Welcome

Experienced Professional Consulting

Helping make difficult changes easier

Dr. Rev. Gary Benton, BA, MC, DSL

My Experience

I have 50 years of experience as a marriage and family counselor, a business and personal consultant, and a licensed minister. I am a Certified Life Coach and a member of the International Christian Coaching Association. I have worked with teenagers, adoptions, the elderly and presented seminars in the United States and internationally on parenting and working with difficult students.

I have worked with a variety of corporate teams on dealing with difficult team members, difficult customers and managing stress or trauma in the workplace.

Why Me?

Having someone beside you as you make changes in your life or your business increases the likelihood of success. Having someone upbeat and positive is even better. My educational and experience backgrounds provide a broad range of possible solutions. My experience as a counselor, a Life Coach, a trainer and as an educator has put me in literally hundreds of settings where change was needed and occurred. If you are looking to make a change, I can help

Find out more

Site Content

Some of my services and specialities

Personal changes

Pre-marriage

Marriage

Parenting

Sabbath implementing

Goal setting

Managing Stress or Burnout

Team building

Organizational change management

Anger management

Conflict resolution

Managing Organizational conflict

Elderly parents

Coming soon

My book, Your Best Day, is coming

Testimonials

"This seminar changed my life" -- Edith, educator, Dallas

"You helped us through a hard time with our teenager." Parents, Tacoma

"I never understood how journaling helps with anxiety until you explained it to me and pushed me to do it." Mark, Seattle

'Your talk on child development and brain development helped me manage myself and my child so much better." Kevin, Sumner

"It is so helpful to talk to a Christian who encourages my faith without compounding my guilt." Julie, Federal Way

"I now realize my anger is really coming from my fear and I am learning to manage my fear." Tony, Puyallup

Fees

Fees vary by service provided. I accept cash, checks or credit cards.

FAQs

What is your background?

I am a native Northwesterner. I graduated from Federal Way high school, the University of Washington, Seattle University and Faith International University and Seminary.

I have been married to Donna for 49 years and we have one daughter, one son in law and two grandsons.

What kinds of work settings have you been in?

I began my professional career working in a group home with emotionally disturbed teenage boys. Upon completing my Master's degree in Counseling, I worked as a marriage and family counselor and developed a large domestic violence treatment program in the Seattle and King County area. I have directed two mental health agencies, an adoption agency and a senior community including an assisted living facility. For the past 10 years I have been a pastoral counselor until I retired from full-time work.

Currently I consult with individuals, organizations and businesses, provide field supervision for graduate counselors and am a professor with FIU.

Have you worked with schools?

I provided seminars for hundreds of teachers on dealing with difficult children and traveled around the United States and Canada providing that training as well as working with individual schools and educational organizations.

I understand you do trainings for groups and organizations. What do you talk about?

I have provided hundreds of trainings from short term "brown bag lunches" to full day professional trainings on subjects such as managing stress, managing anger, dealing with difficult people, humor in the workplace, implementing a Sabbath in your life, child development and many more. If there is something you are interested in, just ask.

What is your favorite insight about change?

Change requires heroic action. "All biological beings move from discomfort to comfort. It is why we put on a coat when it is cold and take it off when we are warm. Heroes simply go the other way. Heroes choose discomfort over comfort." Change requires discomfort, which is heroic. I love working with heroes.