Hi, my name is Levi Bentley. I use they/them pronouns. I completed my master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Antioch University. The frameworks that inform my work are EMDR, IFS, Gestalt, and Somatics, these are all trauma-informed modalities that are very adaptable to individuals. I use a person-centered approach. Ok, that’s a lot of jargon. All of this means that I have studied quite a bit and about how trauma works and heals, and I prioritize what feels important to you. Focusing on what feelt most important is the fastest way to understand your patterns and struggles. This will probably lead us back to some formative experiences that have been encoded as “rules” or ways of understanding the world that got stuck and may be limiting us now. EMDR and Gestalt provide great resources for identifying those moments and creating reparative experiences.
Therapy may not always always comfortable, but it should be safe. Sometimes we are there to challenge (gently) patterns that have been working so far, but have become limiting. This requires honesty, emotional bravery and the willingness to be vulnerable. In order to do that, trust and rapport are very important, and may take some time to establish. If you are able to be safe enough to chose to engage in discomfort and have support be with difficult feelings and integrate difficult experiences, it leads to healing and growth. For those who like structure and homework, I’m happy to provide support through behavioral interventions as well.
Here are some books I often recommend for intellectualizers like myself who need some support with understanding how therapy works, the importance of healthy conflict, and the power of compassionate emotional processing.
Why Therapy Works – Using Our Minds to Change Our Brains
Fight Right: How Successful Couples Turn Conflict Into Connection
No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness