Leah Benson, LMHC
Meet Leah Benson
“When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves.”
–Victor Frankl
Leah Benson, LMHC
Licensed Psychotherapist
If you ever wondered why therapy doesn’t work, read on.
From my perspective, therapy is composed of 3 main elements:
Functional work can be described as the tools I use to work with you. And ultimately, they will be the tools you use to take care of yourself. They include bioenergetic exercises, cognitive behavioral therapy, neuro-linguistic programming, somatic psychology, gamma charge releasing exercises, resistance-release bodywork, mindfulness techniques, and meditation. In short, these are the tools I use to work your emotional muscles.
Analytical work can be thought of as how you use your brain for self-knowledge. It includes your creation of a coherent life story, analyzing why you do what you do, the integration of your rational brain with your irrational emotions, understanding the science of how your brain works, getting a clear definition of the mind and the science related to it, learning the importance of your formative years and how that affects you today, character analysis, and psychoanalytic work of uncovering your subconscious.
If you omit any one of these 3 elements in therapy, it will fail you.
Don’t get me wrong, you can progress using any one of these elements. And sometimes in a crisis, all you need is one of them.
But to truly free yourself from a pattern you repeat over and over again in your life, you must engage all 3 elements.
What qualifies me to do this work with you?
I am a licensed psychotherapist in private practice in Tampa, Florida. My formal education includes an Ed. M. and an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Columbia University in New York. And I have been practicing psychotherapy and psychology in the Tampa Bay area continuously since 2001.
In addition to my credentials as a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC), I am certified in the following:
- Nationally Certified Counselor (NCC) by the National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC)
- Certified Bioenergeic Therapist (CBT) by the International Institute for Bioenergetic Analysis (IIBA)
- Certified Adoption Competent Counselor
- Licensed practitioner of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), Dr. Richard Bandler Certification
- Certified Forensic Mental Health Evaluator (CFMHE)
My memberships include:
- Florida Society for Bioenergetic Analysis
- International Institute for Bioenergetic Analysis
- Suncoast Mental Health Counselors Association
- National Board of Forensic Evaluators
- United States Association for Body Psychotherapy
Most importantly, I practice what I preach. My personal practice includes:
- Completed 10 years of psychoanalysis.
- Completed 4 years consistent personal bioenergetic work during Bioenergetic Training.
- Maintain an on-going relationship with my analyst for consultation as needed.
- Engage in ongoing personal work at bioenergetic conferences multiple times per year.
- Engage in ongoing personal practices of bioenergetic exercise and mindfulness meditation.
- Monthly consulting/mastermind session with other bioenergetic psychotherapists.
Areas of Expertise
- Happiness / Emotional Satisfaction
- Depression / Anxiety
- Confidence Issues
- Anger
- Couples
- Children / Adolescents
- Bioenergetic Therapy
- Addictions
- Adoption Related Issues
Watch Leah Benson, featured on Fox 13 News Tampa Bay, as she talks about Uncoupling.
