Dr. Benson’s Resume

APRIL LANE BENSON, PH.D.

300 Central Park West, 1K, NEW YORK, NY 10024 (212-799-3793)

New York State Licensed Clinical Psychologist Lic. No. 005514

Psychotherapist with thirty-five years of experience, specializing in the treatment of compulsive buying disorder.

Co-founded (1979) Center for the Study of Anorexia and Bulimia, a division of the Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy.

 

Education:

  • 2010 Training in Motivational Interviewing
  • 2006 Training in Dialectical Behavior Therapy and Motivational Interviewing
  • 2003-2004, Advanced Training in Cognitive Behavior Therapy, Center for the Study of Anorexia and Bulimi
  • 1998-1999, Training Program in Spirituality and Psychotherapy, Blanton-Peale Institute
  • 1992, Training in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy, Center for the Study of Anorexia and Bulimia
  • 1985, Certificate in Psychotherapy of Eating Disorders, Center for the Study of Anorexia and Bulimia
  • 1983, Certificate in Psychoanalysis, Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy
  • 1980, Certificate in Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy
  • 1977, Ph.D. in Educational Psychology, Ferkauf Graduate School, Yeshiva University
  • 1973, M.A., in Counseling Psychology, Teachers College, Columbia Univ.
  • 1973, B.A., Cum Laude, Barnard College, Columbia Univ.

 

Current Positions:

Board of Directors, Riverside Park Conservancy, New York, New York since 2011

Leadership Council, Athena Center for Leadership Studies at Barnard College, since 2009

Founder, Stopping Overshopping, LLC, New York, New York since 2003

Board of Directors, Institute for Contemporary Psychotherapy, New York, New York 2002

Private Practice of psychoanalytic psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioral therapy and psychoanalysis, New York, New York since 1976

 

Publications:

Benson, A.L. “Compulsive Buying Disorder: Let’s Stop Smiling at The Smiled-            Upon Addiction” in Paradigm Magazine, (Volume 18, Number 3, 2014).

Benson, A.L., Eisenach, D., Abrams, L. & van Stolk-Cooke, K. ). “Stopping Overshopping: A preliminary randomized controlled trial of group therapy for compulsive buying disorder” in Journal of Groups in Addiction and Recovery, (Vol. 9, Number 2, 2014).

Benson, April L. “Amanda: An Overshopper’s Recovery Story” in Journal of Groups in Addiction and Recovery, (Volume 8, Number 1, 2013).

Benson, April L. and Eisenach, David. “Stopping Overshopping: An Approach to the Treatment of Compulsive Buying Disorder” in Journal of Groups in Addiction and Recovery, (Volume 8, Number 1, 2013).

Benson, April L. “Amanda” in “Case Examples”, Chapter 10, Compulsive Buying: Clinical Foundations and Treatment, James Mitchell and Astrid Mueller (eds.), Routledge, 2011.

Benson, April L., Dittmar, H.E., and Wolfsohn, R. “Compulsive Buying: Cultural Contributors and Consequences in Impulse Control Disorders: A Clinical Guide, Lorrin Koran and Elias Aboujouade, (eds.), Cambridge University Press, 2010.

Benson, April L. “To Buy or Not to Buy: You Can Never Get Enough of What You Don’t Really Need” in The Psychotherapy Networker, March-April, 2009

Benson, April L. To Buy or Not to Buy: Why We Overshop and How to Stop, Trumpeter Books, Boston, 2008.

Benson, April L. Stopping Overshopping: A Comprehensive Program to Help Eliminate Compulsive Buying. New York: Stopping Overshopping LLC., 2006.

Benson, April L. and Gengler, Marie. “Treatment of Compulsive Buying,” in Handbook of Addictive Disorders: A Practical Guide to Diagnosis and Treatment Handbook, Robert Coombs, (ed.), Wiley (2004).

Benson, April L. “When Shopping Heals,” in Barnard Magazine, Fall 2000.

Benson, April L. (Ed.) I Shop, Therefore I Am: Compulsive Buying and the Search for Self, Jason Aronson, Northvale, New Jersey, 2000.

Benson, April L. “What are we shopping for?: shopping, connection and the process of search,” in The Renfrew Perspective, 1995, Vol. 1, Issue 3.

