Joel Benavente

Hi, my name is Joel Benavente and I am a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who has a strong desire to help facilitate meaningful, lasting change for the better in all of my client's lives. I aim to create a safe space for my clients to build trust in the therapeutic process in order to work on discovering their authentic self.

My approach

I am an eclectic therapist who is trained in dialectical behavioral therapy. I believe in meeting each client where they are at and help facilitate their life worth living goals. I work collaboratively to ensure my clients have the awareness and skills to regain control over their emotional responses, improve their interpersonal effectiveness, and develop their inner strength.

My focus

I work with college students and other adults who are experiencing ongoing distress, relationship issues, anxiety, emotional dysregulation, and depression. I have experience helping with life transitions, college and work stress, interpersonal ineffectiveness, difficulties setting boundaries, assertiveness training and teaching and facilitating Dialectical behavioral therapy skills.

My communication style

I have a kind and down to earth demeaner. I will work with my clients in a compassionate and mindful way and challenge them in a gentle manner.

My journey to mental healthcare

As the oldest of 7 children, I have always led by example and had a love for education. I earned his Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience and a Master of Social Work at the University of Nevada, Reno. I have spent the last several years working as an Admissions and Recruitment Coordinator for the University of Nevada, Reno where I worked closely to assist elementary, middle, and high school students learn how to access higher education. I specifically took an interest in helping first-generation college students like myself navigate their way through the college process. I became interested in mental health since I have worked in an inpatient setting at St. Mary’s Regional Medical Center in the Med/Surg, Telemetry, and Behavioral Health units as a patient safety advocate/sitter. It led me to wanting to learn more about what I was experiencing and after attending my own therapy, it really sparked the passion. I have also worked in crisis intervention at the Crisis Support Services of Nevada for over a year. I spent the last year at True North Treatment Center during my master’s clinical internship working with a variety of individual clients and therapeutic groups. I also love DBT and utilizing adherent DBT to help clients achieve their life worth living.

My goals for you

collaborative goal setting and continuous discussion about progress and treatment direction.

My first session with you

They should expect an authentic human being who wants to create a space for them to feel heard and validated before jumping into interventions and problem solving. Unless the client is in crisis, I like to work on building rapport with my clients from the very first session. I tell my clients I want to help them get better at feeling and becoming comfortable with being vulnerable.