Benjamin Lara, LCSW

Benjamin Lara is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) with 11 years of experience helping people navigate anxiety, depression, addiction, grief, and relationship challenges. He uses a person-centered approach that focuses sessions on each person's goals. Benjamin emphasizes a nonjudgmental stance and treats people with dignity and respect.

In sessions he blends practical methods with conversational support. He often uses cognitive behavioral techniques to identify unhelpful thoughts and to try small behavior changes. Motivational Interviewing helps when someone feels stuck and wants clearer direction for change.

Benjamin also draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and mindfulness practices to help people notice difficult thoughts without getting overwhelmed by them. These approaches can be useful for stress, trauma, and recurring worries. He aims to help clients build values-based habits that fit their daily lives.

He has worked with a wide range of concerns including intimacy-related issues, parenting strains, ADHD, caregiver stress, eating and sleeping problems, and challenges related to kink and alternative sex culture. He also supports people dealing with chronic pain or long-term illness and those facing family of origin or blended family issues.

Benjamin asks questions, listens carefully, and tailors each session to what matters most to the person in front of him. He encourages small, manageable steps and focuses on skills people can use between sessions. To begin, he asks people to complete a short matching questionnaire and schedule their first appointment.

Therapeutic approaches that translate to online work

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people clarify their values and take action toward them even when difficult thoughts appear. It focuses on what matters most and on small, workable steps that fit daily life. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) looks at how thoughts, feelings, and actions connect; it uses simple exercises and experiments to change unhelpful patterns. Client-Centered Therapy centers the conversation on the person's experience and priorities, with the therapist offering reflective listening and support.

Finding the right approach is part of the process. The therapist will collaborate with each person to figure out which methods feel useful. That may mean trying one way for a few sessions and adjusting based on the person's goals and preferences.

Because specific session formats are not listed in the biography, confirm current online options before booking. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy life by reducing travel time and letting people choose times that work around work, caregiving, or medical appointments. Some formats also allow shorter check-ins when schedules are tight, or sessions without video when bandwidth or comfort is an issue. Licensed professionals can still guide practical skill practice, homework, and mindfulness exercises between visits to support steady progress.