Hi, I'm Dr. Wangelin.

Since the earliest days of my career I have been passionate about understanding anxiety, fear, depression, and other strong emotions that we all wish we could live without. But the truth is, these “usual suspects” are inevitable, and can often give us valuable insights and help us to grow stronger--if we are willing to get up close and personal with them. Maybe you have reached a point where it feels like stress, anxiety, trauma, and/or depression have hijacked your life and you are ready to reclaim it. Perhaps you’ve noticed that you’re not participating in life the way you used to, or you may be experiencing physical impacts like persistent tension, sleep problems, headaches, panic attacks, or digestive issues. It’s OK to be nervous about this process! Together, we will create a roadmap for working through these challenges head-on, and I will be a partner and a resource each step of the way.

I have over 15 years' experience, not only working with these issues in the therapy room, but studying the brain science behind them. One of my priorities is to help clients understand the biological factors that drive their emotions, habits, and stress. Knowing these experiences aren’t “all in your head” can foster empowerment, and can help you to tune into your body in healthier ways.

As a doctoral-level clinical psychologist, I am committed to evidence-based treatment.  I have extensive expertise in cognitive-behavioral approaches, such as exposure therapy for anxiety disorders and prolonged exposure therapy for PTSD.  I often incorporate mindfulness- and acceptance-based work into therapy with my clients. You can be assured that your individualized therapy will be tailored to you, while being supported by the strongest scientific evidence that will set you up for success.

I earned by Bachelor's degree from UNC Chapel Hill (Go Tarheels!).  I completed my PhD in Clinical & Health Psychology from the University of Florida, where my academic training specialized in the neuroscience of emotions. From 2004-2011 I trained at the Center for the Study of Emotion and Attention—an internationally recognized research center continually funded by the National Institutes of Mental Health. I completed a clinical internship and postdoctoral work at the Medical University of South Carolina and the Ralph H. Johnson VA Medical Center in Charleston, SC. There I served for over 10 years in the Department of Veterans Affairs, as a staff psychologist and later in a leadership position as the Section Chief of outpatient PTSD specialty services. I have been a part of multiple research teams studying trauma and innovative treatments for PTSD and related conditions, as a co-Investigator, Principal Investigator, or consultant on over a dozen clinical trials funded by agencies such as NIMH, DoD, and VA, and collaborating with researchers across the country at institutions including Emory University, University of Pennsylvania, Stanford University, and the National Center for PTSD. 

 

I am a native of Greensboro, NC, and am enjoying raising my family in my hometown.  In my spare time, I enjoy paddling Lake Brandt or Lake Jannette or a family stroll at Guilford Courthouse National Military Park.  

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PEER-REVIEWED MANUSCRIPTS:

 

*Selected publications.Full list available at: Google Scholar

 

Saraiya, T. C., Jarnecke, A. M., Rothbaum, A. O., Wangelin, B., McTeague, L. M., Acierno, R., ... & Back, S. E. (2022). Technology-enhanced in vivo exposures in Prolonged Exposure for PTSD: A pilot randomized controlled trial. Journal of psychiatric research, 156, 467-475.

 

Albanese, B. J., Myers, U. S., Fox, H., & Wangelin, B. C. (2022). Reduced working memory performance in PTSD and suicide among veterans presenting for treatment. Journal of psychiatric research, 156, 299-307.

 

Sciarrino, N. A., Myers, U. S., & Wangelin, B. C. (2020). When chaos is the norm: How some veterans with PTSD are continuing to engage in trauma-focused treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic. Psychological Trauma: Theory, Research, Practice, and Policy, 12(S1), S69.

 

Cox, K. S., Wangelin, B. C., Keller, S. M., Lozano, B. E., Murphy, M. M., Maher, E. K., ... & Tuerk, P. W. (2020). Emotional processing of imaginal exposures predicts symptom improvement: Therapist ratings can assess trajectory in prolonged exposure for posttraumatic stress disorder. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 33(3), 338-344.

 

Judah, M. R., Renfroe, J. B., Wangelin, B. C., Turner, T. H., & Tuerk, P. W. (2018). Hyperarousal symptoms explain the relationship between cognitive complaints and working memory performance in veterans seeking PTSD treatment. The Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation, 33(4), E10-E16.

 

Tuerk, P. W., Wangelin, B. C., Powers, M. B., Smits, J. A., Acierno, R., Myers, U. S., ... & Hamner, M. B. (2018). Augmenting treatment efficiency in exposure therapy for PTSD: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial of yohimbine HCl. Cognitive behaviour therapy, 47(5), 351-371.

 

Wangelin, B. C., & Tuerk, P. W. (2015). Taking the pulse of prolonged exposure therapy: Physiological reactivity to trauma imagery as an objective measure of treatment response. Depression and anxiety, 32(12), 927-934.

 

Tuerk, P. W., Wangelin, B., Rauch, S. A., Dismuke, C. E., Yoder, M., Myrick, H., ... & Acierno, R. (2013). Health service utilization before and after evidence-based treatment for PTSD. Psychological services, 10(4), 401.

 

Wangelin, B. C., Bradley, M. M., Kastner, A., & Lang, P. J. (2012). Affective engagement for facial expressions and emotional scenes: the influence of social anxiety. Biological psychology, 91(1), 103-110.