Benjamin Lara, LCSW

Benjamin Lara is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW) with 11 years of experience. He focuses on practical, person-centered counseling for people struggling with anxiety, depression, stress, addiction, grief, and intimacy-related issues. He aims to make sessions straightforward and focused on each person's goals. Reaching out for help is framed as a strong first step he respects.

Benjamin tailors sessions so they are about the person in front of him. He uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Motivational Interviewing to guide conversations toward doable changes. He also draws on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and mindfulness to help clients notice what matters and act with intention.

Sessions are nonjudgmental and grounded in respect. He often helps people reframe unhelpful thoughts, build small new habits, and clarify values that guide decisions. Work can include practical tools for sleep, eating, anger, and coping with life changes.

Benjamin has experience supporting people dealing with relationship struggles, family-of-origin issues, blended family challenges, caregiver stress, chronic pain and illness, and concerns around BDSM, kink, and alternative sex culture. He also helps with substance use, codependency, dissociation, and trauma and abuse-related problems.

Based in Idaho, he offers therapy in English and brings a calm, direct style to sessions. He invites people to begin by identifying a few concrete goals and taking steps toward them together.

Approaches that guide online sessions

Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) helps people notice thoughts and feelings without getting stuck in them, then choose actions that match their values. It can be useful for anxiety, depression, and coping with life changes. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing unhelpful thinking and behavior patterns, which often helps with anxiety, depression, sleep, and eating concerns. Client-Centered Therapy centers the conversation on the client's experience, offering a nonjudgmental space where goals come from the person rather than the therapist.

Choosing the right approach is part of the work together. The therapist will discuss options and tailor methods based on the client's goals, needs, and preferences. This is a collaborative process and adjustments are made as progress and challenges emerge.

If you are interested in online work, please confirm the current session options before booking since formats are not listed here. Online therapy can make it easier to fit sessions into a busy week, allow shorter check-ins when needed, and reduce travel time. Licensed professionals can adapt ACT, CBT, and client-centered methods to virtual appointments so practical tools and goal-focused plans are still central to the work.