Habit reversal training is composed of level of treatment designed to alleviate or cure repetitive behavioral disorders. Compulsive skin picking is a psychological disorder where a person constantly picks skin to the point of skin tissue damage. The goal of habit reversal training is to reduce the tics associated with impulse control disorder such as compulsive skin picking.

There are four components in habit reversal training for skin picking. It’s awareness training, competing response training, motivation building and generalization of skills. Habit reversal training for skin picking is all about urges, the sensation before a tic. The goal of habit reversal training for skin picking to replace skin picking with a more constructive habit.

Awareness training is used to inform the affected person of the tics and other behaviors so the subject can maintain self control. It may look like narcissistic because the person describes his or her behavior while looking in a mirror. It is up to the therapist to point out the instances when the subject carries out the impulse over and over until the subject makes a habit of noticing it every time he or she does the tic. As this progress, the person can now determine when an impulse behavior is about to occur by identifying the urge, sensation or thought. Awareness training is accomplished when the subject learns to identify all situations in which the impulse behavior transpired.

Once the subject is aware of the impulse behavior, and then it is time to develop a competing response to replace that particular behavior. The competing response is an opposite of the current habit. It is suggested that the response shouldn’t cause an audience.

Complement and praise should be often given out to build motivation. The subject should make a note of all the problems that are caused by the behavior.

The final phase is to apply the competent response to the impulse behavior in different contexts and different environments. The person needs to practice this at home, work or at school for them to function properly in the every day world.