University of Washington

Faculty Member, Psychology

Director, Parenting Evaluation/Training Program-- Affiliate Professor of Law & Clinical Professor of Psychology

About

A colleague wrote the following description for a workshop that I present:

While working with families engaged in high-conflict litigation and lawyers suffering from various mental health and drug abuse problems, Dr. Benjamin was named "Professional of the Year" by the Washington State Bar Association's Family Law Section. He was elected to serve as President of the Washington State Psychological Association and later his colleagues there created an award named after him for "outstanding and tireless contributions" that is given to a colleague for similar services on an annual basis. He was honored by the Puyallup Indian Nation's Health Authority for serving as a "modern day warrior fighting the mental illnesses, drug-alcohol addictions" of the people served by the Nation's program. After being elected as a representative of the great state of Washington to the American Psychological Association’s (APA) Council for two terms, he was appointed the Council’s Parliamentarian, and served four terms. The APA conferred the Heiser Award on Dr. Benjamin in recognition of his record of public service and advocacy in numerous areas of professional activity.

Dr. Benjamin has published 57 peer reviewed articles in Psychology, Law, and Psychiatry journals. He is the author of three books published by APA: Law and Mental Health Professionals (1995,1998); Family Evaluation in Custody Litigation: Reducing Risks of Ethical Infractions and Malpractice (2003); and The Duty to Protect: Ethical, Legal, and Professional Considerations in Risk Assessment and Intervention (2009).

Dr. Benjamin lives in Seattle with his wife of 34 years and their two children. His hobbies include extensive family travel watching his son's and daughter's soccer teams. He was an active soccer coach until 2004 and happily reports that both kids’ teams exceeded his skills by the time team members were 12 years of age.

Specialties:
A specialty not mentioned in the description above is my work with families that are passing their business down to a younger generation. Not only must families resolve psychosocial issues, but also strategic business and legal decisions must be made to further the best interests of all family members. My background and experience can assist families in reaching great outcomes.

Contact Information