Preferred Referral List

This page presents our preferred list of clinicians with whom we commonly collaborate.

Christine Benvenuto, MFT

Ms. Benvenuto also sees clients in her private practice with a focus on adolescents, adults, and families, treating issues related to anxiety, depression, abuse and trauma.

Ms. Benvenuto is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and has been working in the field of mental health since 1999. She received her BA in Psychology from Boston University and her Master’s degree in Psychology, at the California Institute of Integral Studies, with a focus on Somatic Psychology, which allowed her to integrate her background in yoga and body/mind healing into her professional work.

Ms. Benvenuto's professional experience includes Edgewood Center, in San Francisco, a residential treatment center for children and adolescents and WestCoast Children's Clinic, an Outpatient and Community based clinic in Oakland. She has lectured and taught classes on trauma and foster care at local training institutions. Ms. Benvenuto's understanding of the art of healing is influenced by ongoing continuing education based on attachment theory, psychodynamic and somatic therapies and DBT. She has practiced Yoga and mindfulness meditation since 1993. Ms. Benvenuto's education, personal practices, along with a deep appreciation for nature, has been influential in how she has come to understand and trust the process of healing, change and growth.

Visit Ms. Benevuto's Web site, http://www.christinebenvenuto.com

Katrinca Ford, Early Childhood Specialist

Ms. Ford is a therapist who specializes in work with young children and families. She sees children and families in her private practice offices in San Ramon and Oakland. Ms. Ford has over 30 years of experience working with children in a variety of settings. She has amassed has a strong theoretical and practical knowledge of children, child development and family life which contributes to her work in many ways.

As a clinician Ms. Ford strives create a safe place for children to heal and grow. Ms. Ford understands that play is the language of children and she is proud to say she speaks it fluently. Ms. Ford uses a variety of directive and non-directive techniques to help children gain self knowledge, self control and self acceptance. Ms Ford’s knowledge of early childhood development serves her well in her work with children of all ages. She is able to understand how abuse or trauma have impacted a child’s development. She is able to accept and make good use of regressive states which are often a part of healing.

Ms. Ford understands the importance of engaging parents in the treatment process whenever posible. She assist parents to better understand and respond to their children needs. The heart of Ms. Ford’s work with families is strengthening the attachment bond between parent and child. In this way she creates a healing environment that goes far beyond the clinical setting.

Prior to opening her private practice Ms. Ford spent five years as a therapist working for the East Bay Agency for Children serving inner city children in Oakland. In this setting Ms. Ford worked with children coping with neighborhood and family violence, disrupted family placements, parental drug and alcohol abuse, child abuse and neglect.

Much of Ms. Ford’s understanding of children developed during her many years as a preschool teacher. She is co-founder of the Woolsey Children School in Berkeley and continues to serve as behavioral/therapeutic consultant to the school staff. Ms. Ford earned her BA in human development and her Masters in counseling psychology from Cal State Hayward (now East Bay).

Visit Ms. Ford's Web site, http://www.familyplaytherapy.com.