 

Book Reviews:

To Buy or Not to Buy: Why We Overshop and How to Stop:

  • Barnard Magazine, Winter, 2009, p. 17, reviwed by Stephanie Shestakow
  •  New England Psychologist, Vol. 17, #10, Nov. 2009, reviewed by James Luiselli, Ed.D.
  •  National Study Group for the Chronically Disorganized, Chronical , Fall 2010, reviewed byAndrea Sarb
  • About.com, March, 2011, reviewed by Elizabeth Hartney, Ph.D.

I Shop, Therefore I Am: Compulsive Buying and the Search for Self:

  • Psychology and Marketing, Vol.18, #9, Sept., 2001, pp. 985-997, reviewed by Morris Holbrook, Ph.D.
  • Manhattan Psychological Association Newsletter, Mar. 2001, reviewed by Bonnie Kellen, Ph.D.
  • National Study Group for the Chronically Disorganized, Chronical , Jan, 2009, reviewed by Andrea Sarb.

 

Selected Media, Print:

Quoted about eating disorders and compulsive buying in numerous magazines and newspapers including New York Times Magazine, Wall Street Journal, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, U.S. News & World Report, Christian Science Monitor, Toronto Star, Denver Post, Cosmopolitan, The Washington Post, Daily News, Redbook, Money Magazine, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, Elle, Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, Barnard Magazine, Real Simple, Ladies Home Journal, Monitor on Psychology, So. Florida Magazine, and a variety of internet publications.

 

Selected Media, Broadcast:

“The Today Show” , “Good Morning America” , “Top Priority” ABC News, CBS Morning News, BBC World News, “The Jean Chatzky Show” Oprah and Friends Radio, CBS Evening News, Project Health Radio “Soft Addictions”, Fox News, “The Peter Walsh Show” Oprah and Friends Radio, WebMD, State of Affairs on NPR “Compulsive Shopping”, Paula Zahn Now on CNN, The Today Show, ABC National Radio Australia “Life Matters: Compulsive Shopping Talkback”, Sunrise-Australia, Featured in Morgan Spurlock’s full length documentary “What Would Jesus Buy?”, release date, The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet, October, The Brian Lehrer Show, NPR, CNBC “Money Trends: Shopaholics”, WCBSTV, CNN “Addicted to Shopping”, The Bank of Mom and Dad -Episode 5, “The Secret Lives of Women: Shopping Addicts” , “My Strange Addiction” , “Mary Talks Money” , “Teen Shopping” , CNN Money, CNBC Luxury Boom: The New Big Spenders, WPIX, Diane Rehm Show on NPR, Relevance: Extravagance on HBO.

 

Recent presentations:

  • Benson, A. L. (January, 2014) You Can Never Get Enough of What You Don’t Really Need: Working with Compulsive Buyers. Psychoanalytic Practitioners of Long Island
  • Benson, A. L. (April, 2013) The Stopping Overshopping Model: Therapy, Case Illustration, Preliminary Outcome Data. Suffolk County Psychoanalytic Society
  • Benson, A. L. (March, 2013). The Stopping Overshopping Model: Therapy, Case Illustration, Preliminary Outcome Data. Addictions Institute, Roosevelt Hospital.
  • Benson, A. L. (January, 2013). Eat, Shop, and Be Merry? Eating Disorders and Compulsive Buying. Center for the Study of Anorexia and Bulimia, Webinar.
  • Benson, A.L. (January, 2013). The Stopping Overshopping Model: Therapy, Case Illustration, Preliminary Outcome Data. Goodtherapy.org, Webinar
  • Benson, A. L. (May, 2012). How to Manage Your Money so it Doesn’t Manage You! Hunter College, New York City, New York.
  • Benson, A. L. (April, 2012). Is Your Client a Compulsive Buyer? When and How Do You Intervene? Institute for Challenging Disorganization, Teleclass.
  • Benson, A. L. (February, 2012). You Can Never Get Enough of What You Don’t Really Need: Working with Compulsive Buyers. Women’s Therapy Centre Institute, New York City, New York.
  • Benson, A. L. Stopping Overshopping: Working With Compulsive Buyers. Sierra Tucson, Tucson, Arizona.(January, 2012)
  • Benson, A. L. (October, 2011). How to Manage Your Money so it Doesn’t Manage You! Hunter College, New York City, New York.
  • Benson, A. L. (October, 2011). To Buy or Not to Buy: Why We Overshop and How to Stop. Omega Institute, Rhinebeck, New York.
  • Benson, A. L. (September, 2011). To Buy or Not to Buy: Why We Overshop and How to Stop. Institute for Challenging Disorganization, Raleigh, North Carolina.
  • Benson, A. L. (September, 2011). Stopping Overshopping: Tools, Skills, and Strategies that Work. Financial Therapy Association, Athens, Georgia.
  • Benson, A.L. (June 24 , 2011). You Can Never Get Enough of What You Don’t Really Need:Theory and Treatment of Compulsive Buying, Goodtherapy.org, Webinar.
  • Benson, A. L. (March, 2011). Stopping Overshopping: An Approach to the Treatment of Compulsive Buying Disorder. Inter-Care, New York City, New York.
  • Benson, A. L. (November, 2010). Panelist, Texas Conference for Women, Houston, Texas.
  • Benson, A. L. (November, 2010). Panelist, Massachusetts Conference for Women, Boston, Massachusetts.
  • Benson, A. L. (October, 2010). Stopping Overshopping: An Approach to the Treatment of Compulsive Buying Disorder. Grand Rounds, University of Iowa Medical School, Iowa City, Iowa.
  • Benson, A. L. (October, 2010). You Can Never Get Enough of What You Don’t Really Need. Illinois Institute for Addiction Recovery, Bettendorf, Iowa.
  • Benson, A. L. (October, 2010). Stopping Overshopping: A Workshop for Credit Counselors and Financial Coaching Practicioners. Financial Fitness Forum, Canadian Association of Consumer Credit Services, Toronto, Canada.
  • Benson, A. L. (October, 2010). Stopping Overshopping: Three Highly Effective Techniques. Green Path Debt Solutions, New York City, New York.

