The Presenters

Christina Pearson is the woman who established the world’s first center for BFRBs (The TLC Foundation for BFRBs) in 1990, and worked hard to give this realm of human suffering a voice. She grew up struggling terribly with both hair pulling and skin picking, and has worked with thousands of sufferers and their families to develop greater self awareness, learn effective living skills and establish interpersonal boundaries, all in the service of reducing unwanted BFRBs. 

Christina has an extensive list of accomplishments in this field. She has advocated relentlessly for BFRBs, worked in alliance with the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and other national organizations, was participatory in the DSM-5 committees’ updating and revising of the DSM-4 manual which renamed certain disorders and created new classifications (along with updating the criteria for trichotillomania), been interviewed on national television talk shows, brought together the scientific advisory board that developed best practices for treatment modalities, and much more. Christina has nearly three decades of strong BFRB recovery herself and possesses the tools to share the daily living skills which keep her on track.

Pavitt is a trainee psychotherapist providing treatment for those with obsessive compulsive and related disorders, body focused repetitive behaviours (such as compulsive skin picking, hair pulling and nail biting), anxiety, depression and other related disorders.  Pavitt is currently studying for an MSc in Psychodynamic Psychotherapy at the University of London and has completed an MSc in Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, UK.

Over the last decade, she has worked with over 2,400 individuals with highly sensitive nervous systems, including individuals challenged with autism, ADHD, anxiety, hair pulling, skin picking, OCD, and addiction.

Dr. Christy Garner is passionate about finding the simplest tools that make the biggest difference for people in achieving health and happiness. She earned her natural science degree from the College of St. Benedict. Following her passion for holistic medicine, she received her doctor of chiropractic degree from Northwestern Health Sciences University. Her post-doctorate focus has been in the field of epigenetics – expanding her knowledge base in the areas where individuals have influence over the expression of their genes, namely detoxification, nutrition, and stress adaptation.

Over the last decade, she has worked with over 2,400 individuals with highly sensitive nervous systems, including individuals challenged with autism, ADHD, anxiety, hair pulling, skin picking, OCD, and addiction.

She offers a unique blend of head and heart as she combines her clinical knowledge and training with her personal experience and real-life navigation of living with Trichotillomania and Dermatillomania since age 9.  She believes that attaining and maintaining vibrant health comes from reconnection ... from reconnecting with our innate ability to heal, to each other, and to the limitless healing power of the Earth (and maybe cute farm animals).

Doug is the owner and founder of Good Enough Ranch in El Reno, Oklahoma. Doug has been an intrinsic part of the BFRB awareness movement since his childhood and attended his first BFRB retreat in 1999. He is an accomplished photographer, entrepreneur and mental health advocate. Doug also suffers from hair pulling and skin picking, and has oftentimes utilized his unique skill set to bring awareness to our community. Doug has found solace in working with animals and bringing others to his farm to experience the healing powers of animal and art therapies, and is excited to host us at his home so that we can experience these therapeutic remedies firsthand.

Jese Masser has been a BFRB advocate for as long as she can remember and was diagnosed with trich and OCD when she was 12 years old. Jese has been attending retreats with Christina Pearson since 2015 in Colorado and Oklahoma. She has also benefited from an outpatient treatment center for her behaviors at Roger’s where she lived in Tampa, FL. 

Jese began practicing yoga and meditation in Florida in 2005 and has since continued where she lives in Myrtle Beach, SC. She attends yearly meditation and yoga retreats in the serene mountains in Asheville, NC where she learns new methods and techniques. Jese is passionate about mind and soul connection which she attributes her success of her hair pulling. 

Jese also has a love for animal rescue. Thirteen years ago she rescued a parrot named Snickers, who also picks. She uses a lot of similar techniques doctors and therapists taught her from retreats and conferences to help him cope with his BFRB. 

From animals, to adults, Jese enjoys helping others to heal and become the best versions of themselves.