HEAL Family Services
8362 Tamarack Village
Ste 115-219
Woodbury, MN 55125
&
1147 South Salisbury Blvd
Ste 8-272
Salisbury, MD 21801
www.healfs.org
Brenda Benning is a family therapist specializing in adoption, trauma and attachment. Her focus is on parenting kids from tough places and helping families restore peace in the home, while helping the entire family grow and thrive. She received her MSW from the University of Minnesota, completed the trauma certification program at the U of MN, and completed PACC (Permanency and Adoption Competency Certification) training. Brenda is currently parenting 10 children, 9 through adoption. Each child’s adoption story is unique and have ranged from fully open to fully closed due to safety concerns. The family/parenting adoption journey is special and personal experience can help a family feel at ease. Brenda provides this personal experience for families through her own parenting experience as well as continued training and education. Brenda’s focus in working with families is creating a sense of hope with the family, empathy for the child’s history, and love to help everyone move forward in the journey. Brenda does various trainings for families, school and other professionals working with kids from traumatic backgrounds to build a system around the child and family. Brenda currently works with families via Zoom or in home when possible as groups, individuals, and couples.
Additional Information:
Service Location: In-Home; Telehealth
Languages Spoken: English
Practice Focus:
Infant (0-2)
Young Children (3-6)
Elementary Age (7-12)
Teen (13-18)
Parent Coaching
Family Work
Areas of Practice Strength:
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs)
Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD)
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
Dissociation
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Systems of Care Navigation
Educational Consulting (IEP/504 Assistance)
Self-Harming Behavior
Parent Coaching
Attachment
Grief and Loss Related to Adoption
Early Traumatic Experiences
Transracial/Transcultural
Adoption Identity (i.e., self-worth, self-esteem)
Open Adoption
Treatment Modalities:
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
ARC Model
Somatic Experiencing (SE)
Trauma Focused – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
Applied Behavioral Analysis (ABA)
Trauma-informed Child Parent Psychotherapy (TI-CPP)
Attachment Bio-Behavioral Catch-Up (ABC)
TheraPlay
Parental Assessment
updated Spring 2021
