welcome to

Breathe Again Counseling

Grief is a club that no one wants to join. It can be a lonely road for many reasons. Wouldn’t it be good to have someone who understands the grief journey to walk alongside you? You don’t have to carry your pain alone.

Welcome to Breathe Again Counseling. On the one hand, I’m so glad that you found your way here, and at the same time, I am so very sorry.

Many times, people think that grief is only experienced due to a death, but grief is a response to any loss. Here are some examples to consider: past trauma/abuse (physical, sexual, emotional, or spiritual), a lost hope or dream, loss of a friendship, family conflict, a health condition, adoption, and miscarriage. Consider that there is grief in all trauma although there isn’t trauma in all grief.

When grief hits, it can literally take your breath away. You’re shocked. You’re confused. You feel overwhelmed. And without realizing it, you can start to use shallow breathing as you try to make it through one more day of painful memories. Stress is a normal part of life. However, too much continued stress can wreak havoc on your mind and body leading to toxic stress which can negatively impact you. Your body may start to hold grief in different places, and you begin to feel stuck.

You can feel as though you are going “crazy”! Perhaps you have noticed memory lapses, or you find that it’s difficult to concentrate. Maybe you feel strong emotions or are numb to your feelings. Do you find that you don’t seem to care about the little things anymore? Everyday choices can seem so frivolous. Do you sleep excessively or does sleep seem to elude you?* These are all normal responses to grief. You aren’t going “crazy”, you are grieving. A recent survey showed that sadness, fatigue, and changes in appetite were the most common effects of grief*.

If you are in deep pain looking for ways to abate your grief, you’ve come to a place where help is available. The truth is, it’s hard to understand the experience of grief until you are in it. You are hurting because you’ve lost something or someone you loved. Grief is always about love. And when you lose what you love or desire, it hurts. It’s painful. When someone dies, you don’t have to let go of your love to release your pain. The love always remains because death does not end a relationship even though it changes drastically.

If you are looking for supportive help and compassionate care as you navigate deep sorrow and painful experiences, reach out today. Click here to connect with me. Let’s see if we might be able to work together to help you begin to breathe deeply and build a life that can be beautiful once again.

*Wright, H. N. (2004). Experiencing grief. B & H Publishing Group.

*Koenig, D. (2019, July 11). The Grief Experience: Survey Shows It’s Complicated. Web MD.

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about

Wendy Douglas

MA, LCMHCA, NCC

My name is Wendy Douglas, and I am a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Associate in Greensboro, NC. I am also a Certified Grief Educator. Multiple trainings in grief education have been taken, allowing me to specialize in this area. As a Certified Grief Educator, I have received training through world-renowned grief expert, David Kessler. Additional training in grief, crisis, and trauma response has been completed with the late Dr. H. Norman Wright who was instrumental in helping to develop the GriefShare program.

I specialize in grief, loss, and trauma, helping women ages 21 and up who have experienced unimaginable loss. I work with those who are heartbroken, anxious, and/or depressed as a result. I will help you to honor that which was lost, reclaim parts of yourself that have been hidden, and rebuild a healthy life in a way that allows you to walk your unique journey. Your story may have been dismissed, or perhaps, others have tried to rush you through your grief, not understanding that strong emotions are a part of the healing process. In the beginning stages of grief, you don’t want someone who will try to get you to find meaning; you want someone who will sit with you through the pain and let you feel all the feels. I want you to know that your story matters because you matter (even if that’s hard to believe right now). I give hope that, through the therapeutic relationship and personal grief work, life can be beautiful again. It will be different, but pain will not always be the driving force. It is possible to grieve with more love than pain. If you are struggling and wondering how long you can endure the pain of heartbreak, I am here to help! You don’t have to do this alone…I can work with you to give you the tools you need to treat your whole self and help you to breathe deeply once again. If you feel that you are struggling to hold onto hope, would you consider allowing me to hold hope for you until you can carry it on your own?

I am a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors (AACC) and Equip Coaching Group for Counselors. Level 1 of biblical counselor training has been completed through the Association of Certified Biblical Counselors (ACBC).

