Getting to know September’s Featured Therapist, Ben King, MFT

Every month, Council for Relationships highlights one of our staff therapists on the blog. Read our interview below with September’s Featured Therapist Ben King, MFT.

When tasked with writing about myself, I wanted to make sure that I was writing to the right person – and that’s you: the potential client that I might have the pleasure of working with. And if you’re reading this, you’re probably considering therapy to some extent – which leads to the first question I’m here to answer.

You may be struggling emotionally or relationally and are thinking about therapy, but aren’t ready just yet. I find this with a lot of the clients I work with: they were hesitant to come to therapy because they didn’t know what to expect, had a subpar therapy experience in the past, or were nervous to talk to their partner about coming to couples therapy. My advice to you is instead of looking at yourself as ready for therapy or not, ask yourself if you want to find ways to improve or to simply talk about problems you’re having. Many folks delay therapy because they think their problems aren’t severe enough, or are scared to deal with talking about the current or past life. Any well-trained therapist will meet you where you are, so there is no problem that is too mild, and no topic that a therapist will force you to talk about. Couples in particular often wait much too long before coming to therapy.

What makes me unique as a therapist?

Here at Council for Relationships, I am a Staff Therapist at the Center City office. I work primarily with individuals and couples around a large number of difficulties with a focus in Sex Therapy. My gender and area of expertise are the most apparent qualities that make me unique; the male sex therapist field is anything but large. I also bring a realistic and practical mindset to each client I work with. Whether you’re an individual looking to cope with your anxiety, or a couple wanting to communicate more effectively, I provide concrete tools for you to be able to use outside of our sessions to achieve these goals.

What makes CFR special?

Not only do I think I bring a unique nature to my clients, I also think that the CFR brings a unique organization to this area. We’re special because we put such an emphasis on couples and family therapy and provide specializations such as sex therapy. Even in individual therapy, there is a large focus on how that individual relates to others, and not just on the individual themselves. I lived in Denver, CO for a period of time before coming back to Philadelphia and learned that many therapists outside of CFR don’t have training in couples or family therapy. Working for an organization that values this as much as I do is very important to me.

What is my dream job?

Now, for a non-therapy related question. My dream job would be to work as a chef restaurateur, similar to Geoffrey Zakarian. If you’re familiar with Chopped, you’ll recognize him. I’m certainly no Iron Chef currently, but I do cook quite a bit and love to do so. Cooking isn’t only a positive because it can be much healthier than eating fast food every day, but it’s also a lot of fun. Even if I’m making the same things some days, I always enjoy cooking and especially eating the meal. Maybe someday you’ll see me on a cooking competition show near you, but for now, I’ll stick to the therapy room.

Ben King, MFT
Former Staff Therapist

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