Ben Bjorgaard (he/they)

My Approach to Helping

My approach is focused, practical, and strategic—tackling immediate priorities while resolving underlying patterns. Root causes, first principles, and leverage points rather than symptoms and psychobabble. Rounds of meaningful, progressive work over ambiguous weekly check-ins: signal over noise. Problems of living are unique; life is messy and systemic. No diagnostic category is exact. I avoid reductive labels to find our bearings within the unique geography of your life. I don't adhere to a singular, contrived approach. Prioritizing a rewarding experience over rigid techniques, we custom-design therapy using transdiagnostic and pantheoretical frameworks—focusing on the change mechanisms underlying effective work. If something isn't working, we re-route. Beyond therapy, I provide clinical supervision, coaching, and consultation—supporting other providers and consulting on stuck cases. I aim to help you succeed on your own terms, available to call upon as needed.

My Personal Beliefs and Interests

I hold a healthy skepticism for the field's "sacred cows," prioritizing impact over tradition. While I have the degrees, credentials rarely predict results. My career is dedicated to things better shown to move the needle: improving how we think about mental health (experience and behavior change), practice therapy, and train therapists. My overarching mission is to expand access to effective services and design better ways to respond to public mental health crises. I value directness, authenticity, and skipping social performativity. I believe shared humor is crucial for effective therapy; not taking oneself too seriously accelerates the work. Ideally, your therapist is someone you’d enjoy a road trip with—who takes you and your needs with immense sincerity. I am a long-time psychotherapy nerd and perpetual student, and also a nerd in general—loving board games, anime, and speculative sci-fi.