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My Therapeutic Approach

I firmly believe in the power of the counseling relationship in that it has the potential to serve as a catalyst for individual insight, progressive change, and overall mental health wellness. The foundation of my theoretical orientation lies within humanistic, psychodynamic, and attachment-based therapeutic approaches informed through a trauma lens. As someone who takes an eclectic approach, I tend to draw from cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT), and narrative therapy (NT). For clients who have experienced trauma, I sometimes use Polyvagal-informed eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (PV-EMDR) which is an evidence-based treatment for traumatic experiences that incorporates treating your nervous system. I am Level 1 trained in Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy (EFiT) too. Lastly, I integrate Dr. John Townsend’s Character Model, a research-informed, Biblically-based, psychodynamic approach to character diagnosis and treatment regularly in my clinical work. I use the Townsend Model to help clients develop their internal capacities in order to successfully navigate the challenges of life. The form of treatment will depend on the specific needs of the client. If you are looking for a therapist in North Carolina who combines compassionate, person-centered therapy with evidenced-based approaches, please consider reaching out.

A Peek Inside My Office

Breathe Again Counseling Office
Breathe Again Counseling Office
Breathe Again Counseling Office

“The reality is that you will grieve forever. You will not ‘get over’ the loss of a loved one; you’ll learn to live with It. You will heal and you will rebuild yourself around the loss you have suffered. You will be whole again, but you will never be the same. Nor should you be the same nor would you want to.”

– Elisabeth Kubler-Ross and David Kessler*

*Kübler-Ross, E. & Kessler, D. (2005).
On grief and grieving: Finding meaning of grief through the five stages of loss. Scribner.

answers to your

Frequently Asked Questions

Complete the contact form and I’ll be in touch within 48 hours. I’m happy to answer any questions not covered here and help you get started.

Great question! This answer is specific to the individual. How many sessions counseling will take depends on your specific needs/goals. Sometimes, clients come in to work on one goal and discover that they want to work on additional goals too. Together, we can decide what’s best for you. Please keep in mind research shows that weekly therapy appointments tend to produce faster progress toward your goals which ultimately costs you less money. Therefore, I do ask clients to attend weekly appointments.

The first session is called an intake session. During this time, I conduct a thorough assessment and ask a lot of questions about many aspects of your personal life. This will help me get to know you and understand the direction you would like to go. It generally lasts about 55 minutes which is a little longer than a standard session. Together, we will determine what your goals are for therapy.

Yes! With hectic schedules, it can at times be difficult to get from one place to another within a set time. And then there are times when you wake up not feeling well. Telehealth counseling can be a great option for some clients. I am happy to discuss whether this may be a good fit for you. Research supports the effectiveness of telehealth services.

Please note: video/telehealth services are provided through a secure HIPAA-compliant platform when both therapist and client are within the state of North Carolina at the time of services, as required by law. Currently, I am only licensed in North Carolina.

I do not offer a sliding scale. However, I do offer a limited number of reduced-cost appointments to help make high-quality counseling available to all women through a partnership with Open Path Psychotherapy Collective. Please visit https://openpathcollective.org/ for more information.

If you are unable to keep your scheduled appointment time for any reason, please call to cancel or reschedule at least 24 hours in advance of your scheduled appointment time. If you do not cancel or reschedule with at least 24 hours advance notice, you will be charged the full session fee. If you wake up not feeling well or have a sick minor child at home on the day of your in-person appointment, you may ask to switch to a phone or telehealth appointment if you will be in the state of North Carolina at the time of services.

Your appointment time is set aside specifically for you. Therefore, if you are late, you will be missing part of the time for your allotted session for which you will be charged the full session fee. Life happens, and sometimes it’s simply unavoidable. However, to honor my appointment schedule, your session will still need to end at the scheduled time.

Yes, I do offer counseling from this perspective if the client requests it! In the Holy Bible, one of the names for God is Jehovah Rapha (Ex. 15:26*) meaning the Lord who heals/repairs/makes whole. God states that He can bring beauty from ashes (Is. 61:3*), and that He is close to the brokenhearted (Ps. 34:18*).”

*The Holy Bible, new international version. (1984). Zondervan Publishing House.

No – I will never impose my beliefs on you. I offer compassionate, person-centered counseling combined with evidence-based approaches from a practical perspective. There are many things I can offer in counseling that you will find beneficial without incorporating Christian counseling. Each client has the choice of whether she would like faith-based counseling or not.

This specific therapy is a science-backed approach that integrates Polyvagal theory (PV) with Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. PV looks at the way the body responds to different experiences because our brain is constantly scanning for safety or danger. This theory looks at how to restore balance to your body’s nervous system so that you can move to a calmer state from one that is highly activated or shutdown. EMDR therapy helps you to process unresolved memories that activate your body’s nervous system. Unhealthy experiences are not processed in the brain in the same way that healthy experiences are processed which can leave you feeling “stuck”.  EMDR is an integrative therapy that uses repeated stimulation of both sides of your brain. Many times, eye movements are used to replicate something similar to eye movements that happen during deep sleep which is the time when your brain reorganizes and files memories from the day. Through this process, your body can access it’s God-given, self-healing capacities, moving you toward wholeness and health. As we treat the body and mental health processes, symptoms can decrease, and underlying root issues can be addressed. PV-EMDR is a powerful pathway toward healing and growth!

You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical care will cost.

Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the bill for medical items and services.

You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency items or services. This includes related costs like medical tests, prescription drugs, equipment, and hospital fees.

Make sure your health care provider gives you a Good Faith Estimate in writing at least 1 business day before your medical service or item. You can also ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule an item or service.

If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill.

Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.

For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit cms.gov/nosurprises or call (336) 313-2668.

Still Have Questions?

Reach out today using the contact form!

Rates & Insurance

Individual Therapy

In-person and telehealth

Initial intake sessions: $160
Individual sessions, 45-50 minutes: $150

Group Offerings

with Peer Support

Cost for groups varies based on the type/length of the group. Please click here to see a list of available groups.

Insurance

I am a private pay provider and DO NOT accept insurance. I am also considered an out-of-network provider. However, a superbill may be requested for you to submit to your insurance provider.

Out-of-network services may be covered in full or in part depending on your current health coverage or employee benefits plan. Please contact your provider to verify how your plan reimburses you for counseling services. Many times, the number is listed on the back of your insurance card.

Here are some questions to consider asking your insurance provider to help determine your out-of-network benefits:

  • Does my health insurance plan include mental health benefits?

  • Does my plan cover out-of-network services? If so, how are they reimbursed and what is needed to submit a claim?

  • Do I have a deductible? If so, what is it and have I met it yet?
  • If I have a copay for therapy, how much is it?
  • Does my plan limit how many sessions per calendar year I can have? If so, what is the limit?
  • Do I need written approval from my primary care physician for services to be covered?

Payment

I accept credit cards (Visa, Mastercard, American Express) and cash as forms of payment. I also accept flexible spending accounts (FSA) or health savings accounts (HSA) if you have one. I do require that a valid credit card be kept on file for all clients. Credit cards are charged the morning of the appointment (unless other arrangements have been made in advance – i.e., paying cash) so that if there is a problem, it can be taken care of before the scheduled appointment time.

“When we are no longer able to change a situation…we are challenged to change ourselves.”

V. Frankel, 2004*
“If we can share our story with someone who responds with empathy and understanding, shame can’t survive.”
B. Brown*

“The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”

Psalm 34:18, NIV*

* Frankl, V. E. (2004). Man’s search for meaning: The classic tribute to hope from the Holocaust. Rider. (Original work published 1946)

* Brown, B. (2012). Daring greatly: How the courage to be vulnerable transforms the way we live, love, parent, and lead. Avery.

* The Holy Bible, New International Version. (1984). Zondervan Publishing House.

Ready to Get Started?

Taking the first step can be so hard – but, oh, so worth it! If you’re ready to be seen, be heard, and feel understood as well as supported, click the button below to get started. It’s okay to show up for you and invest in your personal growth and healing.