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4405 East West Highway, #410 | Bethesda, MD 20814 | (240) 565-4231 | admin@truenorthact.com

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  • Home
  • About
    • Miranda Morris, PhD
    • Temple Morris, LCSW-C
    • Kate McSpadden Leinweber, LCSW
    • Evan Marks, LCSW-C
    • Joey Salvatore, LCPC
    • Diana Cox, MA
    • Ben Gao, JD, LMSW
    • Hannah Glassman, LMSW
  • Getting Started
    • FAQs
    • Rates and Insurance
  • What We Treat
    • Anxiety
    • Social Anxiety
    • Panic
    • Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
    • Phobias
    • Trauma
    • Depression
    • Relationship Issues
    • Divorce Recovery
    • “Failure to Launch” Syndrome
    • Low Self-Esteem
  • How We Treat
    • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
    • Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
    • Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT)
    • Functional Analytic Psychotherapy
    • Mindfulness-Based Therapy
    • Psychedelic Harm Reduction & Integration Therapy
  • ACT Training
    for Professionals
    • Training & Consultation
    • Events
    • Externships
  • Resources
  • Contact Us
(240) 565-4231

admin@truenorthact.com

What matters. What works. Get Started

Ben Gao, JD, LMSW

January 13, 2023 by

We humans live with difficult paradoxes. We cherish our freedom, but in that freedom, we are often so confused as to injure ourselves and those whom we love. And most of us, at one point or another, have connected with the divine, either deep within us, or that gives shine to all that is the universe and ourselves. Yet, many of us struggle, years at a time, under the dark weight of shame, regret, fear, or meaninglessness.

I am in this human predicament with you. And in starting our therapy work, I may invite you to consider embracing both the pain and the wonder of our existence – to be compassionate toward our pains and struggles, while opening our eyes and hearts to the wonder in every moment.

I approach therapy broadly from an Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) perspective. ACT is a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. It is evidence-based, and its effectiveness is supported by decades of research.

In practice, ACT is an approach aimed at helping individuals to let go of unhelpful patterns of thoughts and feelings, to embrace our inherent ignorance and wisdom, and to stumble toward living the life we consciously choose. This means that, while I will be empathetic and compassionate, I will also encourage you to be courageous and pragmatic. And because growth and transformation do not happen in our intellect alone (though they could start there), rather, they happen in the daily dance between our minds, our bodies, and the world – I will be inviting you to play, struggle, and learn, both in and outside of the therapy hour, and I will be an understanding and supportive, but persistent, accountability partner.

Along with ACT, I have a personal relationship with the healing power of psychedelics and Western and Eastern wisdom/spiritual traditions (stoicism, Jung, and Buddhism). I am also particularly interested in issues men often face as they mature, such as masculinity, success, purpose, and relationships. All these were important elements in my own healing journey – I came to psychotherapy practice as a second career, after a long legal career motivated by seeking external validation of my worth, and a transformative journey enabled by psychedelics, community, and wisdom practices. Thus, I have a particular interest in working with clients interested in transforming with the help of psychedelics, developing as a man and a whole human being, exploring spiritual and existential questions, and practicing mindfulness and contemplation.

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(240) 565-4231

admin@truenorthact.com

4405 East West Highway, #410
Bethesda MD 20814

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