Habit Reversal Training

Habit Reversal Training (HRT) is an evidence-based behavioral therapy designed to help you reduce or stop unwanted habits and repetitive behaviors. HRT increases your awareness of the habit, teaches you what triggers it, and guides you toward healthier, more controlled responses.

It is commonly used for body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) and other habits that feel automatic or difficult to manage.

What HRT Helps Treat

HRT is effective for:

  • Hair pulling (trichotillomania)
  • Skin picking (excoriation disorder)
  • Nail biting
  • Lip or cheek biting
  • Stuttering-related habits
  • Tics and tic-like behaviors
  • Other repetitive habits or compulsive behaviors

How HRT Works

HRT includes several key components:

  • Awareness Training: Understanding when and why the habit happens
  • Identifying Triggers: Noticing emotional, sensory, or situational cues
  • Competing Response Training: Learning a healthier behavior to do instead of the habit
  • Skill Building: Developing coping tools, stress management, and sensory alternatives
  • Motivation & Support: Strengthening your confidence to change and stay consistent

By building awareness and teaching new responses, HRT helps you feel more in control of your habits instead of feeling frustrated or stuck. It’s supportive, practical, and tailored to your individual patterns and needs.

A hyper-realistic close-up of a therapist and a client engaged in a focused conversation during a Habit Reversal Training session. The therapist, a middle-aged woman with brown hair tied back, is attentively listening and taking notes, while the client, a young man with short black hair, appears thoughtful and engaged. The background is softly blurred to emphasize the connection between the two, with warm lighting that creates a calm and inviting atmosphere.

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