Benita Whitfield, LCSW, LICSW
Therapist in Illinois
Benita Whitfield is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain, parenting challenges, anger, and low self-esteem.
- Licensed inMassachusetts, Illinois
- LicenseLICSW127501, 149013710
- NPI 1699074054
- Experience26+ years
- LanguagesEnglish
Details are as listed on the therapist's public professional profile. You can check any license with the state board and any NPI with the national registry.
About Benita
Benita Whitfield is a licensed clinical social worker who helps people facing stress, anxiety, relationship strain, parenting challenges, anger, and low self-esteem. She has a calm, steady style and focuses on practical steps people can use between sessions. She brings 26 years of experience working with adults through life transitions and ongoing struggles.
Her work often addresses attachment concerns, abandonment, adoption and foster care issues, caregiver stress, and communication problems.
Background and approach
She also supports people dealing with chronic illness, body image, and co-morbid mental health conditions. Benita uses an approach shaped by Attachment-Based Therapy and client-centered work. She pays attention to relational patterns and helps people understand how early bonds affect current reactions.
Therapy sessions aim to build safety in relationships and clearer communication. She also draws on Dialectical Behavior Therapy techniques and mindfulness practices to teach emotion regulation and stress management skills. Emotionally-Focused Therapy influences her work when helping people repair connection and manage strong emotions.
Benita holds LCSW and LICSW credentials and is licensed in Illinois and Massachusetts. Sessions are offered in English and she accepts international clients. Her style is collaborative, practical, and paced to each person’s needs.
Credentials
- LICSW (Massachusetts)
- License LICSW127501 · expires July 2026
- LCSW (Illinois)
- License 149013710 · expires November 2027
- NPI
- 1699074054 · national provider identifier
Both are public records. A state board register will confirm a license and its standing, and the national registry will confirm an NPI. This directory copies what the therapist lists and checks neither.
Focus areas and approaches
Everything Benita lists on their public professional profile, in their own terms.
- Stress, Anxiety
- Relationship issues
- Parenting issues
- Anger management
- Self esteem
- Abandonment
- Adoption and foster care
- Aging and geriatric issues
- Antisocial personality
- Attachment issues
- Autism and Asperger Syndrome
- Avoidant personality
- Blended family issues
- Body image
- Caregiver issues and stress
- Chronic pain, illness, and disability
- Co-morbidity
- Codependency
- Commitment issues
- Communication problems
- Control issues
- Coping with natural or human-caused disaster
- Dependent personality
- Dissociation
- Divorce and separation
- Domestic violence
- Emptiness
- Family of origin issues
- Family problems
- Fatherhood issues
- Fertility issues
- First responder issues
- Forgiveness
- Guilt and shame
- Hoarding
- Impulsivity
- Infidelity
- Intellectual disability
- Isolation / loneliness
- Jealousy
- Life purpose
- Men's issues
- Midlife crisis
- Money and financial issues
- Mood disorders
- Multicultural concerns
- Panic disorder and panic attacks
- Paranoia
- Phobias
- Postpartum depression
- Post-traumatic stress
- Pregnancy and childbirth
- Prejudice and discrimination
- Process addiction (porn, exercise, gambling)
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
- Self-love
- Sexual assault and abuse
- Social anxiety and phobia
- Somatization
- Visually impaired
- Women's issues
- Workplace issues
- Young adult issues
Approaches Benita names
- Attachment-Based Therapy
- Client-Centered Therapy
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
- Emotionally-Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Mindfulness Therapy
- Solution-Focused Therapy
- Trauma-Focused Therapy
- Internal Family Systems
Naming an approach is not evidence of training in it. This directory copies what each therapist lists and does not check training records.
Online support
Therapeutic approaches and online care
Benita often uses Attachment-Based Therapy to help people understand how early relationship patterns shape current emotions and reactions. This approach helps when someone wants to change recurring hurtful patterns and build more supported ways of relating.She also draws from Client-Centered Therapy, which centers the person's experience and values. That approach emphasizes listening, validation, and working at the client’s pace to find solutions that feel right. In addition, she incorporates Dialectical Behavior Therapy techniques to teach concrete skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and clearer communication when feelings run high.
Finding the right approach is part of the work. Benita collaborates with each person to decide which methods fit their goals and comfort level. She adjusts techniques as needs change and checks in regularly to make sure progress feels useful.
Online therapy offers flexibility and practical benefits. Video calls let people keep visual connection for relational work, while phone sessions can be a lower-bandwidth option for check-ins. Live chat and text-based messaging are useful for brief updates, skill coaching between sessions, or when a shorter check-in fits a busy day. These options make it easier to fit therapy into life and practice skills where they matter most.
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Frequently asked
What concerns does she commonly help with?
She works with stress, anxiety, relationship strain, parenting struggles, anger, and self-esteem issues. She also addresses attachment problems, abandonment, adoption and foster care topics, caregiver stress, chronic illness, and related communication problems.
What is her general therapy style?
Her style is practical and collaborative. She uses attachment-informed listening, client-centered support, and skill teaching to help people manage strong emotions and improve relationships.
How much experience does she have?
She has 26 years of clinical experience working with adults across life transitions and ongoing challenges.
What are her credentials and where is she based?
She holds LCSW and LICSW credentials and practices in Illinois while also holding a Massachusetts license.
Which languages are offered and can she work with international clients?
Sessions are offered in English, and she does accept international clients.
How are sessions delivered?
Sessions can be held by video calls, phone sessions, live chat, or text-based messaging to fit different schedules and preferences.
How does payment and cost work?
Cost varies by location and therapist availability. Sessions use a subscription model that can be canceled at any time.
What are the first steps to begin therapy?
Start by selecting the Start Therapy button, completing a short matching questionnaire, and then scheduling according to therapist availability.
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