Benita Whitfield

 

LCSW

Benita Whitfield, LCSW

she/her/hers

 

About Benita

Benita Whitfield has been a social worker for over 20 years.  Benita loves being a social worker, because it blends her loves for service, leadership, relationship building, and analytical thinking.  She believes that the relationship between you and a therapist is key in reaching goals and good mental health.  It is important to one’s mental health when they are working to heal that they can build and establish a sense of trust while building a strong therapeutic relationship alongside someone they trust. 

 

In Benita’s work as a school social worker, she saw how a child’s identity and security is linked to their familial relationships.  This means that in her work she has a strong desire to increase and improve families to be whole and healthy.  Benita has worked with a wide array of issues including but not limited to abuse, anxiety, assertiveness building skills/anger management, social skills, grief and loss, divorce, depression, self-injurious, suicidal ideations, trauma, domestic violence, and school related issues such as IEPs.  Benita starts her work by meeting the client where they are at and uses approaches that empower clients and allow them to consider and utilize their own strengths.  She has a calm, relaxed, and compassionate personality enabling her to be more patient and understanding with her clients. 

 

Benita has three degrees, a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Fisk University, a Master of Social Work from Jane Addams College of Social Work at University of Illinois at Chicago, and a Master of Arts in Educational Administration from Governors State University.  Benita is a licensed clinical social worker, also possessing two provider educator licenses in social work and school administration.  Benita concentrated in school social work; therefore, part of her specialty includes working with administrators, teachers, children, and families, regarding school related issues.  She has extensive experience with IEPs, Section 504, school concern, detentions, suspensions, therapeutic day placement, and more.  

 

Benita is similar in her role as a social worker to how she is in her personal life.  She is an all-around service of justice both at home as well as at work.  She has rooted her life in ethical guidelines and values justice, service, conscientiousness, consideration, thoughtfulness, humor, relaxed time, patience, privacy, and commitment.  Benita chose to become a social worker, because of all her experiences when in need of “helping programs”.  She saw how the programs were lacking in some areas and wanted to be of better service.  A servant working towards justice for all is the biggest belief/role in her life. 

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