Benjamin Spencer, Licensed Certified Social Worker
Boston, Massachusetts
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My Approach to Therapy
I approach therapy from the standpoint that all behavior serves a function, even when it’s causing problems. Instead of trying to eliminate behaviors outright, we work to understand what they’re doing for you and build alternatives that actually meet those needs.
I use a warm, compassionate, and patient approach. My methods are tailored to what we’re working on and to each client’s preferences. I work with adults of all genders across the age spectrum, and with adolescent males struggling with severe behavioral issues who have not responded to behavioral therapy for kids alone.
My View on the Nature of 'Disorders'
The behaviors or patterns identified in diagnostic criteria are often not dissimilar to the average human experience. The point at which these become "disordered" comes down to how those criteria interfere with a person's ability to function, maintain healthy relationships, or achieve their goals. The practice of psychotherapy leverages a strong therapeutic relationship to help clients unfold their complex internal and external experiences of and responses to the past and present that result in what we've come to know as a "symptom." Diagnosis identifies a combination of behavior and symptoms to inform treatment, but it does not define our clients.
Expertise & Specialties
Age Groups I Work With
TeensAdults
Groups I Work With
- Adults of all ages with posttraumatic stress (PTSD), borderline personality challenges, and attachment trauma - Adults and adolescents struggling with attention-deficit hyperactivity (ADHD), oppositional defiant challenges (ODD), conduct-related challenges, impulse control, aggression, and violence - Men struggling with anger, emotion regulation, and impulsive and/or compulsive behaviors
Therapy Services & Specialties
Concerns & Challenges Addressed
Abuse / Abuse Survivor IssuesAddictions and CompulsionsAggression and ViolenceAttachment IssuesBorderlineGrief, Loss, and BereavementInattention, Impulsivity, and Hyperactivity (ADHD)Oppositional and Defiant Behavior in Children and Teen