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 foundational pillars:
Tools are the specific methods and therapeutic techniques I use to gather information about you and facilitate the change process. Eventually, they will be the tools you use to take care of yourself. The ones chosen are unique to each individual. They include but are not limited to: bioenergetic exercises, cognitive behavioral techniques, acceptance and commitment protocols, life coaching, gamma-charge releasing exercises, resistance-release bodywork, mindfulness, and meditation exercises.
Analytical work is the path to self-knowledge and self-possession. It is the scientific process of synthesizing information gathered from the use of tools and the dynamics of the therapy relationship to understand why you act, think, or feel certain ways.
Psychoanalysis includes the development of a coherent life story, understanding why you do what you do, making your unconscious conscious and integrating that information into your daily life, learning the importance of your formative years and how that affects you today, and analyzing the typical ways you move and “inhabit” your body (character analysis).
Predictive processing is the computational science underlying psychoanalysis and mind-body unity. It is the latest science has to offer as an explanation of the mechanisms of the brain (the hardware) and the cognitive functions of the mind (the software and subjective experience).
In depth psychotherapy, the relationship between you and the practitioner is a special source of information. This is because while you can learn one tool after another, and know all the “whys” of your behavior, unless your therapist knows how to use the dynamics of the way your relationship with them unfolds in real time, you miss an important opportunity for meaningful transformation.
“Relational work” uncovers patterns of engagement you have that are not visible in any other way, and helps you “see” how you “do” relationships better than most other techniques in therapy. Not all therapies use this information to help you, and that’s because not all therapists know how to do this. But for lasting change, it is imperative. Ultimately, with tools, analysis, and the relational work, you build a solid foundation for growth. Your progress is marked by lasting success and timely achievement of personal goals.
If you omit any one of these 3 pillars in therapy, it will fail you.
Don’t get me wrong, you can progress using any one of these pillars. 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 foundational pillars.
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
- Ketamine-Assisted Psychotherapy
Watch Leah Benson, featured on Fox 13 News Tampa Bay, as she talks about Uncoupling.
