Ben Vandervest MFT-IT

I specialize with working with children and adolescents as they move through school, their social lives, and the challenges that come alongside growing up. I incorporate play-based and narrative therapies in an age-appropriate manner, with a goal of meeting children and young adults where they are at in their development. I work alongside clients and their parents to create unique plans that work for them, as each person has their own strengths, challenges, and formative experiences. I have worked with individuals of various ages on the Autism spectrum, in both a special education and a therapeutic capacity.

As a former collegiate Track and Field athlete and High School football/track and field coach, I understand the additive stressors that come alongside being a student athlete. This has translated into my therapeutic practice, as I look for ways to foster client growth in and out of sports – from Little League to the NCAA. This incorporates looking at an athlete’s mindset in and out of competition, as well as observing how seemingly unrelated stressors might be showing up at game, match, and/or meet time. 

While my focus is with younger clients, I also see adults who are working through anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and other related disorders. I have experience working with LGBTQIA+, as well as adults and families of those on the autism spectrum. In my practice I attempt to foster a warm, non-judgmental, and welcoming environment of those from any background.