Rebecca Behnke, LCSW-C

“Anything that’s human is mentionable. And anything mentionable can become more manageable.”
Fred Rogers

HEALING WORK

Therapy with me: I work with children and families on their path toward healing and with adults whose inner child is continuing or just beginning this journey. I consider the client to be an expert in their own experiences and feel that therapy works best when the client feels a sense of empowerment and agency within the therapeutic process. I often incorporate play, art, music and movement in my work with clients and enjoy finding creative, individualized and collaborative approaches to sustain clients’ growth and wellness. I also hold certifications and advanced training in several evidence based modalities for the treatment of behavioral disorders, anxiety, and post traumatic stress in children, youth and adults.

My impacting identifies/roles that inform my work: I am a cisgender, white woman who was raised primarily in rural Pennsylvania.   I live with chronic illness and have navigated varying levels of disability throughout my life. I strive to continuously work toward understanding how my privilege impacts my practice and interactions with others. 

I feel informed and knowledgeable about:

• PTSD, complex trauma and dissociation
• Sexual violence, intimate partner violence, and sex and labor trafficking
• Behavioral Management and promoting healthy parent-child attachment
• The intersection between neurodivergence, anxiety and trauma

I work best with clients and families who are: 

• Open to change and are willing to stretch their perceptions of what therapy can be
• Willing to support their child’s therapy journey by participating in family and caregiver based interventions

I am not a good clinical fit for clients who: 

• Are focused primarily on managing substance use disorder or disordered eating
• May need support more than once a week or need significant flexibility in scheduling (I currently see clients at Anchored Hope on a part time schedule)

What makes me unique: I have a professional background working as a social worker with children, youth and adults who are survivors of violence and trauma. I continue to do this work on a part time basis, working to advocate and support youth in the foster care system. I have experience working with clients across the lifespan and have a thorough understanding of the impact of trauma within family systems. 

I bring this breadth of experience to my practice, while utilizing evidence based interventions to heal, support, and protect clients from stress and trauma. I work to help clients and families to establish effective and restorative behavioral change and build up supports to empower them towards healing and growth. I have a particular interest in adapting strategies to process trauma and manage anxiety and other mood disorders with a neurodivergent affirming and culturally responsive approach. 

LEARNING AND GROWING

I am a member of the Maryland Human Trafficking Clinician Collaborative, which focuses on support and information-sharing to enhance therapy services for survivors of human trafficking. 

Lately I have been focused on increasing my understanding of neurodivergence and how to adapt interventions with a neuro affirming lens. I recently participated in training to implement interventions to treat anxiety and mood disorders specific to children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

FUN FACTS/RESILIENCE BUILDING

What resources me to build resilience: I try to promote my own self care by spending my free time creating and crafting, enjoying nature, and nourishing my body with movement (and rest when needed). I also enjoy spending time with loved ones and in community with others. I also engage in my own therapy to ensure I am resourced to show up for my clients. 

EDUCATION 

• University of Maryland, Baltimore County
• Bachelor’s Degree in Dance, minor in Social Welfare
• Columbia University- Masters in Social Work

CERTIFICATIONS/TRAININGS

• Licensed Certified Social Worker- Clinical (LCSW-C)
• Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)-Nationally Certified 
• Parent Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT)- Nationally Certified

RECENT TRAININGS

• Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions (SPACE)
  • Dr. Eli Lebowitz- Yale Child Study Center, November 2024
• Modular Evidence-Based Practices for Youth with Autism Spectrum Disorder (MEYA) 
  • Dr. Jeffrey and Karen Wood, UCLA, May 2025