top of page


How Does Teletherapy Work for Anxiety Treatment?
What Is Teletherapy for Anxiety Treatment? Teletherapy for anxiety treatment is a clinically supervised, technology-mediated psychological intervention that delivers evidence-based therapeutic modalities, including cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), somatic experiencing, and eye movement desensitization reprocessing (EMDR), through a secure, HIPAA-compliant videoconferencing platform. It eliminates geographic and logistical barriers to mental health care, enabling licensed

Becky VanDenburgh
5 days ago6 min read


Your Brain Has a Map Out of Trauma. Here's How to Read It.
The ACT Hexaflex isn't therapy jargon. It's a practical framework for understanding why you're stuck and exactly how to move forward. If you've ever wondered why you keep ending up in the same painful patterns: the same relationships, the same 2 a.m. spirals, the same feeling of being trapped in a version of yourself you don't want to be, the answer probably isn't that you're broken. It's that your nervous system learned to survive in a world that wasn't safe. And it's still

Becky VanDenburgh
Jun 117 min read


The 15-Minute 'Off-Switch': Why Your Brain is Dying for a Moment of Awe
By Becky VanDenburgh, LCSW | thinkwelllivewell.co We have a massive problem in Indianapolis. We are surrounded by "vastness," but it’s the wrong kind. It’s the vastness of endless emails, the sprawling weight of professional expectations, and the suffocating noise of a 24/7 digital leash. It makes your world feel tiny. It makes your skin feel like sandpaper. This isn't just "stress." It is a biological shutdown. When you are in this state, your brain's Default Mode Network t

Becky VanDenburgh
Jun 43 min read


The Survival Paradox: Why Your Brain Isn't Wired for Happiness (And How to Reclaim Your Life)
By Becky VanDenburgh, LCSW | thinkwelllivewell.co What is "The Happiness Trap" and how does ACT help? The Happiness Trap is a psychological cycle where the harder we strive for constant positive feelings, the more we suffer. Rooted in evolutionary biology, our brains are wired for survival (scanning for threats) rather than lasting contentment. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) breaks this cycle by developing psychological flexibility. Instead of fighting or suppressin

Becky VanDenburgh
May 283 min read


What is DBT Therapy and Who is it For?
There is a specific, agonizing exhaustion that comes from living with a nervous system that feels like it’s missing its outer layer of skin. You know the feeling: A minor disagreement feels like a physical blow to the chest. A delayed text message sends you into a four-hour spiral of "what did I do wrong?" You lead teams and manage chaos at work, but the moment you drop your keys at the door, you are at the mercy of a tidal wave of emotion that you can’t "logic" your way out

Becky VanDenburgh
May 213 min read


Normal Habits That Are Actually Signs of Childhood Neglect
Childhood Emotional Neglect (CEN) is the "invisible" trauma of what didn’t happen. Unlike overt abuse, CEN is defined by a parent’s failure to respond to a child’s emotional needs. Adults with CEN often struggle with extreme hyper-independence, chronic indecisiveness, and an "apology reflex," frequently feeling like their presence is a burden. Healing involves recognizing these survival strategies as "armor" that is no longer needed and learning that your needs are inherently

Becky VanDenburgh
May 114 min read


What’s the Difference Between a Therapist and a Psychiatrist?
M E N T A L H E A L T H · G U I D E Why the “Inner Work” Is the Heart of Healing QUICK ANSWER The difference lies in the approach to healing: a psychiatrist is a medical doctor focusing on biological stabilization and medication management, while a therapist focuses on the “inner work,” psychotherapy to heal trauma and change behavioral patterns. At Think Well Live Well Counseling and Telepsychiatry, we offer a collaborative model where both services are available, ens

Becky VanDenburgh
Apr 302 min read


LONGING TO BE THE CHOICE
And Why It's Keeping You From Your Own Life At some point in our lives, most of us have felt it, that deep, quiet wanting to be chosen. Not just loved, but specifically, deliberately chosen. Seen by someone and decided on. Picked. It shows up in the relationship where you are always waiting for them to fully commit. In the situationship you keep returning to because this time feels different. In the way you edit yourself down to what you think they want, hoping that version f

Becky VanDenburgh
Apr 238 min read


Can You Really Do EMDR Online?
Instead of following hand movements with your eyes, your therapist uses bilateral tapping (such as alternating taps on each knee, or the Butterfly Hug). Your therapist watches your movements through the camera, controls the pace, and tells you when to stop, exactly as they would in an office. The process, the science, and the results are the same.

