Benjamin Harris, LCPC

Benjamin Harris is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) practicing in Illinois with 20 years of experience. He began his path after graduate study at Northern Illinois University and now focuses on helping people manage anxiety, OCD-related problems, depression, and life changes. Benjamin draws on practical methods to help people address distressing thoughts and everyday habits. He developed an interest in obsessive-compulsive and anxiety-related issues during his university training and has spent his career working with those concerns. Benjamin uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as a main approach and applies exposure-based techniques for people coping with compulsions and avoidance. He also supports people dealing with panic, phobias, trichotillomania, guilt and shame, and self-esteem struggles. Benjamin belongs to professional organizations related to OCD and body-focused repetitive behaviors and has completed advanced training offered by those groups. He keeps his work practical and up to date, adapting techniques to each person he sees. That means treatment plans are tailored rather than one-size-fits-all. In sessions he aims to be detail-oriented and occasionally light-hearted to keep people engaged. Conversations focus on clear goals, small behavior changes, and ways to shift thinking patterns that maintain distressing habits. Progress is tracked in concrete ways so people can see what’s working. People should expect straightforward, skills-based work that targets thoughts and everyday habits tied to anxiety and compulsive behaviors. Benjamin works in English and accepts international clients, and he practices in Illinois.

How CBT and exposure work in online therapy

Benjamin uses Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) to help people notice and change thought patterns that feed anxiety and low mood. CBT involves identifying unhelpful thoughts, testing them with practical experiments, and building new habits that reduce distress. He also applies exposure-based techniques for obsessive-compulsive behaviors and avoidance. Exposure involves facing feared situations or urges in gradual steps while learning not to respond with compulsive behavior. This approach is commonly used for OCD, panic, phobias, and related conditions. Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist collaborates with each person to choose methods that match their goals, needs, and daily life. Sessions mix conversation, homework exercises, and small behavior changes so people can practice between meetings. Practical benefits of online therapy can include fitting sessions into a busy schedule and reducing travel time. Because session formats were not specified in the biography, confirm which options are available before booking. Online work can still include the same CBT exercises and exposure planning as in-person care, and it can make it easier to maintain momentum when life gets busy.