Ben (he/him) is a Master of Social Work (MSW) candidate and Board-Certified Recovery Peer Specialist who provides counseling to adults and older teens. He is currently in his final graduate training here at Oaks Family Counseling, while also working in inpatient crisis at UF Health Psychiatric Hospital (Shands). He earned his bachelor’s degree from UF.
Ben began his career in community mental health, before transitioning into various roles across residential care, outpatient, and intensive outpatient, and crisis response. He has now spent the last two years working at UF Health Psychiatric Hospital, where he helps individuals stabilize during acute mental health crises such as suicidality, addiction, and severe trauma. His focus areas include anxiety, OCD, depression, trauma, and PTSD, suicidality and self-harm, and self-esteem.
As a past recipient of mental health services himself, Ben’s approach to therapy centers around empathy, understanding, and mutual trust. He especially understands what it’s like to feel lost or overwhelmed. He is a strong believer that “awareness is empowerment” and commonly assists individuals in exploring the “why” behind their patterns or struggles – then works with them to challenge and shift those patterns in a meaningful way. He frequently pulls from modalities such as CBT, DBT, EFT, Narrative Therapy, and concepts relating to Parts Work.
Outside of work, Ben enjoys watching comedy, collecting vinyl records from bands like Pink Floyd, and spending time with friends at weekly trivia.