Who we are

Christine Benvenuto, MFT

Christine has over 25 years experience working in mental health. She is is a Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapist where she works with clients in a transformative way to address complex issues. She also is the co-founder 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, a lifelong meditation practice and love for spending time in wild and natural settings. Her practice focuses on helping people skillfully connect with their unique wisdom and dealing with difficult emotions.  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” has worked, practiced and taught full spectrum Family Medicine for over 30 years. From Births (0ver 1,000) to dying (hundreds) as well as 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 and wants to help Families have a good “last chapter” in their lives. He is retired faculty from UCSF, UCD and UCB and 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. David 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 semi-retired family practitioner at the Contra Costa County Medical Center in Martinez. After completing UCSF medical school in 1968, (yep, 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 joined our team with a wealth of personal and professional interest. 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 also 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 currently practices inpatient hospital medicine where he has the privilege to work with many patients at the cusp of living and dying.