Take Back Control: Online Therapy for Excoriation Disorder (Skin Picking)

Grouport’s network includes licensed therapists trained specifically in habit reversal training (HRT), CBT, ACT, and stimulus control, the evidence-based approaches that actually target skin-picking disorder rather than general anxiety treatment applied loosely to it. Sessions run through individual therapy, group therapy, or virtual IOP for more severe cases, all delivered over secure video.

Grouport’s licensed therapists, including PhDs, PsyDs, LCSWs, LMHCs, and LMFTs, can be booked directly through individual therapy or group therapy, with members choosing their preferred therapist and schedule directly during signup for single weekly sessions, all delivered over secure video with no clinic visit required.

Grouport’s approach to excoriation disorder is built around a few specific, research-backed techniques:

• Habit reversal training (HRT), the primary intervention, which builds awareness of picking urges and substitutes a competing response
• CBT for the emotional triggers, stress, and boredom that maintain the behavior
• Stimulus control strategies that adjust environments where automatic picking tends to happen most

A few factors matter more than general reputation alone:

• Specific training in habit reversal training (HRT) for body-focused repetitive behaviors, not just general anxiety or OCD treatment
• Whether the provider addresses both focused and automatic picking, since each requires a different intervention strategy
• Transparent, flat pricing without hidden fees or long-term contracts required before you know if the fit works

For a condition many people hide out of shame for years before seeking help, the privacy of online therapy can genuinely lower the barrier to starting treatment at all. Grouport’s therapists deliver evidence-based excoriation disorder treatment entirely from home, over secure video, which many adults find easier than discussing visible skin damage in an unfamiliar in-person office for the first time.

Grouport’s therapists combine HRT and CBT specifically for excoriation disorder:

• HRT builds detailed awareness of picking triggers, sites, and whether episodes are focused or automatic
• CBT addresses the tension, boredom, or emotional triggers maintaining the picking cycle
• Both are delivered through individual therapy or group therapy, built around your specific picking patterns rather than a generic template

Grouport’s group therapy for excoriation disorder is led entirely by licensed clinicians, giving members a space to break the secrecy that often surrounds skin picking alongside others who genuinely understand the experience. Members select their preferred group and schedule directly during signup, and many combine group sessions with individual therapy for more personalized pattern mapping.

Yes. Grouport offers separate therapy groups for adults (18+) and teens and adolescents (under 18), since skin picking often begins during adolescence. Early intervention through teen therapy can prevent the behavior from becoming deeply entrenched and reduce the scarring from becoming severe, at an age when shame and isolation around the behavior tend to feel especially intense.

Yes, when the picking behavior is affecting close relationships directly:

• Couples therapy can help a partner understand the neurobiological basis of the behavior rather than viewing it as a choice
• Family therapy supports parents navigating how to respond to a teen or adult child’s excoriation disorder without shaming
• Individual work typically continues alongside either format for direct symptom treatment

Group therapy averages $32 per session ($140 per month), and individual therapy averages $103 per session ($448 per month). Billing can be monthly, quarterly, or biannual, each offering an increasing discount, with no long-term commitment required. Full pricing across every format is listed under cost and billing.

No, but there are still practical ways to manage the cost:

• Flat, transparent monthly pricing means no surprise charges after any session, regardless of insurance status
• Detailed invoices are provided for potential out-of-network reimbursement through your own insurance plan
• Sessions are FSA and HSA eligible, letting you use pre-tax dollars without filing a separate claim

Full rates by format are listed under cost and billing.

Most members are placed within a few hours to 72 hours of signing up. If you choose a single weekly group therapy session, you select your therapist and schedule directly during signup for the fastest start. For individual therapy or bundled plans, a care coordinator reaches out afterward to match you personally instead.

Grouport delivers excoriation disorder treatment entirely over secure, HIPAA-compliant video chat, with no clinic visit required at any point. This matters given that habit reversal training and CBT, the core evidence-based approaches for skin picking, are primarily conversational and don’t depend on physical presence, so the online format doesn’t compromise treatment quality while removing the added discomfort many people feel discussing visible skin damage in person.

The fastest path is choosing a single weekly group therapy session, where you select your therapist, group, and schedule directly during signup. If you’re unsure whether individual therapy, group, or virtual IOP fits your severity level, a care coordinator can help clarify the right starting point before you commit.

Because excoriation disorder is a neurobiological condition, not a willpower failure. The picking is maintained by multiple mechanisms at once: it provides temporary relief from tension or distress, it can produce a satisfying sensory experience, it becomes an automatic habit wired into neural pathways over time, and the shame it creates generates more distress, which fuels more urge to pick. Telling someone with excoriation disorder to just stop is like telling someone with depression to just cheer up. A therapist can address these mechanisms directly, not just the behavior itself.