Dr. Ashley Benjamin graduated from medical school at the University of Kansas and completed his residency at Wright State University/Wright Patterson Air Force Base while on a prestigious U.S. Armed Forces Medical Scholarship. Dr. Benjamin served a total of 21 years (8 years active, 13 years in reserves) as an Air Force psychiatrist, during which time he served as both the medical and administrative director for the Tinker Air Force Base Substance Abuse Program.
Dr. Benjamin’s experiences have helped shape his philosophy of minimizing medications and their doses to the greatest extent possible, as he believes military medicine is truly about helping patients achieve maximum functionality.
He retired at the rank of a Lt. Colonel and proudly served as part of the mental health flight during the devastating tornado that hit Oklahoma City in 1998. His military career culminated in the receipt of the prestigious Reserve Physician of the Year award.
Having worked in numerous settings, Dr. Benjamin has tremendous versatility, yet he takes exceptional pride in his work as the medical director for the Oklahoma City VA Iraq/Afghanistan return program and as the consulting psychiatrist for a dual diagnosis program aimed at helping mothers abstain from substances, with the goal of reuniting with their children.
Prior to completing medical school, Dr. Benjamin graduated as valedictorian with a B.S. in journalism from the respected William Allen White School of Journalism at the University of Kansas. He then received an M.A. from The Ohio State University in exercise science. His track and field and cross country coaching experiences at KU and OSU helped shape his philosophy of seeing each patient as an “athlete,” with the goal of helping maximize their potential as part of a multidisciplinary team. He utilizes this concept when working with every patient at Rise in Malibu. In addition to his 30-plus publications in various areas of mental and non-mental health topics, he is the lead co-author of the book, The Student Athlete’s College Recruitment Guide,which focuses on helping high school athletes find the best ethical, academic, and athletic fit at the college level. Dr. Benjamin is also a certified IGMCA Mental Game Instructor and Life Coach.
