My promise is to:Â
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 Hold you through the opening.
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Show you what's possible.Â
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Love you in the messy bits.
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 And remind you of how brilliant you are.
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You Belong Here10 Things to Know About Me...
1. Â I believe in miracles.Â
Full stop.Â
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 2.  I don’t do one-size-fits-all. Â
I've heard it said that what keeps me "sober" could get you "drunk." I'm passionate about sharing tools and ideas that I believe are universal. But I don't proselytize or presume to know what will work best for you. There's no one right way to live/heal/play/pray. Thank goddess!Â
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3. I choose pleasure.Â
“If it's not fun, don't do it. If you must do it, make it fun!” I approve of all emotions. This isn't about bypassing anything. It's about deciding what kind of player I want to be inside the game. And not getting victimized by life.
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4. Glasses are my signature accessory.
I’m a total nerd and embrace it. I decided a long time ago to get creative with my specs (see above). Having poor eyesight meant I lived in Hawaii and never learned how to surf. But while on the physical plane I struggle to see, my vision is clear and strong.Â
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5. I live with an invisible illness.
Technically more than one. I don't like to get bogged down in the details as they can tend to divide. Just know you can trust that I understand the pain of living with chronic health challenges. While I don’t let my diagnoses define me, there's no doubt they've shaped who I am and how I show up in the world.
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6. I embrace contradiction.
Astrologers have told me it's do to my Saturn-Jupiter conjunction? For whatever reason, I get a kick out of pairing things that might not appear to go together. Like I once went from an all-day retreat straight to a NYC danceclub and had to leave my meditation cushion with coat check. Either/or is so constricting. There's freedom in the both/and.Â
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7. I have a thing for curves.
 Spirals. Circles. Waves. Healing is inherently non-linear. I've had to learn to ride the ups and downs, twists and turns, and trust the journey. Being a woman is a masterclass in surrendering to cycles.  I used to judge myself for not walking a straight and narrow path, but I've come to appreciate all the "detours."Â
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8. I don't believe practice makes perfect.
I trust that on some cosmic level we’re already perfect. But our humans needs to have a practice. Sadana is a cornerstone for me. I live my life on the "mat." I don’t know where I’d be without my rituals, retreats, and sometimes-wacky routines. But here's the deal: I don't do any of it "perfectly" or in order to become "perfect." The work is messy as hell, and I don't trust anyone who acts like it isn't.
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9. “Love is the message."
This is my go-to mantra. It’s also the name of one of my favorite songs. My body is my direct line to god/universal intelligence/spirit/the mystery. Or what I call “love” for short. I tend to think that’s what this whole trip is all about. And when I forget, I pray with my feet and the dance reminds me that Love saves the day.Â
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10. I’ve studied, (and lived with), some of the world’s most renowned theorists, practitioners, and spiritual teachers.
And here’s the secret: I don’t know if they’ve got it all figured out, either. Like Ram Dass said, "we're all just walking each other home." I’ve come to believe that the greatest body of knowledge is the one you live in. The truth isn’t out there somewhere, but inside you.
1. I believe in miracles.
Full stop.
2. I don’t do one-size-fits-all.
A brilliant friend once said "what keeps me sober could get you drunk," meaning only you know what'll work best for you. I love a good framework with plenty of room to make it personal (hello, The AMBIKA Method®), but I shy away from cookie-cutter formulas.
3. I prioritize pleasure.
“If it's not fun, don't do it. If you must do it, make it fun!” I approve of all emotions. This isn't about bypassing anything. It's about deciding what kind of player I want to be inside the game. And not getting victimized by life.
4. Glasses are my signature accessory.
Even though I've left academia, the nerdy professor look follows me. I can't see shit without my glasses, so I figured I might as well get creative with them.
5. I live with an invisible illness.
Technically more than one. I don't like to get bogged down in the details. While I don’t let my diagnoses define me, there's no doubt they've shaped who I am and how I show up in the world.
6. I embrace contradiction.
I get a kick out of pairing things that might not appear to go together. Like I once went from an all-day retreat straight to a NYC dance club and had to leave my meditation cushion with coat check.
