Goldman Psychiatry

Clinical psychiatric care and forensic psychiatry

Clinical Psychiatry

Thomas C. Goldman, MD - These are the services I can provide as a medically trained psychiatrist, psychotherapist and psychoanalyst, to adult patients (eighteen and over).

Diagnostic Evaluation

Whether or not you have had previous experience with a mental health professional, I always begin treatment with a non-binding consultation, which consists of an initial interview (usually 50 minutes) sometimes followed by one or a few additional interviews if necessary. This process is a two-way street. It give both parties—doctor and patient—an opportunity to clarify the problem and also to discover whether or not they are well-matched; that is, capable of communicating with one another effectively. Although I am the one asking most of the questions, you will also be interviewing me. By talking with you about your current symptoms, your life situation, and your past history, as well as your previous treatment experience (if any), I can usually determine your diagnosis and advise you about your treatment choices. Depending on the nature of your difficulties, I might recommend any one (or two or several) treatment methods (such as individual and couples psychotherapy). If you need treatment services that I cannot provide due to lack of expertise and/or available time, or lack of compatibility, I will do my best to make a referral to a practitioner who can provide those services.

Treatment Services

  1. Individual psychotherapy, with or without medication. Duration and intensity of psychotherapy can vary according to the nature of your problem. In some cases, it will consist of a few brief, focused sessions to help you get through a crisis, possibly with the help of medication. In some cases, it will consist of an extended period of counseling to help you negotiate a more long-standing situation, such as a marital or child-related problem, an employment or education-related problem, a social relations problem, or a problem with intimate relationships, just to name a few of the most frequent areas of difficulty.
  2. Medical psychotherapy. I use this term, rather than simply "medication management", to indicate that in any treatment situation in which I prescribe psychotropic medication, I aim to meet with you often enough and long enough to ensure an adequate grasp of the ongoing course of your illness or problem and your response to the medications prescribed, including both beneficial and side effects. I do accept referrals for medical psychotherapy with patients who are in individual psychotherapy with another provider, if I know the provider and/or can establish a satisfactory working relationship with that provider. In general, I think that medication works best in combination with individual psychotherapy.
  3. Psychoanalysis and long-term Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy. If, in the course of the diagnostic evaluation, it appears that the nature of the problem is inextricably tied in with lifelong personality patterns and unconsciously-determined symptoms, or symptomatic behaviors, that are unlikely to be substantially affected by less intensive forms of therapy, I may recommend long-term intensive psychotherapy or psychoanalysis.
therapeutic setting

Therapeutic Approach

I am experienced in a variety of approaches, and I will use whichever types of intervention I think will be most likely to help you. In general, all my approaches are based to a significant degree upon improving your self-observation skills and self-understanding. By identifying and understanding your feelings you greatly improve your ability to make good choices. I also don't mind giving advice, provided I think you need it and that I understand your situation well enough to give good advice. I may provide education about ways to manage difficult situations, symptoms, or feelings. I believe a good therapist is never "just sitting back and listening instead of trying to help". A good therapist is listening actively and is engaged at all times, trying to understand what is being communicated, and deciding what is the best way of helping at each moment.

Special Areas of Practice

Persons with problems involving the legal system. Because of my extensive experience as an independent psychiatric examiner and expert-witness in both civil and criminal matters, I have good general familiarity with the legal system, which often enables me to give advice about legal situations (not legal advice!) and to be of special help to persons who of necessity are dealing with civil or criminal matters. As a rule I do not undertake to provide simultaneous expert witness and clinical services to the same person. I can, of course, offer expert opinions as a treating psychiatrist about a person whom I am treating when necessary. If you or your attorney are uncertain about which kinds of services you need, I can help with a brief consultation and possibly a referral.

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