Andrew Goodman, LCSW

I have over thirty years experience as a therapist. I enjoy working with a wide range of people with diverse experiences. I am genuinely interested in learning about a person's life story. In this process I develop a collaborative way of thinking and talking about the issues someone is concerned with.

I see people in individual and couple therapy. I try to balance understanding a couple as a whole as well as the two individuals that form the relationship. I help couples focus on the ineffective communication patterns that result in a sense of frustration and discouragement, which push each other away. I will often alternate focusing on what is going on in the moment between a couple, with asking a person more about what he or she is feeling inside in terms of what a situation is triggering. Often focusing on an individual's internal experience helps the couple as a whole. The individual becomes more aware of why a partner's behavior is so annoying or difficult. The other partner may get a deeper understanding of what their partner is struggling with.
I encourage each person to express his or her emotional needs more directly and openly. People often express anger and criticism about their partner's behavior, but have difficulty asking for what they need in a clear, non-attacking way. When each person makes an effort to change, they start to feel less stuck and more hopeful.

My approach in individual therapy is to help people understand themselves more deeply and to enable them to express themselves more clearly. The ability to formulate your experience clearly to yourself is essential in being able to communicate your needs to the important people in your life. Often we know what we feel in a certain situation such as being angry or depressed. However, we often don't understand the meaning of our feelings. We are not clear about the meaning we attach to the behavior of others that stems from expectations we carry around. We often misinterpret or overreact to someone's speech or action because of what we anticipate based on past experience.
Being able to process your thoughts and feelings more clearly leads to a greater sense of self-acceptance and self-worth.

Life can be difficult and confusing at times. Whether it is deciding to work on a relationship or realizing it is time to let go. Or looking at feelings of long standing depression and anxiety and realizing the need to openly consider what is not working in your life. People often come into therapy when they are going through a difficult life transition. At other times people look into therapy because they feel stuck in their life in some way. Therapy helps people clarify their thoughts and feelings which enables them to make better choices for themselves.