Benita Weems, M.A.,MDIV,LMHC

Qualifications & Experience

I have an M.Div. from Reformed Theological Seminary, an M.A. in Clinical Mental Health from Midwestern State University, and an M.A. in education and teaching from The University of Alabama. I am an ordained Presbyterian minister and served at a church for five years providing pastoral care. In addition, I am trained in Life Span Integration, Level 4.

I have been counseling informally and professionally for the last 15 years. I trained in counseling in a university counseling center where I saw clients across many age groups, socioeconomic levels, education levels, and ethnicities in both individual and group settings. I also volunteered at a domestic violence shelter, providing both individual and group counseling.

My Call to Christian Counseling

As a child, I grew up in a household with domestic violence. Throughout high school and college, this led me to want to pursue a career in a helping profession. After graduate school, I began teaching and realized that I preferred helping students with their personal issues, and that many classroom issues related to home issues. This led me to pursue a calling in ministry, so that I could minister to those who were hurting or suffering.

During this time, I realized that I needed further training, and again, that I really wanted to focus on helping people heal and find hope. I also had a child with severe medical needs and special needs, which led me to see how crucial it is for people to have help and a safe space. Counseling has been very effective in my own life and I wanted to provide this safe space to others. Now, as I join others in a counseling relationship, I continue to see how this is my true calling, and that there is restoration, redemption, and hope for everyone.

More About Me/On a Personal Note

My husband and I love the mountains, the water, and the diversity in the Seattle area. We have three young children, one with severe special and medical needs. My husband is a former pastor and is now a teacher. My personal interests and hobbies include anything involving the outdoors, music, and decorating and fashion. I also like listening to audio books, flipping through magazines, and trying new places to eat.

I bring a unique passion and empathy to the counseling process, having survived abuse and having gone through the counseling process to find healing. I have also been the primary caretaker for my daughter with special needs and severe health issues, which has helped me understand the isolation and ongoing distress and grief that others may feel. Having walked through much suffering and having walked with others who have suffered, I can relate to feelings of grief, anxiety, distress, and discord, and how they can affect us in all areas of life including identity, spirituality, health, relationships, and more.

Areas of Expertise/Specialties

• Abandonment and Neglect
• Anxiety
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Codependency
• Counseling for Teens
• Couples Counseling
• Depression
• Life Span Integration
• Family Counseling
• Grief and Loss
• Group Counseling
• Individual Counseling
• Marriage Counseling
• Men’s Issues
• OCD
• Online Counseling
• Personal Development
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
• Premarital Counseling
• Professional Development
• Relationship Issues
• Sexual Abuse
• Spiritual Development
• Trauma
• Women’s Issues

Anxiety

Anxiety can be crippling and can consume your life. People suffering with anxiety often feel like they cannot overcome it. The truth, though, is that we can empower ourselves to stop allowing it to control us and can get to the root of the anxiety and see that we are more than capable of working through these issues.

Grief

Grief can feel especially heavy and isolating. It may feel like others do not understand the depths of our despair or move on quickly and expect you to be able to as well. However, grief is a process that can be worked through and you can find hope. Some of us have ongoing grief, and this can feel unbearable at times, but even with continuous grief, we can find ways to cope and find joy and freedom.

Trauma

Trauma can impact us in all aspects of our lives. We may not even realize how trauma has impacted us. Trauma can feel so unfair and like it has such strong power over us. I firmly believe that by slowly working through the trauma and ways it has impacted your life, there is a way to be free from the negative impact and find your strength and power in the Lord. Healing and empowerment is absolutely possible!

Individual Counseling

We are not meant to do life alone. Whether there is a particular issue or just personal development and identity issues, I believe that with the right tools we can together navigate a way forward. If you feel overwhelmed or isolated, I encourage you to schedule an appointment today.

Sessions: I offer 53-minute sessions. Sessions can be held more than once per week, weekly, or every other week. Scheduling options are discussed in greater detail during your Risk-Free Initial Session.

Availability (by office location):

• Kent – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday
• Federal Way – Monday and Wednesday
• Online Counseling

Fees: offer a Risk-Free Initial Session for adults adolescents and individuals looking to pursue counseling with me. Please note that there is a fee for the Risk-Free Initial Session as it is a clinical hour and reimbursable to some insurance companies, but if you choose not to reschedule and continue therapy after the initial session the entire fee for the session will be waived. For ongoing treatment the full fee per session is required at the time of service.

Insurance: As a Licensed Mental Health Counselor (LMHC) most insurance companies will reimburse for a portion of my services (as an Out of Network Provider). Please consult with your insurance provider as to whether they specifically cover adolescents, individuals and couples.