ABOUT
Welcome to Bright Tree Therapy. My name is Bethany Wichman-Buescher ("wick-min bush-er", she/her) and I am a licensed psychodynamically-trained clinical social worker (LCSW). I place considerable value in continuing to learn and grow as a therapist, and therefore participate in extensive and regular study and training. I consider myself to be most firmly rooted in Experiential Dynamic Therapy (EDT) and Intensive Short-Term Dynamic Therapy (ISTDP). I have also been trained in Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Therapy (AEDP) and Somatic Experiencing (SE).
Prior to becoming a therapist, I worked in the anti-sexual-violence field, providing crisis support, advocacy, support groups, and other services to survivors of sexual violence. I have worked at a national level, managing the National Sexual Assault Hotline, and locally at a rape crisis center. I hold a Master of Social Work from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, an MA in Conflict Transformation and Peacebuilding, and a BA in Sociology and Communications.
TREATMENT AREAS
- Mood and anxiety disorders
- Chronic pain (migraines, gastrointestinal issues, etc.)
- Trauma
- Sexual Violence
- Sexuality and gender identity
- Interpersonal violence
- Grief and loss
- Self-esteem and self-criticism
- Relationships and parenting
- Supporting transgender children as a primary caregiver
- Major life transitions
- Personal growth
OFFICE
I offer virtual and in-person therapy. My main office is located on the 2nd floor of the Casa building on the Radical Healing campus. Radical Healing is located in Durham's Lakewood neighborhood.
2003 Chapel Hill Road
Durham, NC 27707
On Thursdays I see clients at 1415 Broad Street in Durham, near Duke East Campus.
THERAPY
ABOUT MY APPROACH
I offer a highly relational type of therapy for individual adolescents and adults which works with the connection between mind and body. My approach is compassionate and collaborative, yet direct and active. I help clients nonjudgmentally observe how they might avoid complicated emotions triggered in present relationships, exploring past wounds in the process. Then, through a safe and attuned therapeutic relationship, we regulate anxiety together and feel what previously might have felt too overwhelming or too scary to feel. By directly accessing the mind-body connection in this way, clients have more self-compassion and feel clearer about what they want in life.
All the time we spend thinking and doing things can make us miss important messages from our body about what we are feeling and needing. We then feel confused, anxious, or distracted. We often learn from an early age to ignore our feelings and our bodies, and this leads us to feel a lingering sense of shame and disconnection from others. In the long-term, this can result in painful and debilitating physical pain and illness, and a variety of mental health symptoms.
My main goal as a therapist is to help you become more authentically you. My approach can be extremely effective at combating self-critical thoughts and reducing your sense of emptiness or separateness. I do this by exploring how you experience our therapeutic relationship as well as other relationships in your life. As a result, you may often feel happier with the quantity and quality of your connections. You may also understand yourself better, feel more comfortable with yourself and others, and experience less pain and illness in your body.
My Office
THERAPEUTIC VALUES
I welcome clients from a variety of identities, cultures, life experiences, diagnoses, and lifestyles. I aim to approach our differences humbly. In my sessions I offer space to have conversations and feelings about experiences of oppression as well as explorations into privilege and power dynamics.
I am honored to be a part of the Radical Healing campus, which provides wellness services for the LGBTQ+ community. I have experience working with individuals with a variety of sexual orientations and gender identities (GNC, trans, and cis), cultural and racial identities, socioeconomic backgrounds, immigrants, folx who practice open relationships, polyamory, and monogomy, and people with different physical abilities.
I am a white cisgender woman who strives to be queer- and POC-affirming. I enjoy working with clients who hold different identities than my own, though I am happy to provide referrals to therapists who may better align with your identities and preferences if desired.
PARENTING SUPPORT
I am a certified Circle of Security Parenting™ program facilitator for:
- Groups
- Individuals
- Couples
All parents and caregivers deserve to have strong and loving relationships with the children they care for, but our own attachment wounds, upbringings, and other life barriers often end up unintentionally impacting this connection. I have deep empathy for these struggles. I really enjoy helping caregivers from a variety of family structures feel more confident in the ways they interact with their kids by helping them explore their own childhoods and compassionately identifying how past wounds show up in their relationship with their children.
Fall 2024 Group Registration Open!
Oct-Dec 2024
Location: Durham
Structure: One 30-min intake call + Eight 90-min weekly meetings
Cost: $250
***Virtual NC-wide group coming soon
Learning Objectives of the Program:
- Understand your child's emotional world by learning to read emotional needs
- Support your child's ability to successfully manage emotions
- Enhance the development of your child's self esteem
- Honor your innate wisdom and your desire for your child to be secure
If you're interested in joining a group or accessing individual or couple support, please contact me.
FEES
90 minute Initial Intake Assessment, Individual-----$278
60 minute Psychotherapy Session, Individual--------$185
75 minute Psychotherapy Session, Individual--------$233
90 minute Psychotherapy Session, Individual--------$278
SLIDING SCALE
I reserve one quarter of my caseload for pro bono and sliding scale clients. Please check with me for availability.
****As of June 2023 my pro bono spots are full
INSURANCE
I am able to accept Duke student insurance. I am an out-of-network provider for all other insurance plans, meaning that our work together may still be covered by your insurance, but at a different rate than if I were in-network. Health insurance policies usually provide some out-of-network coverage for mental health treatment. I am happy to submit the paperwork to your insurance company on your behalf, or you can submit it yourself. Your insurance company will reimburse you directly since you will already have paid for service.
