program. She is a member of TLC’s SAB.
Dr. Chris Noble is a Licensed Psychologist and Clinical Director at Anxiety Specialists of Atlanta, specializing in anxiety disorders, OCD, Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors, and trauma. With over 15 years of experience in clinical supervision, she is passionate about training therapists and has been a key figure in organizations like OCD Georgia.
Dr. Alejandra “Ally” Sequeira is a
Counseling Psychologist, licensed in both Texas and California. She obtained her Bachelors of Arts in History and Psychology from The University of Alabama and both her Masters of Education in Educational Psychology and Doctorate in Counseling Psychology from Texas A&M University. She is a Counseling Psychologist at Houston OCD & Anxiety.
Jen Powell, LPC, NCC, CCH, CPCS is a Licensed Professional Counselor and Director of Community Engagement with 11 years of experience in treating trauma, stressor-related disorders, dissociative disorders, eating disorders, OCD, ADHD, and other anxiety and mood disorders.
Dr. Joseph Garner received his doctoral degree from the Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford, Great Britain, where he studied the developmental neuroethology of stereotypies in captive animals. His postdoctoral research in animal behavior and well-being was undertaken at UC Davis. He is a member of TLC’s SAB.
Sophia Alapati specializes in BFRBs, including trichotillomania and dermatillomania, as well as OCD and anxiety disorders. Sophia combines solutions-focused therapy, mindfulness, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy in her approach. She is affiliated with the TLC Foundation, ADAA, and the International OCD Foundation, and remains active in ongoing education and professional development.
Dr. David A. F. Haaga, Ph.D., is Professor and Chair of Psychology at American University, where his research focuses on trichotillomania, cigarette smoking cessation, and cognitive behavior therapy more generally. He received his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology in 1988 from the University of Southern California. He is a member of TLC’s SAB.
Michael DeCoursey is a multifaceted professional based in New York City with experience as a teacher, actor, and mental health nonprofit advocate. In the nonprofit sector, Michael has served on board-level committees, planned international conferences, and contributed writings on mental health to The Mighty, the TLC Foundation for BFRBs, and The Huffington Post.
Dr. Richard O'Sullivan is a Harvard and Massachusetts General Hospital trained psychiatrist with over 25 years of experience practicing clinical psychiatry and conducting psychiatric research. He offers medication management, psychotherapy and psychiatric home visits services. He sees patients of all ages including the elderly.
Hannah Thomson is a Master of Public Health student from southern New Jersey. She received her B.A. in biology and psychology from McDaniel College in 2021 and also works as a hematology research technician. Hannah joined the TLC community in 2014 when she attended her first conference which inspired her to become a BFRB advocate and eventually join TLC's Young Adult Action Council.
Nathan Margulis is an entrepreneur, creating the next generation of mental health solutions as co-founder and CEO of Helping Minds Ltd.. He studied Mathematics and Computer Science in Tel Aviv University (B.Sc, cum laude), and music production at the Rimon School of Music.
Joely D'Eletto is a 17 year old High School student from NY. She has struggled with Trichitollomania since she was a toddler and Dermotillomania since she was in Middle School. Joely attended her first TLC conference in 4th Grade and recently became a Co-Moderator in 2024.
Lauren Santner, LCSW, PTR is a clinical social worker and poetry therapist that has worked in the New York State mental health system since 2006. In her private practice, she is dedicated to helping those with anxiety and body-focused repetitive behaviors. She is uniquely qualified with having personal experience with BFRB's, received specialized and advanced training from the TLC Professional Training Institute, and participated in TLC’s Early Clinician Award Program.
Sam Szentmik is a New Jersey-based social media manager, graphic designer, and actor, currently serving as the Communications Coordinator for The TLC Foundation. As someone with BFRBs herself, she aims to advocate for others and bring more awareness to this community. Sam oversees TLC's support groups and social media page and is passionate about eliminating shame and promoting awareness around BFRBs.
