Who we are

Christine Benvenuto, MFT

Christine has over 25 years experience working in mental health. In addition to DBT and Somatic Therapy, she is a Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapist working with clients in a transformative way to address complex issues.

She co-founded of the Oakland DBT and Mindfulness Center, which provides psychotherapy and skills training to people who experience difficult emotions. Cultivating rich relationships within her family and community, she is a lifelong meditation practicioner and loves spending time in wild and natural settings.

Her practice focuses on helping people skillfully connect with their unique wisdom.  It is her hope that thorough bringing more attention to end of Life conversations, that people come to live more fully in every moment.

David Pepper, MS, MD

"Pepper" practiced and taught full spectrum Family Medicine for over 30 years. From births (over 1,000) to deaths (hundreds) in the ER, the hospital, and the clinic, he's been there. He saw too many people die alone, unconnected, and behind hospital doors. Now retired from clinical practice, he is dedicated to helping families have a good "last chapter." He endorses hospice, death doulas, and is passionate about Assisted Decision Making using graphic decision tools. 

David is not currently licensed to practice medicine and does not provide medical advice or treatment. He brings his decades of experience to this work in an educational and supportive capacity, connecting people to a multitude of dying resources, even as they embrace life.

Pepper co-authored an e-book on dying, And One To Grow On, about a family whose child gets leukemia. 

His father, mother, and grandmother all died in their family home.