Bente Hansen, LMFT

Bente Hansen is a licensed marriage and family therapist who uses practical, evidence-informed methods to help people manage stress and anxiety. She brings 20 years of clinical experience and a calm, respectful presence to each session. Bente speaks English and Danish and is based in California. Bente focuses on relationship concerns, grief and loss, and building self-esteem and motivation. She also helps people cope with life changes, workplace strain, and social anxiety. Her work includes attention to attachment issues, communication problems, and caregiver stress. In sessions she adapts her approach to the person in front of her. She draws on cognitive behavioral therapy to identify patterns of thought and behavior that keep problems going. She also uses attachment-informed ideas to look at how early relationships shape today's reactions. Bente favors a client-centered stance that listens first and then collaborates on clear, doable steps. Practical tools and short-term goals are paired with space to process emotion. She supports people through divorce and separation, substance concerns, chronic illness, and end-of-life matters with steady guidance. People meet her for help with loneliness, workplace difficulties, pregnancy and childbirth stress, and family of origin issues. She describes therapy as a team effort aimed at clearer thinking and more manageable daily life. To begin, a brief questionnaire helps match goals with scheduling and formats.

Approaches that guide online sessions

CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy, looks at how thoughts and behaviors keep problems going and teaches practical strategies to change them. It can help with anxiety, stress, and improving daily routines.

Attachment-Based Therapy explores how early relationship patterns affect current reactions and closeness in relationships. This approach can be useful for people dealing with relationship strain, trust issues, or patterns that repeat across relationships.

Bente also uses client-centered techniques that prioritize listening and collaboration. Together the therapist and client decide which approach or combination feels most helpful based on the person’s goals and preferences.

Finding the right approach is part of the work. The therapist will talk through options and try methods that match a client's needs, adjusting as progress is made. That collaborative process helps make sessions feel relevant and practical.

Online work can be flexible and convenient. Video calls offer face-to-face conversation and visual cues. Phone sessions use less bandwidth and can fit during a work break. Live chat and text messaging make brief check-ins and step-by-step support easier to schedule between appointments.