Today we’d like to introduce you to Ben Dickstein.
Hi Ben, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
By around my junior year of high school, I had every intention of becoming a commercial airline pilot. I was working toward my private license and taking it pretty seriously. Then two things happened: I took my first psychology course (my high school in Boardman, OH offered one) and I entered my first romantic relationship. I found psychology immediately captivating, and that relationship taught me that I didn’t want to live the lifestyle of a pilot. So I made a pretty abrupt change in plans, stopped focusing on aviation, and got serious about psychology instead. In retrospect, one thing that helped me is that I didn’t change course again after that. Even having lost my father midway through college, I still graduated from Ohio University in 2005 with a good GPA. I didn’t make anything of that accomplishment at the time but am pretty proud looking back now.
After graduating, I went to live with my then girlfriend (now wife of 11 years!) in Philadelphia. I was itching to experience city life and also knew that Philly is home to three excellent doctoral psychology programs. So we moved there and, in addition to working as a case manager for a community mental health center, I sent out emails to a number of local psychology professors, landing a volunteer gig in the lab of Dr. Brian Marx, a big deal in the world of trauma and PTSD research. I worked four, 10-hour days per week as a case manager, and volunteered one day a week in Dr. Marx’s lab. It was great being in that environment; I learned a lot from him and his students. And my time as a case manager showed me firsthand how devastating mental health problems can be, something that really deepened my compassion. I observed what serious illnesses like schizophrenia and bipolar disorder were like to live with.
A couple years later, I applied to doctoral psychology programs myself. By that time Dr. Marx was at the National Center for PTSD in Boston. He put in a good word with a psychologist there named Dr. Brett Litz (another big wig in the PTSD world), who, in addition to being at the National Center, has an affiliation with Boston University’s Clinical Psych program. With a little coaching from Dr. Marx, I managed to do well on my interview and get in! BU was by far my top choice so my acceptance there felt surreal at the time. While at BU, I learned a lot about treating PTSD as well as anxiety, mood, and sleep issues. Five years later, I moved back to Ohio, completing an internship at the Cincinnati VA Hospital. My wife is from Ohio, too (Greenville), so we were both eager to be back near family. That turned out to be a really wise move.
I was fortunate to be offered a position at the VA following internship. And it wasn’t long afterward that we had our first daughter (now almost 8 yrs old!). Becoming a father changed everything and has, by far, been the most rewarding and meaningful experience of my life (I have two Daddy’s Girls now and highly recommend it!).
Sadly, a few years after our first was born, my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, which was incredibly scary and required her to undergo multiple surgeries, chemo, radiation, and hormone treatments. It would have been nearly impossible to keep life under control at that point was it not for our proximity to family. Now six years in remission, my wife is healthy and well. In 2017, we had our second daughter (soon to be 4!) through the absolute magic of gestational surrogacy. When my wife was first diagnosed, we were encouraged to meet with a fertility specialist and freeze embryos before she underwent cancer treatment (she wouldn’t be able to have more children afterward). This was one of the best decisions of our life. I remain in awe of what fertility medicine can do (and also incredibly grateful to our amazing surrogate!).
In the years following, largely in view of my wife’s illness and the felt shortness of life, I started thinking more about how I could optimize things. I became willing to take bigger risks and be less apologetic for going after what I wanted. This mental shift (along with reading the book Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki) convinced me to try out real estate investment, something I’ve developed a strong interest in. This, in turn, helped me cultivate a more entrepreneurial outlook, which ultimately resulted in me leaving the VA in 2020 for private practice. Although I genuinely enjoyed connecting with Veterans, I also worked in a PTSD specialty clinic for 7 years where I treated trauma nearly exclusively. I was eager to diversify my clinical work and get back to treating a wider range of issues. I’m really glad I made this move. In addition to continuing to love the work that I do, I’ve found self-employment to be the right fit for me. And that about brings us into the present. These days I’m spending lots of time with family, studying French, and daydreaming about future travels.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My father’s death of course has a large emotional impact, as did my wife’s diagnosis. That being said, there is a phenomenon called posttraumatic growth (the idea that, independent of mental health problems, traumatic experiences can sometimes catalyze change that ultimately serves us well). I’ve certainly experienced this type of growth firsthand. Going through these things made me more empathic to others, more consciously aware of the time-limited nature of life, and more willing to make bold moves.
We’ve been impressed with Ascend Psychological Services, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
My clinical practice has been open since January, 2020. I’m located in downtown Cincinnati but have telehealth clients throughout the state. I specialize in evidence-based treatment for trauma, mood, anxiety, and sleep disorders. Some of the most common issues I see include depression, panic attacks, social anxiety, phobias, OCD, generalized anxiety, PTSD, and traumatic loss/grief. I also work with couples.
“Evidence-based” just means that I favor specific techniques with research to back them up. Something unique about my approach is that I realize how many clients don’t enjoy following overly rigid forms of cognitive-behavioral therapy (the most common form of EBT) and need space to unpack general life issues and concerns. I like to integrate mechanisms of evidence-based care with a more holistic, supportive approach. I find this lets me better tailor things to a given individual.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
One of the biggest roadblocks for those struggling with their mental health is stigma. Being supportive to those in need of services, normalizing this process, and encouraging people to contact a therapist is probably the biggest thing anyone can do.
I love collaborating with other professionals and enjoy being part of a client’s treatment team. Often, my clients get the best results when I’m remaining in touch with their other treating clinicians (med providers, etc).
Lastly, I like public speaking opportunities and am happy to present on any of the topics that I’m mentioning.
Pricing:
- All sessions, including intake appointments, are priced at my standard fee of $200
Contact Info:
- Email: BDickstein@ascendcincinnati.com
- Website: https://www.ascendcincinnati.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Ascend-Psychological-Services-102425825500807
