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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
58: Understanding and Overcoming Intrusive Thoughts
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
What if your intrusive thoughts weren’t something wrong with you—but actually a protective mechanism rooted in past experiences?
In this heartfelt episode, Raffaela Marie dives deep into the nature of intrusive thoughts, exploring how they connect to chronic skin picking and other Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs).
Drawing from her personal healing journey and research, Raffaela sheds light on why intrusive thoughts develop, how they often stem from trauma, and why self-acceptance and community are essential for lasting healing.
You’ll learn:
- What intrusive thoughts really are - and what they’re not
- Why these thoughts often emerge from a place of protection, not pathology
- How intrusive thoughts fuel compulsive behaviors like skin picking
- Practical, holistic strategies for managing intrusive thoughts with compassion
If you've ever felt ashamed, afraid, or stuck because of the thoughts in your mind, this episode offers hope, understanding, and a realistic path forward.
🌟Download your FREE Guide to Stop Skin Picking Using Somatics
📩 Join my Email List to receive weekly support
📝FREE Holistic Skin Picking & Hair Pulling Assessment - Join the waitlist
💪Click here to apply to STRENGTH 2026! Applications close 31st December (15 spots available)
🎯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.