Clare Mackay is a Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Oxford who has spent 30 years studying a variety of brain disorders, including epilepsy, psychosis and dementia, primarily using neuroimaging technology. She has led a number of major research and infrastructure projects, most recently setting up the ‘Oxford Brain Health Clinic’. In 2023, she began to turn her attention to the disorder that had been with her all along – trichotillomania. She initiated a social media presence as @thetrichprof, and is developing new research questions and collaborations, as well as using her platform to raise awareness and reduce stigma for people living with BFRBs.
Becca Schneider is a New York-based actor and producer. Her critically-acclaimed solo show TRICH was the top-selling play at the 2021 United Solo Theatre Festival in NYC, winning both the Best Actress and Audience Choice Awards, and last year it was named one of the top fifteen New Jersey productions of 2023 by NJArts. Learn more at trichplay.com.
Ruth Goldfinger Golomb, M.Ed., LCPC, is a senior clinician, supervisor, and co-director of the doctoral training program at the Behavior Therapy Center of Greater Washington, where she has worked since the mid-1980s. She has conducted numerous workshops and seminars, and participated as an expert in panel discussions covering many topics, including Tourette syndrome and more.
Ellen Crupi is the director of awareness at HabitAware.
Leila K. Capel is a doctoral student in the Combined Clinical/Counseling Psychology PhD specialization. I received my BA in psychology and government from Smith College. She received clinical and research training at the Neuropsychology Clinic at Massachusetts General Hospital and at the Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders Institute at McLean Hospital.
Barbara Lally is a certified life coach and author of “The Trichster Diaries”, a memoir detailing her life with trichotillomania. After nearly a decade of teaching, Barbara transitioned to life coaching in 2020, with a mission to raise awareness about trichotillomania. In 2024, she joined HabitAware as a virtual peer coach.
Mercedes Woolley is a doctoral student in the Combined Clinical/Counseling Program at Utah State University. She is a member of the ACT Lab, under the mentorship of Drs. Mike Twohig and Mike Levin. She is interested in acceptance and commitment therapy and process-based treatment approaches for a variety of clinical presentations, with an emphasis on OCD and related disorders.
Matthew Williams is a clinical herbalist with an advanced degree in Traditional Chinese Medicine, specializing in natural approaches to physical and emotional health. Raised near Seoul, South Korea, he learned traditional herbal medicine from his grandparents, fostering a lifelong commitment to holistic healing. Matthew is a traditional Chinese healer and behavioral specialist at the Kari’s Wellness Collective.
Dr. Leah Benjamin is a licensed clinical psychologist. She specializes in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for adolescents and adults with anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), depression, personality disorders, and body focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs). She is a member of the APA & MPA as well as the Concord Center.
Sue Price, MS, LMHC, NCC grew up with
trichotillomania. She started the first trich support group in Atlanta in the 1990s and was a member of TLC's Board of Directors until 2011. As a result of being involved with the TLC Foundation, Sue felt called to do more, and went back to school to become a counselor. She is now a Licensed Mental Health Counselor in Albany, NY.
Jamie Garber is a licensed independent clinical social worker graduated from Boston University with a B.S. in Behavior and Health. She received her MSW in clinical social work from Simmons University. She is trained in Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE), the Comprehensive Behavioral Model (ComB) for BFRBs, and more. She is a member of the Concord Center.
Amber Bodeur is a junior at York College of Pennsylvania studying graphic design. Living with trichotillomania for over a decade, she is passionate about raising awareness for BFRBs and contributing to the TLC Foundation for BFRBs. She served as a member of the Young Adult Action Council (YAAC) for several years and led a support group for two of those years. Outside of school and advocacy, she enjoys taking care of her six chickens and two dogs, reading thrillers, being a camp counselor, and teaching arts and crafts to kids.
Dr. Erica Greenberg, M.D., is the Director of the Pediatric Psychiatry OCD and Tic Disorders Program at MGH and a Co-Director of the Tourette Association of America MGH Center of Excellence. Dr. Greenberg is a Psychiatrist at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and an Instructor in Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School (HMS).
