Life can be increasingly difficult to manage in our current social and economic environment. It can feel increasingly difficult to cope with life’s stressors as we struggle with our relationships as well as our own feelings of self-worth. Feelings of depression and anxiety can easily take hold of us, becoming increasingly dangerous to our wellbeing. There are times that it becomes increasingly important for us to have someone to turn to for support in times of despair. The way we feel about ourselves very often defines our relationships with others. Developing and maintaining a healthy perception of ourselves is critical to creating a healthy environment around us. It is important to have support at times of doubt to help in life’s decision-making process. You will find this process a safe and effective way to work through personal and relational challenges. Together we will address issues and make changes necessary to create a healthier approach to our relationships with others as well as with ourselves. It’s important to have support at times of doubt to help in life’s decision-making process. You will find this process a safe and effective way to work through personal challenges. Together we will address issues and make changes necessary to create your path forward in life. Your past will not define your future! With over 16 years of experience as a psychotherapist, it is my goal to help clients face and overcome the obstacles in their lives. I look forward to working with you to help create your best future! I offer therapy sessions in-person as well as virtually. I'm available weekdays and evenings. I look forward to meeting with you either way!
What can clients expect to take away from sessions with you?
In our first session we will start with brief introductions and then delve into the specific issues that my clients face. We will then establish and implement a plan to work through and solve those issues.
Explain to clients what areas you feel are your biggest strengths.
Relationships change throughout time and the development of communication and understanding must grow as well to ensure both health and happiness. Helping you establish and foster better communication with your loved one is my primary goal as therapist. I have over 16 years working with clients, both meeting and surpassing their relational needs and I look forward to meeting with you!
Describe the client(s) you are best positioned to serve.
I work with clients suffering from relationship issues as a primary function along with feelings of anxiety, depression, grief and loss .
About Bill Golden
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Specializes in
Serves ages
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Accepts cash
Address
7801 Winston Rd, Philadelphia, PA 19118Appointments
Virtual & in-personMy treatment methods
Psychodynamic
Revealing the unconscious content of clients psyches in an effort to alleviate psychic tension is a core target for this therapeutic process. The conflict within the mind created in a situation of extreme physical and or emotional stress or can feel unmanageable. Using this approach, we will work together to understand and manage emotional stressors that have negatively affected clients through their lives and retrain our brains for a new, happier way of living our daily lives.
Cognitive Behavioral (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a structured, goal-oriented therapy that focuses on identifying and challenging negative thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to emotional distress. Therapists use CBT to help clients understand how their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are interconnected, and they work together to develop healthier coping strategies. Here’s how a therapist typically uses CBT in therapy: Assessment and Goal Setting: In the initial sessions, the therapist assesses the client’s symptoms, history, and goals. The therapist works with the client to identify specific issues they want to address, such as anxiety, depression, or trauma, and collaboratively sets measurable goals for treatment. Identifying Negative Thought Patterns: The therapist helps the client become aware of their automatic thoughts—those quick, often negative, and irrational thoughts that occur in response to situations. These thoughts might contribute to emotional difficulties like anxiety, depression, or anger. The therapist may use tools like thought records to track these thoughts and analyze patterns over time. Challenging Cognitive Distortions: A key component of CBT is helping clients identify and challenge cognitive distortions—ways of thinking that are inaccurate or exaggerated. Common distortions include catastrophizing (expecting the worst), all-or-nothing thinking (seeing things in black and white), and overgeneralization (drawing broad conclusions from a single event). The therapist helps the client evaluate the evidence for and against these thoughts and work on replacing them with more balanced and realistic thoughts. Behavioral Interventions: CBT also focuses on changing unhelpful behaviors that might be reinforcing negative thoughts or emotions. Therapists might use techniques such as behavioral activation (encouraging clients to engage in positive activities), exposure therapy (gradually confronting feared situations), or relaxation techniques (like deep breathing or progressive muscle relaxation) to help clients manage stress and anxiety. Homework Assignments: CBT often involves homework assignments, such as journaling, practicing coping strategies, or testing out new behaviors in real-life situations. These assignments help clients practice what they’ve learned in therapy and reinforce skills outside of the therapy room. Monitoring Progress: Throughout treatment, the therapist regularly checks in with the client to assess progress toward goals. The therapist may ask the client to rate their mood or anxiety levels or review the effectiveness of specific strategies in addressing their concerns. This helps both the client and therapist adjust the approach as needed. Relapse Prevention: As therapy progresses, the therapist and client work on building long-term strategies to maintain progress after therapy ends. This may involve developing a plan for managing future challenges and ensuring the client has the tools to continue working through difficulties on their own. CBT is typically short-term and structured, often lasting anywhere from 5 to 20 sessions, depending on the client's needs. It is widely used for various mental health conditions, including anxiety, depression, PTSD, and OCD, due to its effectiveness in helping people develop practical, lasting changes in thought and behavior.
