This page was updated on 20260519.

“I teach people how to curate their own care to overcome complex illnesses.”
~ Tenay Benes

Summary

I come to care coaching the same way I come to everything: through the mess. I spent years bedridden with complex PTSD and chronic fatigue syndrome — seeing ten providers, rejecting every medication, and being told there was nothing more that could be done. What saved my life wasn’t one treatment; it was a curated healing journey integrating spiritual, psychological, physiological, and relational care that most people never know exists.

This page captures the education, experience, and personal healing journey I bring to every coaching relationship.

Competencies

Coaching Experience

Since 2015, I have served as a volunteer care coach — walking alongside over 100 complex illness overcomers as they navigated fragmented care systems, made sense of conflicting provider advice, and found their footing across the U.S. care ecosystem.

Personal Journey

I have been healing from or have fully healed from the following conditions.

Acute Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (late unmasked)
Codependence & Adult Child of an Alcoholic Syndrome
Caesarean Section
Complex Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD)
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS)
Chronic Myosfascial Pain Syndrome
Dissociative Episodes (from CPTSD)
Financial Crisis from Being Disabled
Food Sensitivities (Gluten, Dairy, Non-native Foods)
Gestational Diabetes
Glucose Dysregulation/Pre-diabetes/Metabolic Syndrome
Housing Insecurity from Being Disabled
Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD)
Hypo- and Hyperthyroidism (Grave's & Hashimoto's Disease)
Infertility (working on secondary infertility)
Intergenerational Trauma & Neurodivergence
Leaky Gut Syndrome
Mercury and Styrene Poisoning
Neck Curvature Reversal
Pelvic Floor Dysfunction
Seasonal Allergies (Pollen!)
Social Isolation from Being Disabled
Spiritual Crisis
Toxic Workplace Stress

Therapies & Modalities

I know what it feels like to enter each of these rooms for the first time.

Education

Certification

Sexual Assault Response Coordinator
Level I, DOD Sexual Assault Advocate Certification Program
Active 2015-2021

Scope of Practice

I am not a licensed therapist, physician, or minister in an official capacity. I am someone who survived the journey, who studied the landscape, and who believes every overcomer deserves a knowledgeable guide by their side. If this resonates, I would love to talk.

Reviews

“Tenay Benes has been a fantastic care coach for our family. We are so blessed to have found her! She has been providing the best support and guidance to our daughter, who has been diagnosed with a complex chronic condition, that includes autism, adhd, intellectual disability and hearing loss. Tenay has helped, not only setting up appointments, but also being there for extra support. She has provided us with personalized resources and reading materials for education. Every week we get together for a check-in on how our journey is progressing. Tenay has connected us with other professionals and therapists, that can help my daughter with her long-term care. We are excited to see how far our daughter can go, now that Tenay is helping us discover new possibilities! Forever thankful!”
~ Fabiana P. (original review)

“…Not only has she helped me learn… but she has also been a source of God’s healing for me. Only a couple of months after we met, she prayed with me for healing and reintegration of trauma wounds. Not only did I feel safe, respected, and loved, but she implemented godly wisdom to make sure that the prayer process would not stir up too much without giving me the resources I needed to process… That one prayer session began for me a season of healing that has restored my belief in God’s complete and utter faithfulness.”
~ Fr. Christopher Gaffrey, OFM (original review)

“About 3 years ago I had a ‘dark night of the soul’. I was really struggling with my relationship with God, among other things. For weeks and months I would contact Tenay… [to] talk me through a lot of the junk that I was struggling with. …[she] has really helped me overcome some of the darkest periods of my life when I thought I had lost everything…”
~ Lee Ammerman (original review)

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