Hi, I'm Ben Gabbai
I help people live meaningfully by supporting the retrieval of forgotten values and the discovery of new ones.
Orient to Values and Grow in Capacity
In these sessions, we’ll articulate a way of being that feels beyond your current capacity. It might be a specific type of self-knowledge, an interpersonal skill, or something else. After you feel confident we’ve accurately captured that capacity, I will craft a practice for you. Your bespoke practice will fit your current position and what you are uniquely trying to reach.
Regret &
Repentance Work
Everybody has regrets. Don't let that pit in your stomach eat you up from inside! Together, we’ll gently analyze what went wrong. Once we have clarity on your regret, we’ll use the energy of guilt and shame to fuel repentance— bringing beauty and truth to reality as a response to the ugliness and lies of the past. We can transform every mistake in our lives into a source of power for good.
Your Story
Life can be a vibrant and vivid experience and you know it. But sometimes, we get bogged down by the facets of ourselves that aren't in line with our vision of the good life. Instead of pursuing meaning, we chase goals that only give a fleeting high or we pass on actualizing our best lives for fear of what others might think of us.
Together, we can work on getting a high-resolution articulation of your values and actualizing your best life.
My Approach
Values-Pluralist
Every one of us has a unique best self to aspire to. It would be wrong to try to mold everyone into one image. Instead, I see my role in discovering the path that leads you to your best life, on your terms.
Bespoke Practices
Many skills we’d like to improve intertwine with our living context. Instead of using a one-size-fits-all approach, I consider each situation unique. That means we’ll focus on your problem and search for the best practice to create capacity. When you generate your toolbox for the problem not everything will look like a nail.
Clowning
Embodied, effusive, playful, vulnerable, present, and connected- this attitude and skillset permeates my personality.
I bring the techniques and perspectives of clowning to my work, not as an entertainer but as an invitation to a magical way of being.
PS- I don't do birthday parties, only workshops and medical clowning.
My Roots
I have lived my whole life immersed in Judaism as an observant Jew. Beyond the usual engagement, I invested a decade in intense scholarly and spiritual work, often spending 12 hours or more fully engaged in ancient texts and practices. The main practice was text analysis in pairs with tons and tons of arguing. No joke. Being involved in education roles for almost 20 years has made it abundantly clear that schooling is nearly the opposite of education. I now raise my four awesome kids (school-free) with my beloved wife, Shana. I'm multicultural. My father is from Egypt, and my mother is from Iran. I grew up in rich suburban Jewish New Jersey. As a teenager, I moved to urban Israel. I feel very comfortable with people from all across the cultural and political spectrum. Try me.
My Vision
My paradise is nurturing concrete, vivid, excellent, and meaningful lives.
I want to see people flourish, living their most vibrantly beautiful lives. I believe people can achieve this life with help, and I am here to be that ally.
Every person has a unique set of values and I respect and cherish that. I am a values pluralist.