Call me Ben. I am a marriage and family therapist (LMFT164553) in Orange County, California. 

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I am also a husband, father, third-culture-kid, sport enthusiast (especially basketball and soccer), fantasy book nerd, and fan of a good mocha.

 

I did not take a straight path to this work. I grew up as a missionary kid overseas in Japan, pursued a college degree in Sport and Exercise Science in Central Florida, ended up back in Christian ministry (first in Japan, then in Southern California), and then began the process of becoming a therapist. 

 

The key elements that led me here are a love of listening deeply to people’s stories and a desire to help people heal and grow (physically, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally). Those passions developed out of my own experiences navigating the pain of this life. From the physical pain of an injury, to the deep emotional pain of feeling misunderstood or lonely, I’ve explored what it means to find healing and hope. As I personally encountered the power of having safe spaces and people for myself, I gained a growing desire to provide the same for others. 

 

No two stories are the same. Your personal journey–the highs and the lows, the strengths and the weaknesses–make you, you. Time, empathy, and compassion, from an attuned ear and heart, are some of the essentials that will help uncover your unique needs to heal and grow from your unique pain and brokenness. This is the foundation of what I bring to my work with children, teens, individual adults, couples, and families. 

 

If the sound of having your own space for that resonates with you, please reach out. I would love to meet you and begin to journey alongside you in your own path towards healing and hope.