Neshama Consulting and Counseling

Specialties

At Neshama, I provide counseling, consulting and music therapy services by the hour. I have been in the mental health services business since 1991, when I started as an intern counselor at The Austin Men’s Center, where I became Services Director and remained for five years. I am licensed in the state of Texas as a Chemical Dependency Counselor, but as an ordained Rabbi and pastoral counselor, I see people struggling with depression, anxiety, sexuality and other issues. You will find me to be friendly and open minded, but ethically grounded. I believe that a person’s creative sense — and we all have one — is often the key to resolving our problems. If you are an artist or musician, you will appreciate my 40 years of experience as a working musician and published songwriter. If you are more «left brained» you will like my no-​nonsense approach to the issues you bring to the counseling session.

History

Established in 2015.

I decided, after years spent mostly consulting businesses about addiction and mental health issues, that I desperately wanted to merge my passions for human services work and music and meet people who need help. Neshama means «soul» or «spirit» in Hebrew, and that reflects what I bring to the counseling session. So, in 2015, I decided to return to the counseling office and look for people of differing faiths — or none at all — who need affordable help with the problems I specialize in dealing with. Please call or email me with your questions about my work and my expertise.

Meet the Business Owner

Rabbi Misha B.

Business Owner

Rabbi Misha Ben-​David is a state licensed chemical dependency counselor, pastoral counselor and hypnotherapist serving Austin and surrounding areas since 1990. Rabbi Ben-​David studied depth psychology under the therapists of the Austin Men’s Center from 1991 – 96, Since then he has worked a dual career as a musician and counselor specializing in addictions and the addictive family. In 2007, after receiving a Theology degree, he was ordained as a Rabbi. In 2012, Rabbi Ben-​David was ordained for the second time by the Jewish Spiritual Leaders Institute of Manhattan, New York, as both a Rabbi and Pastoral Counselor. He is both a Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) Pastoral Counselor/​Peer Counselor, and an Emotional Freedom Therapy certified counselor.