Char Bentley
I work with adults navigating anxiety, trauma and PTSD, grief, depression, stress, and significant life changes. I'm a veteran, which gives me firsthand familiarity with military culture and many of the transitions that can come with service. I enjoy working with veterans and active duty service members, but BCB Counseling isn't exclusively a military-focused practice. I also work with adults navigating the kinds of changes that happen to anyone across a lifetime: parenting, career shifts, retirement, empty nesting, grief, changing relationships, and periods when life simply doesn't look the way it used to.
First session
My hope is that after your first therapy session you will leave feeling heard, supported, clear on a path forward, and ready for change. First sessions - or intakes - involve a lot of questioning to explore one's history and assess one’s symptoms. However, it’s also a time where we begin to define your hopes and goals for therapy. It’s a lot to take care of in a short time, so I ensure we get the basics to get started and try not to overwhelm as assessment continues throughout treatment.
Strengths
While I can support those struggling with a variety of issues, I am particularly well trained in working with adjustment disorders, anxiety, depression, and trauma. My approach combines warmth and collaboration with evidence-based treatment and practical strategies that have a purpose beyond the therapy session. I don't believe therapy needs to feel overly clinical to be effective. I also don't believe talking alone is always enough. Our work is focused on understanding what's happening, identifying what needs attention, and using approaches that make sense for the problem we're addressing.
Ideal clients
I have found the best fit for my practice are those who are insight-ready, but action-oriented. These clients do not just want a sounding board; they want a partner in change. They bring the willingness to look at hard things, and they look to the therapist to provide the clear framework, tools, and accountability needed to translate emotional healing into a tangible rewrite of their life.
Treatment methods
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a structured, practical form of talk therapy that focuses on how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are all connected. The core idea is simple: The way you think about a situation affects how you feel and act. If you can change unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns, you can change your emotional state and improve your daily life.
Acceptance and commitment (ACT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) is an action-oriented form of talk therapy that teaches you to accept your difficult thoughts and feelings rather than fight or avoid them. ACT focuses on changing your relationship to those thoughts so they lose their power over you.
Dialectical Behavior (DBT)
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a highly structured form of talk therapy designed specifically to help people who experience intense, overwhelming emotions and struggle to manage them.
Cognitive Processing (CPT)
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a specific, short-term type of cognitive behavioral therapy designed explicitly to treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured, specialized form of therapy designed to help the brain heal from trauma, PTSD, and distressing life experiences. The core idea is that traumatic memories can get "stuck" or frozen in the brain's emotional survival center in their raw, vivid form. When you remember the event, you don't just recall it—you actually re-experience the panic, sights, and physical sensations as if it is still happening. EMDR acts like a digestive system for your brain, unsticking those memories so they can be processed and filed away as normal, non-threatening history.
Location
Virtual sessions