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” retired after practicing and teaching full spectrum Family Medicine for over 30 years. From Births (0ver 1,000) to dying (hundreds) In the ER, the hospital and the clinic - he’s been there. He has seen too many people die alone, unconnected and behind hospital doors. He endorses Hospice, Death Doulas and wants to help Families have a good “last chapter”. He is passionate about Assisted Decision Making using Graphic decision tools.

In his final chapter he hopes to assist and connect 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.

JOHN LEE, MD

Dr Lee is a retired family practitioner at the Contra Costa County Medical Center in Martinez. After completing UCSF medical school in 1968, (yep, over 50 years ago!), he worked for Indian Health Service on the Navajo Reservation in Arizona for two years.

After a year of travel, he finished his residency at the county hospital in Martinez and joined the leadership in training doctors there.  He served as their Hospice doctor during the 1980s.

He has a wealth of personal and professional interests. In addition to Medicine, he enjoys political activism, history, travel, backpacking and music, as well as his children and grand children.

Joshua Pepper MD, MS

Josh is a family physician and graduate of UCSF School of Medicine and UCSF Family and Community Medicine Residency Program. During medical school, he co-directed the medical division of The Suitcase Clinic - a humanitarian organization providing free healthcare and social services. He co-coordinated the Humanistic Elective in Activism, Reflective Transformation and Integrative Medicine (HEART-IM), a month-long residential elective for fourth year medical students.

Josh is most interested in the parts of medicine where clinicians hold no right answer such as palliative care, addiction, and abortion. He recently opened Marin Family Medicine where he has the privilege to work with patients and their families at his own pace and focuses on their needs, lives and health. He works with two other Family physicians who are also Bay Area natives.