Chai Benson, M.S., MFTI
About me:
I grew up in Indianapolis, IN with my mother, two sisters and brother. I am the oldest and admittedly I wasn't the best older sister. My siblings and I are very close now, however. My mother's side of the family is Jewish and I went to Hebrew school until I was in 6th grade; I learned Hebrew along with English but can speak very little Hebrew. My mother died of breast cancer when I was 16 and my sisters and I moved to Drummond Island, MI (yes, Michigan has islands!). I attended high school on the main land and knew that the small town life was not for me. In 2000, I moved to Ann Arbor, MI and attended University of Michigan for Psychology and Cultural Anthropology. I became interested in child development when I babysat my little cousins and got a job as a research assistant for a longitudinal study on African American family beliefs on education. I knew I wanted to work with family's in their homes on developing goals, feeling empowered through parenting, and nurturing their child's development. I decided that Marriage and Family Therapy was the way to go and attended Purdue University Calumet to receive my Master's of Science in Child Development and Family Studies. Now I live in Long Beach and work full time as a Mental Health and Disabilities Manager for an Early Head Start. I consider working with families right after they've had a baby as such a crucial time for self-awareness, personal growth and the development of healthy generational patterns. And of course I look forward to having children of my own someday.
I grew up in Indianapolis, IN with my mother, two sisters and brother. I am the oldest and admittedly I wasn't the best older sister. My siblings and I are very close now, however. My mother's side of the family is Jewish and I went to Hebrew school until I was in 6th grade; I learned Hebrew along with English but can speak very little Hebrew. My mother died of breast cancer when I was 16 and my sisters and I moved to Drummond Island, MI (yes, Michigan has islands!). I attended high school on the main land and knew that the small town life was not for me. In 2000, I moved to Ann Arbor, MI and attended University of Michigan for Psychology and Cultural Anthropology. I became interested in child development when I babysat my little cousins and got a job as a research assistant for a longitudinal study on African American family beliefs on education. I knew I wanted to work with family's in their homes on developing goals, feeling empowered through parenting, and nurturing their child's development. I decided that Marriage and Family Therapy was the way to go and attended Purdue University Calumet to receive my Master's of Science in Child Development and Family Studies. Now I live in Long Beach and work full time as a Mental Health and Disabilities Manager for an Early Head Start. I consider working with families right after they've had a baby as such a crucial time for self-awareness, personal growth and the development of healthy generational patterns. And of course I look forward to having children of my own someday.
My philosophies:
Preventative health and well being are at the core of my beliefs. This is not limited to physical health, but encompasses mental health and spiritual health. Preventative mental health involves so many components but here are a list of topics I find of particular importance: anger management, solution-focused brief therapy, breastfeeding, baby brain development, natural childbirth, marriage and family therapy (Systems Theory), american made/natural baby products, chiropractic care, community connections, massage therapy and spiritually connecting, early education and parents as their child's first teacher, brain development (an amazing video on brain development), nutrition, yoga, the importance of co-parenting, and diverse families. Check back often for updated links or e-mail me if you think you should be on this list: chai.b.benson@babyawareness.com.
Preventative health and well being are at the core of my beliefs. This is not limited to physical health, but encompasses mental health and spiritual health. Preventative mental health involves so many components but here are a list of topics I find of particular importance: anger management, solution-focused brief therapy, breastfeeding, baby brain development, natural childbirth, marriage and family therapy (Systems Theory), american made/natural baby products, chiropractic care, community connections, massage therapy and spiritually connecting, early education and parents as their child's first teacher, brain development (an amazing video on brain development), nutrition, yoga, the importance of co-parenting, and diverse families. Check back often for updated links or e-mail me if you think you should be on this list: chai.b.benson@babyawareness.com.
Infant Massage Teacher:
Infant massage is best taught in groups but for babies experiencing colic, sickness, prematurity or who have other special needs, one-on-one and in the home is best. Natural oils are best as they are warming and soothing. Check back to this site regularly to know the times and locations of Infant Massage classes for you and your baby. Or contact me with any questions about this special gift you can share with your infant. The gift of touch makes a wonderful baby shower gift as well!
Parent Coaching:
Parenting is more than just reinforcement and punishment. As your child's first teacher, your child looks to you for ALL the answers. Teaching your child to express themselves in a collaborative and emotionally intelligent way, modeling compassionate and loving behaviors, and teaching skills to channel anger is vital. If your child is an infant, NOW IS THE PERFECT TIME to collaborate with your partner, co-parent or family member on how to teach these important skills! Contact me with further questions on how you can do this. Chances are, you are already doing so many powerful things that are guiding your child toward the best person they can be. Do you know what it is that you're doing that is working?
Price:
Infant Massage, Parent coaching, Developmental and Social-Emotional Screening and receiving guidance on the best early childhood education is absolutely priceless. Contact me by e-mail to better get to know my style, how I might help your family with their goals, and to schedule a free
15-minute consultation. chai.b.benson@babyawareness.com.
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