STEVEN BENJAMIN, LCSW
Clinical Social Worker
Rochester NY
Therapy sometimes means moving towards feelings that make us uncomfortable. A good therapist needs to understand our natural resistance to this and help people do the work that can be truly transformative. While the deepest learnings often occur when we are a bit out of our comfort zone, if feelings become overwhelming, a good therapist needs to also know how to detect this and how to engage in a way that regulates the internal landscape, before doing any more exploration. When people discover again and again that they can safely explore experientially and that any strong dysregulation can be reset reliably, trust grows and the therapy can continue to go deeper and address what most needs attention. In less clinical terms, the notion is something along the lines of "we are a team, we can slow things down, and we are in this together."
Steven completed his graduate training in clinical social work in 1984. Since that time, he has worn many hats including supervising a team of six therapists in an agency setting, developing his own private practice, providing mental health consultation in a college setting, providing mental health consultation to local emergency rooms and jails, and raising five children who are now launched and chasing their own dreams. Now in his 70's and not required to work, his yearning to be of service continues to be his pole star.
Steven’s personal relationship to the psilocybin mushroom carries both a reverence and a lightheartedness. His own exploration with plant medicine has fostered a deep appreciation for the wonder we discover in ourselves and the gift of our connection to our fellow travelers in our ever-changing world.