 

Selected Professional Presentations:

  • Keynote speaker, Association for Financial Counseling, Planning and Education Annual Conference, 10/2009
  • National Study Group for the Chronically Disorganized, teleclass, 9/2009
  • The Meadows, New York Workshop 2/2009
  • Life Skills Workshop for the NFL Player Development Directors “Money Plays: 1st Downs or Fumbles?” Tampa, FL 3/2008
  • Urban Academy High School, New York, NY, 9/2007
  • Freedom Institute and Hazelden, New York, NY, 5/2007
  • William Alanson White Institute, invited Faculty, 3/2007
  • Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York, NY, 11/2006
  • Office of the State Comptroller, New York, NY, 10/2006
  • Employee Assistance Professionals of America, NY Chapter, “New Shoes Chase the Blues,” 4/2006
  • National Association of Professional Organizers, New York Chapter, “Holding on for Dear Life Hoarding: Causes, Therapies, Legal & Social Services Every Organizer Should Know,” 2/2006
  • Association for Consumer Research Conference, “New Perspectives on Compulsive Buying: It’s Roots, Measurement and Physiology,” San Antonio, Texas, 9/2005
  • Makor/Steinhardt Center of the 92nd Street Y, New York 3/2005
  • City University of New York, Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology 2/2005
  • Makor/Steinhardt Center of the 92nd Street Y, “What Are You Shopping For?” 11/2004
  • Renfrew Center Foundation, “When Eating and Shopping are Companion Disorders,” 11/2004
  • Invited Colloquium Speaker, City University Graduate Program in Clinical Psychology, “Compulsive Buying, Theory, and Treatment,” 11/2004
  • Freedom Institute, “Treatment of Compulsive Buying,” 10/2004
  • National Association of Professional Organizers, New York Chapter, “What Every Professional Organizer Needs to Know About Compulsive Buying,” 10/2004
  • United Jewish Appeal of Greenwich, Connecticut, “What are We Shopping For?” 4/2004
  • Center for the Study of Anorexia and Bulimia, “Impulsivity/Compulsivity: Sex, Drugs, and Money,” 4/2003
  • Barnard College, Furman Counseling Center. “Compulsive Buying Among College Students” 3/2002
  • Training Institute for Mental Health, Carole Dillings Memorial Conference Series, “I Shop, Therefore I Am: Compulsive Buying and the Search for Self,” 4/2001
  • Center for the Study of Anorexia and Bulimia, “I Shop, Therefore I Am,” 5/2000
  • William Alanson White Institute, “Eat, Shop and Be Merry” with Diane Barth, CSW, 3/1999
  • Postgraduate Center for Mental Health, Case Conference on Compulsive Shopping, 11/ 1998
  • Center for the Study of Anorexia and Bulimia, Minicourse on Compulsive Shopping, 10/1998
  • Center for the Study of Anorexia and Bulimia, “When Shopping Heals,” 3/1995
  • Renfrew Center New York, “When Shopping Heals,” 11/1994

 

 

 

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