Benjamin Nielson, LCSW

Benjamin Nielson is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) based in southeastern Utah who brings more than a decade of work with teens and adults to his clinical practice. He has six years of direct clinical experience, supporting people through challenges such as individual and generational trauma, anxiety, depression, addictions, traumatic brain injury, attachment concerns, loss and grief, and mental health crises including feelings of guilt.

His interest in behavioral health was shaped early on while directing a drug and suicide prevention program on the Navajo Nation. Over five years in that role he led a team that was nationally recognized for developing experiential programs for at-risk youth, including summer camps, youth businesses, equine-assisted activities, and high ropes courses. Those years also provided training in multicultural sensitivity, trauma-informed approaches, and program development.

Following that work, he served as a medical social worker in both a hospital setting and in homecare and hospice concurrently, helping people connect to resources and providing intense crisis counseling in emergency situations. He approaches therapy with the view that people are formed by their closest relationships, their environments, and family systems, and he aims to offer compassion, respect, and warmth in the therapeutic relationship.

Benjamin adapts his methods to meet moment-to-moment needs, drawing on Mindfulness, Motivational Interviewing, Internal Family Systems, Emotional Freedom Technique, Trauma-Focused Therapy, and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. He prioritizes meeting clients where they are and offering treatment options that fit individual goals and circumstances. If someone is ready to take steps toward change, he stands ready to provide support and guidance.

Therapeutic Approaches and Online Care

Benjamin uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy to help clients identify and reframe unhelpful thoughts and develop practical skills for managing mood, anxiety, and everyday stressors. This approach is often useful for depression, panic, and compulsive behaviors.

He also incorporates Mindfulness practices to help people become more aware of present-moment experience and to build strategies for regulating emotions and reducing reactivity. Mindfulness can support coping with chronic stress, grief, and ongoing life transitions.

Motivational Interviewing is another tool he uses to explore ambivalence and strengthen a person’s commitment to change, which can be especially helpful for addictions, health behavior changes, and stages of readiness.

Finding the right combination of approaches is part of the therapeutic process. Benjamin works collaboratively with each person to assess needs, preferences, and goals, and to tailor methods that fit the situation and evolve over time.

Online therapy options include video calls, phone sessions, live chat, and text-based messaging, which makes scheduling more flexible and allows people to engage from familiar environments. These formats can increase access to consistent support, help maintain momentum between sessions, and accommodate varying comfort levels with communication styles.