Noelle Benach Counseling & Consulting, LLC

Noelle Benach Counseling & Consulting, LLC Individual Therapy, Couples and Relational Counseling, S*x Therapy for Maryland Residents.

01/14/2026

Therapists are nosy sometimes, what can I say?

01/07/2026

Nothing like a positive affirmation to hype yourself up, right?!

It’s normal to come into session a little (or a lot) activated after the holidays. Big feelings, family dynamics, disrupted routines… it all adds up.

The good news is that you don’t have to sort it out alone.

I’m here for my clients and excited to see them all again.

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Here’s an honest look back on my 2025… not just a highlight reel of all the good parts.I found this year to be both beau...
12/30/2025

Here’s an honest look back on my 2025… not just a highlight reel of all the good parts.

I found this year to be both beautiful and brutal in so many ways.

There’s been so much to be grateful for (and dare I say proud of?!) on a professional level like obtaining my PhD, moving into the first office space that is solely my own, and presenting about topics I care deeply about.

There have been behind-the-scenes moments of joy that I don’t necessarily talk about publicly on this platform. If you read through the slides, you’ll get a little snapshot of what I mean.

However, it has not been all sunshine and rainbows. I’ve struggled deeply.

I thought this year would be different in terms of family planning. I was naive to the impacts of fertility treatments on my physical and mental health, as well as my relationships.

Loss and grief showed their faces in many forms.

At times, I feel helpless as a clinician. It’s a strange, heavy thing to sit with people in therapy who are terrified by the state of our world, because their fear isn’t distorted or irrational. It’s a valid response to repeated, real tragedies. And there isn’t an intervention that makes reality safer.

I want people to have access to healthcare, food, joy, and nice things. I want q***r and trans people to feel safe and celebrated. I want toxic diet culture eradicated, not as just a body positivity fad, but for good. I don’t have the answers, but I’ll keep searching with my clients and loved ones.

So here’s to 2026. May we stay soft, and strong for both the delights and battles ahead.

This season is often filled with unsolicited commentary on people’s bodies.If you want to be an ally to your larger bodi...
12/22/2025

This season is often filled with unsolicited commentary on people’s bodies.

If you want to be an ally to your larger bodied loved ones this season, here’s a few things to consider:

▪️Avoid weight centric conversations
▪️Be conscious of the size of wearable gifts
▪️Normalize enjoying food
▪️Challenge harmful remarks

Let’s normalize keeping our thoughts about other people’s bodies to ourselves.

For more info, scroll through this post.

12/21/2025

The gift that keeps on giving, am I right?! 😉

12/19/2025

I mean come on! I know you. 😉

There’s plenty of reasons why clients may minimize their feelings in session.

Some explanations include:

▪️Protection from vulnerability

▪️Learned survival strategies

▪️Fear of being a burden

▪️Shame or self-doubt

▪️ Difficulty identifying or naming feelings

▪️Cultural conditioning

▪️ A lack of rapport or trust

As a therapist, I like to help my clients identify and overcome their barriers, so they can show up authentically both in our sessions and in their lives.


CounselingHumor counselor CounselorsofIG feelings counselorsofinstagram

12/06/2025

I’m not interested in holding space with fellow therapists who advertise “weight loss” as one of their “therapeutic offerings”.

Therapy is designed to addresses thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and relational patterns.

Weight is influenced by numerous factors, including: genetics, environment, stress, trauma history, food access, medications, and more… none of which a therapist can ethically promise to control.

Therapists who explicitly advertise weight loss contribute to anti-fat bias and miss the root of the issue: Most clients’ desire to shrink comes from internalized weight stigma, a societal wound shaped by racism, capitalism, and oppressive beauty and health standards.

🤷🏼‍♀️ Call me crazy, but I believe therapy should help people heal from stigma, not reinforce it.



12/03/2025

December is a time when a lot of folks check back in with their therapists.

It makes sense, right?!

After all, December tends to magnify everything. 🔍

😣 Stress, grief, loneliness
💔 Family dynamics and old patterns
🎁 Pressure to perform, host, give, or be happy

Therapy gives you space to process what’s coming up in real time instead of pushing through alone.

So maybe it’s time to reach out to your therapist?

#

Ready or not, the holiday season has begun.Give yourself permission to do whatever you need to navigate the holiday seas...
11/28/2025

Ready or not, the holiday season has begun.

Give yourself permission to do whatever you need to navigate the holiday season with care.

That may take the form of rest, boundaries, quiet, connection, or something else. Try to choose what nourishes you.


The holiday season is upon us… which means you may face some unsolicited body comments from relatives, friends, and stra...
11/27/2025

The holiday season is upon us… which means you may face some unsolicited body comments from relatives, friends, and strangers alike.

It can be tricky to set boundaries around unwanted dieting and fitness advice

The post contains a few phrases to keep in your back pocket to deal with these types of comments, should they arise.

Direct & Polite Approach: “I’d rather not discuss my body or diets. Let’s focus on enjoying this holiday meal together”

The Sassy Humorous Approach: You must have me confused with someone who needs your opinion on this!”

The Clearly Stated Boundaries Approach: Comments about my appearance are off-limits for me.”

The Put Them on the Spot to Think About What the Heck They Just Said to You Approach: “What an interesting thing to say out loud. what made you want to tell me that?

Remember, you are under NO obligation to entertain unsolicited advice, especially around something as personal as your body!

On Friday I spent a few hours in a recording studio.👀🎙️I can’t spill the details just yet, but it will be worth the wait...
11/23/2025

On Friday I spent a few hours in a recording studio.👀🎙️

I can’t spill the details just yet, but it will be worth the wait.

Here’s your tiny hint: intimacy, body liberation, and neurodivergence. 😬🤫✨


Anti-fat bias is alive and well. POTUS’s “quiet piggy” comment isn’t just political noise... It’s evidence of how social...
11/20/2025

Anti-fat bias is alive and well. POTUS’s “quiet piggy” comment isn’t just political noise... It’s evidence of how socially acceptable fat-shaming remains.

When public figures weaponize body size to demean others, and no one speaks out against how wildly unacceptable those comments are, society reinforces the idea that it is fine to treat fat folks as punchlines.

Anti-fat bias does not operate in a vacuum; it’s rooted in racism, classism, and long-standing systems of oppression.

Comments like the one POTUS grunted the other day aren’t harmless. Anti-fat bias fuels discrimination in policies that impact our healthcare, workplaces, and relationships.


Address

4502 Schenley Road/Suite 100A
Baltimore, MD
21210

Opening Hours

Tuesday 8am - 6pm
Wednesday 8am - 6pm
Thursday 8am - 6pm

Telephone

+14438638670

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