Mallory Moore is an Honors BA graduate from the University of Chicago and is currently pursuing an MSW at the University of Pennsylvania. Diagnosed with excoriation disorder in her late teens, Mallory has become a dedicated member of the BFRB community and an emerging researcher in the field.
Linda Hollatz is a sustainable and holistic hair expert with over 30 years of experience, having cut hair for thousands of clients worldwide. She holds Master’s degrees in Clinical Psychology and European Languages and Literature and has published books on hair, wardrobe, and gems. Linda continues to explore the connection between hair care and psychological well-being through her PhD research at the University of Cologne.
Julie Featherman, LMHC, LPC, uses an evidenced-based approach, incorporating in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Comprehensive Behavioral Therapy (ComB). Ms. Featherman works with both adults and adolescents, helping them to learn effective strategies to combat their BFRB, while also considering where the individual is in their desire to make behavioral change.
Dr. Ivy Ruths, Ph.D., is a cognitive-behavioral therapist specializing in anxiety and OCD, using evidence-based treatments like CBT, ERP, and the ComB Treatment for Skin Picking and Hair Pulling Disorders. She incorporates mindfulness, ACT, and motivational interviewing, creating a supportive, non-judgmental space for her clients. Trained in techniques such as PCIT and SPACE, Ivy also works with families to foster effective support systems.
Kisha Reynolds
Sarah M. Pennington is a filmmaker, motivational speaker, and mental health and disability advocate. She has traveled across the United States and Canada with her service dog, Daisy, sharing her journey with trichotillomania. Additionally, she is involved with pageantry, having held several local, state, and national titles over the last few years, and has earned multiple President’s Volunteer Service Awards for her community service involvement.
Hazuki Shibuya is from Japan and has lived with BFRBs since he was young.
Sharon Newman Ehrlich M.Ed is a retired science educator from Philadelphia. During her career, in addition to teaching Biological Sciences in the classroom, she initiated and facilitated many after school programs and projects including Robotics, Student Government , Medical field mentoring, Student Grant-making, Human Relations Club as well as organizing and presenting Fashion/ Talent shows. She also founded and facilitates a nonprofit organization to help with fundraising and running Science and Technology workshops for underserved communities. Her love for her students is evident in the fact that she continues her connections with them and their families on Social Media and is continually invited and included in their life celebrations!! Sharon has been picking since she was a little girl and was thrilled to find TLC BFRB. Her interest in modalities used to help to curb her picking and her love of hands on learning , lead her to the “Fidget Workshop”.. where she encourages creativity as well as empowers individuals to take control of their urges!! She brings a wealth of experience , information and ideas, a wide variety of materials to work with and compassionate enthusiasm to the TLC Conference!!
Juliette Sanchez is an 18-year-old recent high school graduate who has had trichotillomania since age five. She has written extensively about her experiences. Juliette will attend American University’s School of Public Affairs next year, aiming to raise awareness and acceptance of her disorder. A long-time self-advocate, she has actively participated in 504 meetings since 4th grade and led discussions on acceptance at TLC conferences.
Maya Peña-Lobel is a recent college graduate from Harvard University, having received a B.A. in Environmental Science & Engineering and a secondary degree in Spanish. As a member of the BFRB community, Maya has led support groups, volunteered for TLC, and continues to advocate for mental health support. In her free time, Maya enjoys singing, writing poetry, playing sports, and making art.
Olivia Bonardi is a second year medical student at UMass Chan. She grew up in Arlington, MA, moved to Montreal for undergrad, worked in research and direct support for a couple years, and then happily moved back to Massachusetts. She’s working towards a career in community & family medicine, with the ultimate goal of joining the force of awesome BFRB-informed providers. Olivia started co-hosting TLC virtual support groups in 2020, and then founded the Montreal (now Massachusetts) support group. She was a member of the Scientific Literacy team on the TLC Young Adult Action Committee and is passionate about making science accessible.
learning to love yourself no matter where you are on your BFRB journey
making friends and strengthening your support system through community connection
gaining additional insight into your BFRBs
expanding your BFRB toolbox with new strategies and resources
