Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Kimberly Benson.
Hi Dr. Kimberly , so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I discovered this field by accident. As a sophomore at Ringling College of Art and Design, I was struggling emotionally and met a campus counselor—without even knowing what a counselor truly was. That experience planted a seed. My junior year, I stumbled upon art therapy, which led me to take an Intro to Psychology class at the local community college. I fell completely in love with the study of the mind and human behavior.
That passion guided the rest of my journey. I went on to earn my master’s in Mental Health Counseling and later my doctorate in Counselor Education and Supervision. As part of my doctoral work, I conducted my dissertation research in Kandaria Village, Kenya, studying the effects of expressive arts therapy with young women who had survived sexual violence and abandonment. The experience profoundly shaped my understanding of resilience, trauma, and the universal need for connection and healing.
I opened my private practice in 2010, completed my doctorate in 2013, and in 2017 joined forces with two colleagues to create Sarasota Addiction Specialists, a DCF-licensed program offering all levels of care except residential and detox.
In 2019, we expanded by opening MindSol Wellness Center, a group practice that trains graduate students, registered interns, and licensed professionals in providing depth-oriented psychotherapy. Most recently, we launched Suncoast Recovery Homes, a structured sober living program that complements our clinical services.
Today, I serve as the Clinical Director of all programs—continuing to teach, mentor, and help others explore the depths of the human psyche through psychodynamic and attachment-based approaches.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it has not been a smooth road.
When we first started Sarasota Addiction Specialists, it was just the three of us—my partners and me. I wrote the curriculum, and they ran the groups. We invested our own money and built the program from the ground up. Over the years, we’ve faced challenges with staffing, growing pains, and learning how to build a cohesive team that truly aligns with our mission.
My partners and I have also navigated our own interpersonal challenges as we grew the business. We’ve worked with consultants to strengthen our communication and leadership as co-owners, and that effort has kept us grounded and united.
We’ve grown from a team of three to a staff of twelve, and we now operate with the full support of our accrediting bodies, DCF and JCAHO—both of whom have been instrumental in helping us maintain excellence and compliance.
As a person in long-term recovery myself (18 years), the hardest challenge is often personal: watching those still suffering in active addiction struggle to accept help. That emotional reality keeps me humble and committed to the work every single day.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Sarasota Addiction Specialists was founded on the belief that true recovery goes far beyond symptom management—it’s about helping individuals understand the origins and emotional roots of their addiction. In a field often dictated by insurance limitations and standardized care, my goal was to create a treatment program that prioritizes depth, insight, and lasting transformation.
Our curriculum—developed in-house—is grounded in psychodynamic, trauma-informed, and attachment-based principles, allowing clients to explore why they use, not just how to stop. Our clinicians are trained to facilitate this deeper process, guiding patients toward greater awareness and self-mastery so they can live free from the cycles of active addiction.
What sets us apart is the intentional culture we’ve built around staff wellness and integrity of care. At MindSol Wellness Center, my focus is on nurturing our team so they, in turn, can provide the highest quality of care to clients. Each clinician receives weekly one-on-one supervision with me and participates in a 90-minute educational seminar where we explore models of the mind, case dynamics, and the intersection of personal growth and professional practice.
We believe that when therapists are deeply supported, emotionally attuned, and continually learning, the ripple effect on client outcomes is extraordinary. Our programs are designed not only to help individuals heal from addiction, but to rebuild their lives with authenticity, purpose, and connection.
We are most proud of our commitment to depth, heart, and humanity—qualities that cannot be measured by length of stay or profit margins, but by the lives we help reclaim every single day.
At Sarasota Addiction Specialists and MindSol Wellness Center, we believe recovery is an art form—one that begins with understanding the self and ends with reclaiming one’s freedom.
How do you think about happiness?
What makes me truly happy is peace — the kind that comes from being grounded in who I am and no longer living in reaction to life. For much of my life, I confused happiness with intensity — with achievement, validation, or connection that quieted my inner chaos for a moment. But over time, through my own therapy and my work as a clinician, I’ve learned that real happiness often arrives quietly.
Peace brings me happiness because it allows me to feel safe inside myself. It’s the space where my nervous system settles, where I can connect without fear, create without pressure, and love without losing myself. In my work with clients, I see the same truth — that lasting happiness isn’t found in external success or constant positivity, but in the slow, patient process of becoming at home within our own minds and hearts.
Pricing:
- Our process very dependent on situations. We have our flat cost and then offer sliding fee scales
Contact Info:
- Website: https://sarasotaaddictionspecialists.com/
- Instagram: https://mindsolsarasota.com/
Image Credits
Kayaking is from our staff appreciation day:
Dave Forestier- COO and 1/3 owner
Smith Tilka- Therapist
Christina Ercoli- Therapist
Lynn Arters- Therapist
Cecilia Brannen- Business Developmet
Alison McDonald- Registered Intern
Jaqueline Grant- Substance Abuse Counselor
Chris Penn- Therapist
