Christina Pearson grew up suffering terribly from both hair pulling and skin picking. At the age of 33, discovering she was not alone, she set out to contact other sufferers, create resources and stimulate scientific research. In 1990, she founded the Trichotillomania Learning Center, now known as the TLC Foundation for BFRBs (body-focused repetitive behaviors). Leaving TLC in early 2013, she turned her attention toward what she calls “Phase 2” of her service to the BFRB Community, establishing the Heart and Soul Academy with two other founding members in 2014.