7. I've learned to love my curves.
Circles. Spirals. Waves. Healing is inherently non-linear. It took a while, but I've come to appreciate the ups and downs and twists and turns that are unavoidable on the path of transformation.
8. I don't believe practice makes perfect.
I trust that on some cosmic level we’re already perfect. But our humans needs to have a practice. Sadana is a cornerstone for me. I live my life on the "mat." I don’t know where I’d be without my rituals, retreats, and sometimes-wacky routines. But here's the deal: I don't do any of it "perfectly" or in order to become "perfect." The work is messy as hell, and I don't trust anyone who acts like it isn't.
9. “Love is the message."
This is my go-to mantra. It’s also the name of one of my favorite songs. My body is my direct line to god/universal intelligence/spirit/the mystery. Or what I call “love” for short. I tend to think that’s what this whole trip is all about. And when I forget, I pray with my feet and the dance reminds me that Love saves the day.
10. I’ve studied, (and lived with), some of the world’s most renowned theorists, practitioners, and spiritual teachers.
And here’s the secret: I don’t know if they’ve got it all figured out, either. Like Ram Dass said, "we're all just walking each other home." I’ve come to believe that the greatest body of knowledge is the one you live in. The truth isn’t out there somewhere, but inside you.
An alchemist transforms things for the better.
Some ways to describe how my life force expresses itself:Â
Short Bio
Jennifer Benetato, LCSW, LMT is a leader at the intersection of spirituality, trauma healing, somatic wisdom, and psychedelic science.
As the founder of The AMBIKA Method,® she supports people to prepare for, and integrate, transformational experiences through her online courses and group coaching programs.
Jennifer served on the faculty of The New School and NYU, and worked in psychiatric hospitals, prisons, and primary care prior to opening her private integrative wellness practice in NYC.
She regularly presents at conferences, facilitates trainings, and leads retreats, and cherishes any opportunity to share lessons learned from her time spent on Maui as a caregiver to her spiritual teacher, Ram Dass.
Jennifer is also the creator of Bless the Medicine®, a company committed to reframing our relationship with pharmaceuticals, and through her podcast of the same name, Jen seeks to empower people to take greater ownership of their healing.
She believes that everyone is capable of awakening the healer within in order to become the alchemist of their own lives.
Full Bio
Jennifer Benetato is an integrative psychotherapist, transformational health and wellness coach, and spiritual teacher.
As the creator of The AMBIKA Method,® she's distilled over 20 years of supporting people's recovery from traumatic stress into a simple framework for self-healing.Â
As a duly-licensed psychotherapist and bodyworker, Jen specializes in touchwork for trauma release, with a special focus on supporting women with chronic illness and pain.
She has advanced certifications and training in addiction recovery, Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, gestalt therapy, dance/movement therapy, yoga therapy, and the expressive arts.Â
As a professor, Jen has taught both undergraduate and graduate level courses in mindfulness, trauma, clinical diagnosis, human development and behavior, and clinical practice with groups, individuals, couples, and families at NYU's Silver School of Social Work.
She was invited to create an original course on community building that she taught The New School, where she was an undergrad.Â
Her love of movement began in childhood. She started practicing yoga in the womb, at a time when yoga moms weren’t really a thing. At 3, she took her first class at Pineapple Dance in London, where she was born, and was instantly hooked. She later studied at The Washington School of Ballet, and has training in modern and various street dance styles, but is a house dancer at heart.
Jennifer trained as a dance/movement therapist with Dr. Miriam Roskin-Berger and Judith Bunney, two of the founding members of the American Dance Therapy Association.
At age 7, Jen received her mantra in Transcendental Meditation (TM). She later incorporated Vipassana (insight), Metta (loving-kindness), and Kundalini meditation practices to her repertoire. She has taken yoga teacher trainings and intensives in the Vinyasa, Iyengar, Ashtanga, and Kundalini lineages, and is a certified yoga therapist.
She is also a Clarity Breathwork practitioner, Reiki master, and energy worker. She is a teaching assistant at The Upledger Institute for CranioSacral Therapy, and has taught Shiatsu at the Finger Lakes School of Massage.
