Our Staff

Blackbird Family Therapy, Inc. consists of only a handful of people who keep things going on the right track for all of our clients and consultants.

Executive Staff & Board of Directors

Matthew Lindgren - Founder, Chairman, CEO

Matthew Lindgren serves as chairman and CEO of Blackbird Family Therapy, Inc. He oversees all operations of Blackbird Family Therapy, Inc. in addition to seeing clients and participating in our professional trainings and experiential camping events for kids. Mr. Lindgren is a licensed marriage and family therapist.

Prior to founding Blackbird Family Therapy, Inc., Mr. Lindgren worked at ABC Family Solutions, Inc. - a community mental health agency in Contra Costa County that focuses on serving victims and witnesses of crimes such as child abuse, domestic violence, rape, and homicide. Mr. Lindgren joined ABC Family Solutions, Inc. as its first employee, and was instrumental in helping the agency grow from a start-up to an established organization, serving in a wide variety of clinical, administrative, and marketing roles. Mr. Lindgren also worked at Anthropos Counseling Center as a clinician, focusing on non-profit work with couples and children. In his previous career, Mr. Lindgren worked in a variety of technical and marketing roles at a variety of software companies, including Ariba Inc.

Mr. Lindgren has a Bachelors degree in English Literature from Minnesota State University and a Masters degree in Clinical Psychology from New College of California.

Mr. Lindgren's clinical work is informed by his eclectic training in a variety of therapeutic modalities, including: EMDR, CBT, mindfulness based CBT, psychoanalytic psychotherapy, somatic experiencing, play therapy, and Ericksonian hypnosis. Mr. Lindgren attempts to teach mindfulness practices or use interventions - such as EMDR - that involve dual-awareness in some form, with all his clients. He believes quite strongly that the most effective therapeutic interventions involve the development of a felt sense.

In his practice, Mr. Lindgren works extensively with severe trauma and anxiety disorders for children and adults as well as couples counseling.

Christine Benvenuto, Consultant

Ms. Benvenuto contributes as a contractor and volunteer to the Blackbird Family Therapy, Inc. programs that support foster kids and the people who care for them, including our therapeutic meditation and yoga camping trips. Ms. Benvenuto also sees clients in her private practice with a focus on adolescents, adults, and families, treating issues related to anxiety, depression, abuse and trauma.

Ms. Benvenuto is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and has been working in the field of mental health since 1999. She received her BA in Psychology from Boston University and her Master’s degree in Psychology, at the California Institute of Integral Studies, with a focus on Somatic Psychology, which allowed her to integrate her background in yoga and body/mind healing into her professional work.

Ms. Benvenuto's professional experience includes Edgewood Center, in San Francisco, a residential treatment center for children and adolescents and WestCoast Children's Clinic, an Outpatient and Community based clinic in Oakland. She has lectured and taught classes on trauma and foster care at local training institutions. Ms. Benvenuto's understanding of the art of healing is influenced by ongoing continuing education based on attachment theory, psychodynamic and somatic therapies and DBT. She has practiced Yoga and mindfulness meditation since 1993. Ms. Benvenuto's education, personal practices, along with a deep appreciation for nature, has been influential in how she has come to understand and trust the process of healing, change and growth.

Katrinca Ford, Early Childhood Specialist

Katrinca Ford is a clinical contractor with Blackbird Family Therapy, Inc. Ms. Ford is a marriage and family therapist who specializes in work with young children and families. She sees children and families in her private practice offices in San Ramon and Oakland. Ms. Ford has over 30 years of experience working with children in a variety of settings. She has amassed has a strong theoretical and practical knowledge of children, child development and family life which contributes to her work in many ways.

As a clinician Ms. Ford strives create a safe place for children to heal and grow. Ms. Ford understands that play is the language of children and she is proud to say she speaks it fluently. Ms. Ford uses a variety of directive and non-directive techniques to help children gain self knowledge, self control and self acceptance. Ms Ford’s knowledge of early childhood development serves her well in her work with children of all ages. She is able to understand how abuse or trauma have impacted a child’s development. She is able to accept and make good use of regressive states which are often a part of healing.

Ms. Ford understands the importance of engaging parents in the treatment process whenever posible. She assist parents to better understand and respond to their children needs. The heart of Ms. Ford’s work with families is strengthening the attachment bond between parent and child. In this way she creates a healing environment that goes far beyond the clinical setting.

Prior to opening her private practice Ms. Ford spent five years as a therapist working for the East Bay Agency for Children serving inner city children in Oakland. In this setting Ms. Ford worked with children coping with neighborhood and family violence, disrupted family placements, parental drug and alcohol abuse, child abuse and neglect.

Much of Ms. Ford’s understanding of children developed during her many years as a preschool teacher. She is co-founder of the Woolsey Children School in Berkeley and continues to serve as behavioral/therapeutic consultant to the school staff. Ms. Ford earned her BA in human development and her Masters in counseling psychology from Cal State Hayward (now East Bay).

Robyn Smith - Spanish Speaking Adolescent & Adult Specialist

Robyn Smith MS MFT is a clinical contractor for Blackbird Family Therapy, Inc., and works from her private practice in Albany, CA, where she works with teens, individuals and couples from a relational perspective.

Ms. Smith also currently works for Planned Parenthood as a psychosocial consultant and prenatal counselor. She has extensive experience doing depth therapy as well as several years of experience providing support and guidance to pregnant, low-income teens and women.

Ms. Smith is fluent in Spanish and has several years of experience providing therapy for Spanish-speaking individuals and couples. Areas of interest and specialization include: anxiety and depression, perinatal issues, couples, trauma, domestic violence and disordered eating.

Robyn received her Masters degree in Counseling from California State University at Hayward (now CSU East Bay).

Ann Mulville - Board Member

Ann Mulville is a licensed clinical social worker and CEO of ABC Family Solutions, Inc., a strategic partner of Blackbird Family Therapy, Inc. Ms. Mulville founded ABC Family Solutions, Inc. in 2005 and grew it to a staff of over eight clinicians serving two counties within two years. ABC Family Solutions, Inc. continues to be one of the fastest growing mental health organizations in Contra Costa County.

Prior to founding ABC Family Solutions, Inc., Ms. Mulville worked for the Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services, where she worked with Pre and Post Adoption Planning. Ms. Mulville has a Master's degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California. In addition to providing clinical supervision, she practices with clients from a cognitive-behavioral perspective that is informed by her training in EMDR.

Eli Saddler - Legal Counsel & Board Member

Eli Saddler is a private practice attorney providing legal services for Blackbird Family Therapy, Inc. as well as a board member. Based in San Francisco, Mr. Saddler provides general legal services for nonprofits, companies, and individuals to address a range of legal matters.

Mr. Saddler is also the executive director and founder of OceanHealth.Org. At Blackbird Family Therapy, Inc., Mr. Saddler leads our efforts to create programs that allow Blackbird Family Therapy, Inc. to take foster kids on therapeutic surfing and environmental trips through a partnership with OceanHealth.Org, an ocean conservation and environmental education nonprofit. Future youth programs through this partnership will enable children to experience the therapeutic benefits of experiencing our coasts and oceans.

Mr. Saddler completed his graduate studies at Duke University School of Law and School of the Environment, where he earned his law and environmental science graduate degrees. Previously, he earned a Master of Public Health and an undergraduate degree in Zoology at the University of Hawai'i. Mr. Saddler has also studied in Mexico, Japan, and China during his academic career.