Therapist in Charlotte Blake Blankenbecler LCMHC

So glad you’re here!

I’m Blake Blankenbecler, LCMHC
Psychotherapist + Owner of Fig Therapy
Pronouns: she/hers

Specializing in helping men and women with trauma, anxiety, eating disorders, and depression.

Therapy: Why I believe in it and YOU

Some things simply can’t be done alone. I believe healing, growth, and change can only happen within the context of a relationship. 

All of the new mental health resources that have become available to us in the forms of podcasts, books, social media, etc are extremely helpful. But you know what? I’ve found these are no substitute for therapy. Why? Well, when I sit with people and hear the pain and heartbreak of their stories, I never hear “this book/podcast/online course really hurt me.” Since these resources aren’t the instruments that originally harmed us, they don’t have the power to heal us.

We have all experienced pain and heartbreak through relationships. Since this is how we’ve been hurt, these are our path to heal. The space we’ll create together in therapy is the place where you can find and experience this healing that extends into all other relationships in your life.

I believe in therapy because I’ve experienced time and time again, in others and myself, that healing from the inside out is possible.

Eating Disorder Therapist Charlotte NC

Sessions: What to expect

Here are a few ways I describe what being in session with me is like:

I welcome all your thoughts and feelings. My priority is to create a space where you feel safe and understood. You are always encouraged to share your feelings (even what you’re feeling about me!) in our sessions.

I love to have a good laugh. If you’ve never been to therapy, no need to envision a stiff, stoic professional with a blank face scribbling unbeknownst clinical truths about yourself onto a notepad. Our whole selves show up in session, including our personalities and senses of humor, and sharing a good belly laugh can be great medicine. While trauma work is of course deep, folks are often surprised to find that laughter and levity are equally important in healing.

I believe your pain is valid. I’m here to listen to you and do my best to make you feel as heard, seen, and understood as possible. I won’t skip over your pain or treat it lightly. I consider it a great honor to be invited into it and will treat it as the sacred truth it is.

I help you pay attention to what’s happening in your body. While it might feel strange at first to be in the middle of sharing a story and have me interrupt you to ask, “What are you noticing in your body?” or “What’s happening in your shoulders right now?” the goal is to also get to know the story your body is wanting to share too.

I’m not here to shame you. You deserve to have a completely judgement-free zone in your life, and I’m here to hold loads of compassion for you until you can do so for yourself. 

I’m a “kind challenger”. I’ll meet the most sensitive parts of you with great tenderness, but I’ll also confront you in the ways you turn away from yourself, your story, and your body. If you want someone who can “call you out” but in a respectful and relational way (something you might not have experienced before), you’ve certainly come to the right place!

In person therapy sessions are available in Charlotte, North Carolina and sessions are also available virtually for folks living in North Carolina, South Carolina or Texas.

My Practice

As far as my practice, I work from a psychodynamic and somatic lens. This means I view you as a whole person whose struggles, insecurities, secrets, joys and desires reveal a rich and meaningful story. We’ll be able to confront the stories you tell about yourself and the patterns you keep repeating to find true and lasting change. Your body and your nervous system get a lot of time in the spotlight during therapy. While this might feel odd at first, learning to decode the language of your nervous system and use your body’s inherent wisdom will likely be some of your most helpful work.

If you’re worried about sharing certain parts of your story, perhaps where great trauma has occurred, this is very normal. The good news is, I’m trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Somatic Experiencing as a way for you to experience healing and relief from trauma on a deeper level. Many people find this practice to be extremely helpful when revisiting painful events or memories that feel “stuck”. (Don’t worry! I’ll never do anything in session with you without your consent. Rest easy knowing I have proper training to make this process as gentle as possible for you).

It is my greatest hope that you are able to care for yourself and your story kindly, to live in your body comfortably, and to be fully and courageously yourself. Everything I incorporate into my practice is to this end.

5 Fun Facts about Me

  • I’ve had the honor of working with clients from the east coast to the west coast. Having practiced psychotherapy in Nashville, Los Angeles, Austin, Charleston, and now Charlotte, NC. I’m well acquainted with the struggles that are bringing you to a place of seeking out therapy.

  • I created a conversation game for friends called The Friendship Deck. After wanting to offer my clients and friends a great resource to help nurture and strength friendships and not being able to find anything, I decided to put my years of clinical and personal experience together and created the Friendship Deck!

  • If you’re familiar with the enneagram, I’m a total 4 through and through. To no surprise then, I love reading, writing, practicing yoga, spending time alone, and feeling big feelings.

  • My husband and I met in Nashville, TN and I can thank him for this mouth full of a name. We have a young daughter and we are confident our long last name will help her learn the alphabet rather quickly.

  • We have a goldendoodle named Cash. He likes to pop into virtual therapy sessions occasionally, but mostly he just sleeps through them. To his credit, he’s really perfected the art of keeping everything he hears confidential.

Education + Credentials

North Carolina Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor #19787
South Carolina Licensed Professional Counselor #7872
Texas Licensed Professional Counselor #84522

MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling with a specialization in Play Therapy from Lipscomb University
EMDR Safe Attachment Level One Trained 
Embodied Recovery for Eating Disorders Phase One Training
Somatic Experiencing 3 Year Professional Training through Somatic Experiencing International
(Expected Completion 2025-2026)
Additionally, I receive regular individual and group supervision and consultation with several practitioners. 

If you’re ready to begin or continue on your healing journey and do some good, deep work together, reach out to schedule a free 15 minute phone consult with Blake today. 
in person counseling sessions available in charlotte, north Carolina and virtual counseling sessions for folks living in north Carolina, South Carolina and Texas.