A spiritual quest led her to live and study with esteemed spiritual teacher Ram Dass on Maui in 2016, and while she resides in New York, she now considers Hawaii her second home.
She is a firm believer in the power of regular dance breaks and afternoon naps. Â
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Resume
Education
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New York University Silver School of Social Work. MSW
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Harkness Dance Center Dance/Movement Therapy Program. R-DMT
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The Finger Lakes School of Massage Massage and Hydrotherapy. LMT
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The New School Eugene Lang College. BA in Urban Studies
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Howard University Visiting student. Political Science and Sociology
Select Trainings
TRAUMA
- EMDR Therapy Parts 1 & 2 with Jamie Marich & Amber Stiles-Bodnar
- Somatic Experiencing (SE) Beginning-Advanced with Abi Blakeslee
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) with Elissa Brown
- The Sanctuary Model Advanced Certification. Sanctuary Institute/ANDRUS Foundation
- Trauma-Sensitive Yoga Teacher Training with Bessel van der Kolk & Dave Emerson
- Therapeutic Crisis Intervention (TCI) with Michael Thomas
- Trauma-Sensitive HeartMath Certification for Health Professionals with The HeartMath Institute
MIND-BODY
- Gestalt Therapy with Connie Newman, Susan Jurkowski, Patricia Tucker & Gestalt Associates for Psychotherapy faculty
- Clinical Applications of Internal Family Systems (IFS) with Frank Anderson
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) with Lane Pederson
- Experiential Focusing with Joan Lavender
- Gestalt, Hakomi, & Feldenkrais Esalen Institute work-study with Patrice Hamilton
- Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) 8-week intensive with Emily Herzlin
- Mentastics with Roger Tolle
- Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki Level 1 & 2 with Melissa Edwards
BREATHWORK
- Clarity Breathwork Practitioner Levels 1- 4 with Ashanna Solaris & Dana Dharma Devi
- Spiritual Emergency: Embracing Unexpected Transformation Grof Transpersonal Holotropic Training with Vicky Nicholson
YOGA
- iRest Yoga Nidra Teacher Training Levels 1 & 2 with Richard Miller and Stephanie Lopez
- Kundalini Yoga Level 1 Teacher Training with Hari Kaur Khalsa and Amanbir
- Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training Laughing Lotus NYC with Ali Cramer & Keith Borden
- Iyengar/Ashtanga Teacher Training Maya Yoga with Nicki Doane & Eddie Modestini
- Children’s Yoga Teacher Certification Karma Kids Yoga NYC with Shari Vilchez-Blatt
- Yoga for Emotional Balance with Bo Forbes
- Psychology of the Chakras with Anodea Judith & Selene Vega
PSYCHEDELICS
- IFS/KAP Unite: Experiential Training Retreat with Richard Schwartz, Gita Vaid, Steve Rosonke, Sunny Strasburg, Jeanne Catanzaro, & Robert Bonazoli
- Understanding Ketamine and it's Role in Mental Health with Nico Grundmann & Tiffany Franke of Ember Health, and Elizabeth Nielson & Ingmar Gorman of Fluence
- Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP) with Ingmar Gorman, Elizabeth Nielson, Jeffrey Guss, & Casey Paleos
- KAP Fundamentals with Kyle Lapidus, Kwasi Adusei, Brigitte Gordon & Lauren Taus of Journey Clinical
- Psychedelic Integration: Premise & Promise with Fluence
- Intro to Psilocybin Therapy Horizons with Bill Richards & Rosalind Watts
- Psilocybin: Effects, Neurobiology, and Therapeutic Approaches with Psychedelic Support
- MDMA Therapy for Clinicians Horizons with Shannon Clare Carlin & Marcela Ot’alora
- MDMA Safety, Therapeutic Applications, and Research with Psychedelic Support
WOMEN & SEXUALITY
- Mastery with Regina Thomaschauer
- S-Factor levels 1-6 with Sheila Kelley & staff
- Jade egg with Layla Martin
- Forte Femme with Midori
- Devotion with Perri Chase
BODYWORK
- CranioSacral Therapy (CST) 1 Upledger Institute with Susan Cotta
- CranioSacral Therapy (CST) 2 Upledger Institute with Shyamala Strack
