Renova Therapy
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Charlotte, NC · Virtual across North Carolina
Anxiety Counseling
in Charlotte, NC
Anxiety rarely announces itself. It shows up as a mind that will not shut off at 2am, a chest that tightens before a meeting, a running list of everything that could go wrong, or a low hum of dread you cannot trace back to anything.
At Renova Therapy I help clients in Charlotte and across North Carolina understand what is actually driving their anxiety and build tools that hold up outside the therapy room.
I am Natalie Forouzad, LCSW, founder of Renova Therapy. I work with clients ages 17 and up, in person at my Charlotte office and virtually anywhere in North Carolina.
Most people who reach out have been managing anxiety on their own for a long time before they call. They have read the articles, tried the breathing apps, and gotten good at pushing through. What brings them in is usually the realization that managing it and being free of it are not the same thing.
What anxiety actually looks like
Anxiety is not always the obvious version. Plenty of people who live with it are high functioning, well liked, and good at their jobs. It tends to show up in quieter ways:
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Replaying a conversation for hours after it ended
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Deciding not to do something because of how the worst case would feel
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Physical symptoms with no medical explanation, like a tight chest, stomach trouble, jaw tension, or exhaustion that sleep does not fix
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Needing to know the plan, the backup plan, and the exit
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Irritability that lands on the people closest to you
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A sense that you are always slightly braced for something
If several of those sound like an ordinary Tuesday, that is worth paying attention to.
Who I work with
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Generalized anxiety and chronic worry
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Panic attacks and panic symptoms
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Social anxiety
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Anxiety tied to work, school, or a major life transition
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Health anxiety and perfectionism
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Anxiety sitting on top of an older trauma
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Anxiety alongside depression, which is more common than not
How I approach anxiety
Anxiety lives in your thoughts and in your body at the same time. Treating only one half is usually where progress stalls. I work at both levels, and I draw on more than one method because no single approach fits every person.
Somatic therapy
Breath, movement, and mindfulness practices that help your nervous system come down out of alarm instead of living there. This matters because a body stuck in alarm keeps generating anxious thoughts no matter how well you argue with them.
Parts work
Based on Internal Family Systems. Most anxiety is a part of you trying to protect you in a way that has outlived its usefulness. Instead of fighting that part, we get curious about what it is guarding and what it needs in order to stand down.
Person-centered care
You set the direction. You will not get a worksheet handed to you and called a treatment plan. What we work on is decided by what is actually pressing on you, and it changes as you do.
EMDR
Used when anxiety traces back to a specific event, or a pattern of experiences your brain has not finished processing. Not every anxious client needs EMDR, and we would talk it through before starting.
What our work together looks like
Your first full session is mostly me listening. We talk about what brought you in, what you have already tried, what your anxiety costs you in a normal week, and what you would want to be different. I ask about your history, but I do not push into anything you are not ready to talk about on day one.
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From there, sessions tend to move between two things: understanding the pattern, and building something you can actually use. That might mean tracking what happens in your body before a panic wave, learning to interrupt a spiral before it takes the whole evening, or getting curious about the part of you that decided being perfect was the only way to stay safe.
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You will not leave every session feeling great. Some of the useful ones are uncomfortable. But you should leave most of them feeling like something got clearer.
In person in Charlotte, virtual across North Carolina
I see clients in person at my Charlotte office and virtually anywhere in North Carolina, including Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro, Asheville, and Wilmington.
Virtual sessions are not a lesser version of the work. Anxiety treatment translates well to telehealth, and for some clients it works better, because doing the work from your own space means you practice the skills where you actually need them. Somatic work and EMDR both adapt to a video session.
If you are local and want the in person option, that is available too. Some clients do a mix.
When I am not the right fit
I would rather tell you this up front than three sessions in.
I am not a prescriber, so if medication is part of your plan you would work with a psychiatrist or your primary care doctor alongside therapy. I work with ages 17 and up, so I am not the right person for younger clients. And if you are in active crisis and need a higher level of care than weekly outpatient therapy, I will say so and help you find the right place rather than take you on.
The free consultation exists partly so we can catch that early.
Getting started
Every new client starts with a free 15 minute consultation over telehealth. It is there for your questions, and so we can both decide this is a good fit before you book a first session. You do not need to arrive with a tidy explanation of what is wrong. "Something feels off and I am tired of it" is a completely reasonable place to start.
Common questions
Do I need a diagnosis to start anxiety therapy?
No. You do not need a diagnosis, a referral, or a clear explanation of what is wrong to book a consultation.
How long does anxiety therapy take?
It depends on what is underneath it. Some clients feel real relief within a few months of weekly work. Anxiety rooted in older trauma usually takes longer. We will talk through a realistic picture in your consultation rather than leaving it open ended.
Do you offer virtual anxiety therapy in North Carolina?
Yes. I see clients virtually anywhere in North Carolina, and in person in Charlotte.
What ages do you work with?
Ages 17 and up.
Do I have to be on medication?
No. I am not a prescriber. Some clients work with a psychiatrist or their primary care doctor alongside therapy and some do not. That is your call to make.
Is this covered by insurance?
I am in network with Aetna and Blue Cross Blue Shield, and HSA and FSA funds are accepted. Full details are on the Fees and Insurance page.
What if I have tried therapy before and it did not help?
That is common, and it is worth telling me in the consultation. Talk therapy alone leaves some people understanding their anxiety without feeling any different. Somatic work and EMDR are often what closes that gap.
How do I know if what I have is anxiety or just stress?
Stress usually has an end date. Anxiety keeps going after the stressful thing resolves, and starts generating new things to worry about. If it has outlasted its cause, it is worth looking at.
Ready to start?
Book a free 15 minute consultation and bring your questions. There is no commitment past the call.
704-448-6673 · renovanatalie@gmail.com