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Beyond Skin Picking & Hair Pulling
Beyond Skin Picking & Hair Pulling is a podcast for high-achieving women who want freedom from their BFRB*; they want more authenticity, deeper confidence, to feel powerfully secure in who they are, so they can do more of what they love.
Hosted by Raffaela Marie - speaker, mentor, and creator of the STRENGTH Method - who overcame chronic skin picking, selective mutism, social anxiety, and depression, not by forcing willpower, but by healing from the inside out and addressing the true root causes.
Each episode offers a no-fluff look at healing from body-focused repetitive behaviours through the lens of self-confidence and authenticity. Raffaela blends psychology, neuroscience, and real-world experience to uncover what’s truly driving the urge to pick, and how to find lasting freedom from it.
Listeners walk away with tangible tools they can apply immediately to reduce urges, regulate emotions, and build emotional resilience. Beyond symptom management, this podcast helps you reconnect to your authentic self, feel grounded in your worth, and create lasting freedom from BFRBs*.
If you’re ready to stop performing, start healing, and build confidence that feels real, you’re in the right place.
*BFRB = Body Focused Repetitive Behaviours like chronic skin picking, nail/cheek biting, and hair pulling.
Beyond Skin Picking & Hair Pulling
52: Is Depression & Chronic Skin Picking Just a Chemical Imbalance?
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Is depression really just a chemical imbalance? And what about chronic skin picking?
In this episode, Rafaela Marie shares her personal journey of overcoming 15 years of chronic skin picking and 10 years of depression—and why the common narrative around chemical imbalance doesn’t tell the full story.
You’ll learn about the connection between chronic stress, emotional regulation, and compulsive behaviors—and why healing requires more than just addressing brain chemistry.
If you've ever felt stuck in cycles of skin picking or depression, this episode will help you rethink healing and reclaim self-trust by exploring:
- Why the chemical imbalance theory doesn’t fully explain depression or skin picking
- The role of chronic stress in emotional regulation and compulsive behaviors
- How childhood experiences and environment shape coping mechanisms
- The importance of self-trust, purpose, and hope in healing
🌟Send Raffaela your thoughts and Qs, here!
Resources:
- Havard Health Publishing - What Causes Depression? Onset of depression more complex than a brain chemical imbalance
- Lone Star Neurology - Understanding the Connection Between Chronic Stress and Neurotransmitter Levels
- Frontiers - Emotion Regulation in Current and Remitted Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
💌Book your FREE BFPA* Roadmapping Call with me
🌟Download your FREE Guide to Stop Skin Picking Using Somatics
📝FREE Holistic Skin Picking & Hair Pulling Assessment - Join the waitlist
🎯Join the 7-Day Skin Picking Recovery Challenge
My name is Raffaela Marie. I'm a holistic BFRB coach who has healed from 15 years of chronic skin picking myself and dedicated my life to helping driven women do the same. Through my podcast, free resources, and programs, I teach strategies to overcome urges, build emotional safety, and expand into authenticity. My approach goes beyond quick fixes, focusing on root causes and long-term recovery.