- SomatoEmotional Release (SER) 1 Upledger Institute with Rebecca Ridge
- SomatoEmotional Release (SER) 2 Upledger Institute with Avadhan Larson
- Lomi Lomi Hawaiian Healing Ho’omana Maui with Jeana Iwalani Naluai
- Total Body Balancing The Upledger Institute with Kerry D’Ambrogio
- Thai Yoga Massage Lotus Palm Essential certification with Jyothi Watanabe
- Trager Approach Level 1 United States Trager Association with Roger Tolle
HERBAL MEDICINE
- Herbal Medicine Apprenticeship Heartstone with Kris Miller & Tammi Sweet
- Complementary and Alternative Medicine for Mental Health with Leslie Korn
Teaching
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
- First-year faculty advisor
- Faculty chair of the Mindfulness Collective
- Mindfulness Practice in Social Work
- Current Approaches to Psychological Trauma Treatment
- Clinical Practice with Groups
- Social Work Practice I
- Social Work Practice II
- Human Behavior in the Social Environment (HB II)
- Advanced Assessment and Clinical Diagnosis (HBIII)
EUGENE LANG COLLEGE
- Creating Community in the City
FINGER LAKES SCHOOL OF MASSAGE
- Shiatsu I and II
Conference Presentations
- NASW New York Conference for the Profession: Behavioral Health Integration: The Iora Health Model and the Freelancers Medical Home
- NASW Addictions Institute Conference: From Motivational Interviewing to Maintenance: The Case for Integrative Primary Care
Counseling & Group Facilitation
- Iora Health
- Freelancers Union
- Bellevue Hospital Center
- Good Shepherd Services
- The Freedom Institute
- Phoenix House
- Kirby Forensic Psychiatric Center
- The Lineage Project
- Mentoring USA
- Bloomingdale's Corporate Leadership
- Chelsea Piers Team Building
- Big Brothers Big Sisters
- The Posse Foundation
- The Possibility Project
Relevant Volunteer Work
- The Possibility Project (formerly City at Peace) Secretary and Member, National Board of Directors, 10 years of service
- NYC Medical Reserve Corps Member of Resiliency and Emotional Support Team (REST)
- The Lineage Project Yoga and meditation teacher for incarcerated youth
Professional Memberships
- National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
- American Dance Therapy Association (ADTA)
- International Association of Yoga Therapists (C-IAYT)
- Yoga Alliance Experienced Yoga Teacher (E-RYT 200)
- Yoga Alliance Children’s Yoga Teacher (CYT)
- Associated Bodywork and Massage Professionals (ABMP)
- International Association of Reiki Professionals
Vision Statement
Love, truth, & service are the frequencies that my work is in devotion to.
Maharaji instructed us to love everyone, serve everyone, and tell the truth--this is my mission. Â
I envision a world where everyone remembers 3 things:
- Your body is intelligent
- Your mind is strong
- Your soul is wiseÂ
My prayer is that all who make their way here meet the healer that resides within.
Commitment to Diversity
I work inclusively with people whose backgrounds, lifestyles, life stages, belief systems, identities and cultures might be different from my own.
I maintain a diverse practice, and provide my services to people of all races, ethnicities, immigration statuses, religions, genders, sexual orientations, abilities, incomes, relationship statuses, ages, sizes, and philosophies.
I don't pathologize recreational drug use, and support your right to pursue happiness.
I respect your sovereignty, and won't seek to impose my views on you. I also don't need you to agree with mine in order for us to work together.
"Jen makes all the theories and concepts about human behavior more relatable and easy to grasp."
- NYU Student
"My favorite thing about Jen's style has been the in-class asides. When she pauses to explain why she did a certain thing, it's really informative and gives me ideas about how to improve my own interactions with clients."
- NYU Student
"Jen's honestly been wonderful at helping me understand things that have always been confusing. In just a few sentences she's able to put all things into perspective."
- NYU Student