Tag: mental health

• Watch: A Therapist’s Therapist & What It’s Like to Work With Me

  

  I’m genuinely excited to share this. A colleague of mine—someone who has known me not just professionally, but personally and through my own therapy process— offered his perspective on me and my work. Hearing someone reflect back what they’ve seen in you, especially someone who understands the depth of this work, lands differently. Not as…

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  April 27, 2026

  Connection, CPTSD, IFS, Recovery, Religious trauma, self-compassion, Self-Connection, Therapists, trauma

  compassion fatigue, IFS, inner work, mental health, self-compassion, self-connection, Therapist, therapy for therapists

• When Therapists Burn Out: Carrying a World in Crisis

  

  When Therapists Burn Out: Carrying a World in Crisis

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  March 4, 2026

  Codependency, Connection, IFS, Inspiration, self-compassion, Self-Connection, Therapists

  burnout, compassion fatigue, IFS, mental health, political anxiety, self-compassion, self-connection, therapy for therapists, trauma

• Reconnect, Restore, and Come Home to Yourself: Join Our Transformational IFS Retreats in the Santa Cruz, CA Area

  

  Reconnect, Restore, and Come Home to Yourself: Join Our Transformational IFS Retreats in the Santa Cruz, CA Area

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  February 2, 2026

  IFS, self-compassion, Self-Connection, Therapists, trauma

  community, IFS, mental health, retreat, self-compassion, self-connection, trauma

• Sexual Shame, Desire, & IFS: A New Interview with Forest Benedict

  

  I’m thrilled to share that my latest interview just dropped! 🎙️✨ In this deeply personal conversation with my colleague and friend Gilbert Romero-Mewharter, we explore the healing of sexual shame and the reclaiming of authentic desire through Internal Family Systems (IFS). Together, we talk about how culture, religion, and trauma often disconnect us from our sexuality,…

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  September 17, 2025

  IFS, LGBTQIA+, Religious trauma, self-compassion, Self-Connection, Sexual shame, sexuality, Shame, trauma

  desire, IFS, mental health, Religious trauma, self-compassion, self-connection, Sexual shame, trauma

• From External Authority to Self-Trust: Healing Religious Trauma and Reclaiming Your Inner Compass with IFS

  

  Healing religious trauma means learning to trust yourself again. Discover how IFS helps you reclaim your inner compass and live in alignment with your truth.

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  June 25, 2025

  Change, Codependency, CPTSD, IFS, Inspiration, LGBTQIA+, Religious trauma, self-compassion, Self-Connection, Sexual shame, sexuality, trauma

  authenticity, authoritarian, CPTSD, healing, IFS, inner compass, interview, mental health, podcast, Religious trauma, self-compassion, self-connection, trauma

• 🎙️ New Podcast Interview: Porn is Not the Problem on the Divorcing Religion Podcast

  

  Discover Forest Benedict’s powerful new interview on the Divorcing Religion podcast: “Porn is Not the Problem.” Explore porn addiction myths, ethical porn, Internal Family Systems, and healing from religious trauma and sexual shame in this honest, hopeful conversation.

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  June 23, 2025

  Addiction, Anti-Pornography Movement, Faith, IFS, Inspiration, LGBTQIA+, life after lust, pornography, Recovery, Religious trauma, self-compassion, Self-Connection, Sexual Addiction, Sexual shame, sexuality, Shame

  Authenticity And Freedom, deconstruction, Divorcing Religion, Ethical Porn, healing journey, IFS, Internal Family Systems, mental health, Podcast Interview, recovery, Religious trauma, self-compassion, self-connection, Sex Addiction Recovery, Sex Positive Therapy, Sexual Empowerment, Sexual Healing, Sexual shame, Shame Free Sexuality, Therapist Interview

• The F-Word Was Father’s Day: A Poem of Reclamation

  

  A healing poem about reclaiming Father’s Day from trauma through self-love, fatherhood, and inner reparenting. A tribute to self-fathering and growth.

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  June 14, 2025

  Addiction, Attachment, Change, children, Codependency, Connection, CPTSD, Fun, Grief, IFS, Inspiration, Parenting, Poetry, Recovery, Religious trauma, self-compassion, Self-Connection, Sexual Addiction, Shame, trauma, writing

  breaking generational cycles, compassionate self-love, emotional healing, father wound, father’s day, fatherhood journey, forest benedict, grief and growth, healing, healing from childhood trauma, healing poem, IFS, IFS therapy, inner child healing, Internal Family Systems, LMFT blog, men’s healing, mental health, parenting and trauma, poetry for healing, recovery, Religious trauma, reparenting, self-compassion, self-connection, self-fathering, trauma, trauma recovery

• Oh Mother, My Self! – A Dr. Seuss-Style Poem on Self-Mothering

  

  A heartfelt Dr. Seuss-style poem honoring all forms of motherhood—offering healing, validation, and a powerful reminder that the love we longed for can still be given by the one who knows us best: our Self.

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  May 11, 2025

  Attachment, Connection, CPTSD, IFS, Inspiration, Parenting, Poetry, self-compassion, Self-Connection, Shame, writing

  Attachment Repair, Dr. Seuss Style Poem, emotional healing, Gentle Parenting Yourself, Healing from Childhood Wounds, Healing Through Poetry, IFS, inner child healing, Inner Nurturing, mental health, Mother’s Day Healing, Motherhood and Self-Compassion, Reparenting Yourself, self-compassion, Self-Compassion Poem, self-connection, Self-Love Practices, Self-Mothering, trauma, trauma recovery

• The Shame of Being Seen: Reclaiming Our Deepest Human Desire

  

  Explore the hidden shame of wanting attention through Jungian psychology and Internal Family Systems (IFS). Learn how reclaiming your desire to be seen can lead to deeper self-love, authenticity, and healing.

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  May 10, 2025

  Codependency, CPTSD, IFS, Inspiration, LGBTQIA+, Neurodivergence, Religious trauma, Self-Connection, Sexual shame, sexuality, Shame, trauma

  attention seeking shame, authenticity, be seen, desire to be seen, IFS, IFS therapy, inner child healing, Internal Family Systems, Jungian psychology, mental health, no shame, Religious trauma, self-compassion, self-connection, self-expression, shadow work, shame, shame and trauma healing, visibility and vulnerability

• Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture Online Conference

  

  Join the Shameless Sexuality: Life After Purity Culture Online Conference (May 24–25) for a transformative weekend of healing, connection, and empowerment. Explore how purity culture harms sexuality and discover the liberating power of sexual self-discovery, community, and shame-free living.

  Forest Benedict, LMFT

  May 8, 2025

  Connection, Inspiration, LGBTQIA+, Religious trauma, Self-Connection, Sexual shame, sexuality, Shame, Therapists

  conference, erotic, exvangelical, freedom, mental health, purity culture, Religious trauma, sex, Sexual shame, sexuality