Becky VanDenburgh
Apr 84 min read


A Lid for Every Pot:
What the Purdue Attachment Study Says About Your Marriage — and What to Do About It You know the dance. One of you moves closer, texts more, asks more, needs more. The other pulls back, goes quiet, gets busy, disappears into work or their phone or the garage. The closer one chases. The other retreats further. Round and round it goes, until you’re two people sharing a mortgage and a Netflix password and almost nothing else. If that sounds familiar, you’re not broken. You’re no

Becky VanDenburgh
Mar 267 min read


I Had a “Good” Childhood—So Why Do I Feel So Empty? Understanding the Invisible Scars of Neglect EMDR
I Had a “Good” Childhood—So Why Do I Feel So Empty? Understanding the Invisible Scars of Neglect

Becky VanDenburgh
Mar 184 min read


The Wall Between Us: How to Reach an Avoidant Spouse Without Losing Yourself
It is a specific, heavy kind of loneliness to be married to someone who is physically in the room but emotionally miles away. You know the feeling: you try to share a piece of your day, or worse, a piece of your heart, and you’re met with a blank stare, a sudden "busy" task, or a partner who literally walks out of the room. You feel like you’re doing a "double job," carrying the emotional weight of the entire household while your spouse sits behind an invisible, impenetrable

Becky VanDenburgh
Mar 123 min read


The “Silent Divorce”: When You’re Roommates Who Share a Mortgage
You know the feeling. You aren’t fighting, and you aren’t even necessarily angry with each other. But as you sit across from each other at dinner, you realize you’ve become strangers who just happen to know each other’s coffee orders. Many couples find themselves living in what can be called an "Invisible Divorce". You’ve become highly efficient co-managers of a household, but the heart of the relationship feels like it’s gone quiet. It’s not just a phase or the "seven-year i

Becky VanDenburgh
Feb 263 min read


Boundary Assertiveness Training: The Ultimate Guide to Navigating High-Conflict Relationships
If you’re reading this, you likely know the bone-deep exhaustion I’m talking about. It’s a tightness in your chest, an urge to hide in the bathroom, and the feeling that you are just one passive-aggressive comment away from exploding. I often tell my clients that living in a high-conflict relationship is like having 100 browser tabs open in your brain, all playing different videos at once. You are constantly scanning for threats, trying to predict the next "ignore bomb," or p

Becky VanDenburgh
Feb 174 min read


Beyond the Battlefield: Navigating High-Conflict Divorce and Parallel Parenting with a Narcissist in Indiana
If you are navigating a divorce in Indiana and it feels less like a legal process and more like a psychological war zone, you are likely dealing with a high-conflict personality. When a partner exhibits narcissistic traits, such as a profound lack of empathy, a chronic need for admiration, and a "win-at-all-costs" mentality, the traditional advice to "just cooperate for the kids" can feel impossible. At Think Well Live Well Counseling , we understand that divorcing a narci

Becky VanDenburgh
Feb 52 min read


I Don't Want to Talk About It: How EMDR Heals Trauma Without You Having to Retell Your Story
If I had a dollar for every time someone walked into my office, or logged onto a telehealth session, and said, "I want to feel better, but I can’t talk about what happened," I would be a wealthy woman. But more importantly, if I had a dollar for every time I told them, " That is okay. You don’t have to, " I would be a happy one. There is a pervasive myth in our culture that healing requires a confession. We are taught that to "process" trauma, we must detail every painful, hu

Becky VanDenburgh
Jan 284 min read


Is Your Therapy Working or Are You Just Paying for a Weekly Vent?
The Core Narrative: Moving Beyond the Weekly Recap For many, the initial experience of therapy feels like a breath of fresh air. There is a profound relief in having a dedicated hour to unload the burdens of the week. However, for a significant percentage of clients, that initial relief eventually gives way to a nagging suspicion that they are simply "paying for a friend". They find themselves repeating the same stories, receiving the same "oh wows" from their therapist, and

Becky VanDenburgh
Jan 204 min read


7 Signs You’re in a Trauma Bond (and How to Break Free)
Why You Can’t Just "Leave": The Science of the Trauma Bond Have you ever felt like you were addicted to a person who treats you poorly? One day they are the love of your life; the next, they are cold, critical, or gaslighting you. This "emotional rollercoaster" isn't just bad luck in dating, it’s a physical and psychological phenomenon called a trauma bond. While it feels like love, your brain is actually caught in a cycle of intermittent reinforcement. This creates a powerfu

Becky VanDenburgh
Jan 139 min read


Why Does My Therapy Bill Say Anxiety? Decoding Superbills and ICD-10 Codes
Have you ever opened an invoice from your therapist, what we call a "superbill", and felt a sudden jolt of panic? You scan past your name and the date, and your eyes land on a cold, clinical code: F41.1 . Next to it, in stark black and white, are the words: Generalized Anxiety Disorder. Wait, you think. Is that me? Is this on my permanent record? I thought I was just processing a tough breakup or work stress…do I have a "disorder"? Take a deep breath. Let’s pause. If you’re

Becky VanDenburgh
Jan 63 min read


The Exhaustion of "Performing Joy": Are You Fawning Through The Holidays?
There is a specific moment I hear about constantly in my practice during December. It’s the moment you get back to your car after the family dinner, or the moment the last guest leaves your house. The door closes. The silence hits. And you don’t just feel tired. You feel hollow. You spent the last six hours smiling, nodding, refilling drinks, de-escalating awkward political conversations, and ensuring everyone else had a "magical" time. You were the perfect host, the perfect

Becky VanDenburgh
Dec 23, 20253 min read
bottom of page
