Exposure Therapy • Charlotte NC Therapists
Get Back to Your Life with Customized Exposure Therapy for All Ages
Anxiety and fear are a normal part of life. Without anxiety, we would not slam on the brakes when the car in front of us stops suddenly. Without fear, we would jump off the edge of a cliff without a parachute. Anxiety and fear are necessary emotions.
But what about when our anxieties and fears take over our lives in an unhealthy way? These emotions can become disabling and impact daily activities. They can impact our relationships, employment, and overall quality of life.
If you are struggling with uncontrolled anxiety or fear, know that you are not alone. Below are just a few statistics to show you how many others are out there, just like you. Each year in the United States alone:
almost 30 million people have a specific phobia. Over 50% of those phobias have led to a moderately to severely disabling condition.
over 23 million people have a social anxiety disorder. Almost 70% of those social anxiety disorders have led to a moderately to severely disabling condition.
almost 9 million people have generalized anxiety disorder. Over 75% of those generalized anxiety disorders have led to a moderately to severely disabling condition.
almost 9 million people have a panic disorder. Almost 75% of those panic disorders have led to a moderately to severely disabling condition.
almost 4 million people have obsessive-compulsive disorder. Over 85% of those obsessive-compulsive disorders have led to a moderately to severely disabling condition.
almost 12 million people have posttraumatic stress disorder. Almost 70% of those posttraumatic stress disorders have led to a moderately to severely disabling condition.
However, only 43.2% of people with anxiety disorders receive treatment, despite all the research on how effective treatment can be.
Here at Bright View Counseling, we partner with our clients to find the best possible treatment plan to meet their unique needs.
Our Approach to Safe Exposure Therapy Charlotte NC
When you have a phobia or anxiety relative to a specific situation, you tend to avoid that situation at all costs. Exposure therapy Charlotte NC provides a safe environment for you to expose yourself to whatever triggers your anxiety or fear response. This can be done in a variety of ways, depending on your unique needs. Your therapist can work with you to determine the treatment that works best for you. The types of exposure therapy include:
In Vivo Exposure Therapy
This is the most direct form of exposure therapy Charlotte NC. During in vivo exposure, you will work with your therapist to find a comfortable way to directly confront the source of your fear. For example, for those with agoraphobia, you and your therapist might think about a safe way for you to enter a public space again.
Imaginal Exposure Therapy
Maybe you aren’t ready for direct exposure, and that is perfectly fine. We can use imaginal exposure therapy to help you imagine situations that might elicit a stress response and guide your thinking with cognitive-based therapy (CBT) techniques. This can be especially impactful for those living with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy
Virtual reality exposure therapy uses technology to introduce you to a potentially stressful situation in the safety of the therapy environment. This type of exposure therapy can be particularly helpful when in vivo exposure therapy is not practical, such as riding on a boat or visiting a location far away.
Interoceptive Exposure Therapy
During interoceptive exposure therapy Charlotte NC, your therapist will guide you through experiencing sensations that you may associate with the fear or panic response. These sensations may include racing heartbeat, shortness of breath, dizziness, sweating, or nausea. We will find safe ways for you to experience these same symptoms, without associating them with panic or fear.
We will pace these exposure experiences based on your needs. We can approach the exposures in a variety of different ways, including grading, flooding, or systematic desensitization.
Grading
Just thinking about having to confront your biggest fear can be enough to keep you from seeking help. We completely understand that. Using a graded approach, we can start with things that are only mildly difficult to confront and work up to the big stuff. For example, if you are afraid of snakes, maybe we just start with pictures of worms or other harmless, legless creatures. We can take it baby step by baby step.
Flooding
Are you the kind of person who jumps straight into the deep end instead of slowly walking into the pool? If so, then flooding might be the best pacing for your exposure therapy Charlotte NC. Flooding starts with the most difficult tasks and works its way down. By the time we are done, you won’t even know it’s therapy!
Systematic Desensitization
Before exposing you to a source of anxiety or fear, we can help you start to associate these situations with anxiety. That way, during the exposure therapy, you can feel calm and relaxed by using techniques mastered ahead of time. If you are a planner and like to feel in control, this might be the best pacing for your exposure therapy.
Get started with one of our therapists to develop a customized exposure therapy plan that meets your needs.
Traditional Therapy Not Your Thing? Try Therapy with a Twist
When you work with a Bright View Therapist, you get what we like to call “Therapy With A Twist!” You may have been to another therapist’s office or seen on television where they sit and talk with you for an hour and then send you on your way. Here at Bright View Counseling, we believe in the power of activity and nature. We will talk with you while on a walk, playing a game, even while fishing. Our office dog Charlotte is also here to provide comfort, companionship, and grounding for clients who may benefit from that.
Depending on what works best for you, we can tailor this technique. You are an individual and have individual needs. We have found over the years that this method can be very effective for creating a comforting and familiar environment, especially for children and teens who may have mental health disorders.
And don’t worry, we can do this all virtual. The pandemic brought about a lot of great changes including increased access to virtual therapy sessions. We offer virtual and in-person sessions, to meet the individual needs of each client. Your teletherapy may include virtual walks, virtual games, or even virtual fishing!
Get Exposure Therapy From the Best of the Best Charlotte Therapist!
Michael Clark-Borenstein, LCMHC (Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor) founded Bright View Counseling in 2020 because he saw a need for a new type of therapy in Charlotte, North Carolina. Especially for those with anxiety and fear disorders, sitting in a room talking just wasn’t always enough. Bright View Counselling uses a variety of therapy techniques to meet the unique needs of each client. Exposure therapy Charlotte NC is one of the most impactful techniques for our clients with fear or anxiety disorders because it gets right to the heart of the problem.
Our therapists are all trained to provide client-centered, holistic, and humanistic therapy. We don’t look at therapy as fixing a problem. We see therapy as a tool to improve your quality of life. The key word in all of that is you. You are the focus of your own therapy. Because the truth is no two people are exactly the same, and we want to make sure we incorporate who you are into what we do.
We have clients of every age group. Ideal clients are seven years or older. Our areas of focus include anxiety and fear disorders, depression, ADHD, ODD, life stressors and adjustments, behavioral modification, and autism. If you don’t see your concern on the list, reach out to us so that we can see if we are the right fit to meet your needs.
