Dr. Daniel C. Goldberg
Over 25 years of experience in psychology
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Choosing a Therapist
Couples Therapy
Men's Groups
Directions & Policies

Selection

Determining whether a therapist that is right for you or a family member is a very difficult decision. Sometimes you really don't know until you sit down with someone and sense what it feels like to be with them. What does their office say about them? How safe does this person feel to me? How do they listen? How active are they (i.e., too active, too passive)? How do they demonstrate their competence and confidence?  Experience can be judged in years of practice, books/articles written, specialized training (e.g. couples therapy, adolescents, etc.), faculty appointments, and professional presentations. 

Getting Advice

One of the difficult areas in working with a therapist is around the whole notion of advice. Many people come to therapy to have someone tell them the right course of action. Often, this can be a mistake in therapy as it leads to greater dependence on the therapist and maybe even lessen one's self-confidence. Occassionally, we want advice to simply feel relief in the short term. Immediate symptom relief can be important; there are a number of strategies that are useful including medication, meditation, EMDR, and other stress reduction strategies. Over the course of therapy, I help people find themselves and increase their ability to articulate what might be unclear in themselves. Thinking carefully about important decisions, searching for the underlieing sources for anxiety and depression, not just going along with the crowd, and unfreezing what seems to be stuck within oneself or one's partner...all of this is the work of psychotherapy.

The Difference between a Psychologist & a Psychiatrist

Psychiatrist vs. psychologist?  Psychiatrists typically are consulted when medication is warranted. I work with a number of terrific psychiatrists in the area. They go to medical school,  complete a residency program, and begin their practice - about 3-4 years of specific training in psychiatry. Psychologists go to graduate school for 4-5 years and focus on direct clinical techniques. They do a practicum and a dissertation for another year or two, and often complete post-doctoral training in areas of specialization.  They are not trained to write prescriptions.