Couples Counseling
Couples counseling is a type of therapy designed to help partners in a relationship address issues they are facing together. It can involve a variety of topics, from communication problems to trust issues, intimacy concerns, or conflicting values. The goal of couples counseling is to improve understanding, rebuild trust, and help the couple develop healthier ways to interact with each other. During counseling, the therapist might help the couple: Enhance communication skills: Teaching partners how to effectively express their thoughts, needs, and feelings without causing defensiveness or resentment. Resolve conflicts: Helping couples navigate disagreements in a constructive manner and find mutually satisfying solutions. Rebuild trust: Addressing any breaches of trust, such as infidelity, and guiding the couple through the healing process. Improve emotional connection: Strengthening intimacy and emotional bonding in the relationship. Identify unhealthy patterns: Recognizing destructive patterns like constant criticism or emotional withdrawal, and replacing them with healthier behaviors. The process typically involves both partners attending sessions together, but sometimes individual therapy may be suggested to address personal issues that affect the relationship. Is there something specific you’d like to know about couples counseling? Maybe you're considering it or have some concerns?
Grief Therapy
Grief counseling is a form of therapy designed to support individuals who are mourning the loss of a loved one, or experiencing any significant loss, such as the end of a relationship, loss of a job, or even the loss of health. The aim of grief counseling is to help people process their emotions, understand the stages of grief, and find healthy ways to cope with their sorrow and adjustment to life after a loss. Grief is a deeply personal experience, and there is no "right" way to grieve. However, grief counseling helps people work through their feelings, rather than avoiding them, and encourages healing in a safe, supportive environment. Here are some common aspects of grief counseling: 1. Understanding the Grief Process Grief counseling often involves helping people understand that there’s no set timeline for grief. It's not uncommon for people to experience a variety of emotions—anger, sadness, guilt, confusion, or even numbness—during their grieving process. A counselor may help the person recognize these emotions as normal and guide them through the stages of grief, which can include denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance (though not everyone experiences all of these stages or in a linear way). 2. Providing a Safe Space Grief counseling offers a confidential, non-judgmental environment for individuals to talk about their pain, fears, and frustrations. Having a safe space to express difficult emotions can be incredibly helpful for those who may feel isolated or unsure of how to deal with their grief. 3. Coping Strategies Grief can be overwhelming, and counseling can provide tools to cope with the emotional, mental, and even physical toll of loss. This could involve mindfulness, relaxation techniques, writing exercises, or even support groups to help the individual find a sense of comfort and healing. 4. Addressing Complicated or Prolonged Grief Some individuals may experience complicated grief, which means their mourning process becomes prolonged or extremely intense. In these cases, grief counseling helps individuals deal with feelings that may hinder their healing, such as intense guilt or difficulty moving on after a long period of mourning. 5. Encouraging Meaning and Healing Over time, grief counseling can help individuals find meaning in their loss, reframe their experience, and make space for healing. While grief never fully "goes away," a counselor helps people learn how to integrate the loss into their life in a way that allows them to move forward, even if that means carrying the memory of the person or experience. Grief counseling may be done individually or in a group setting, and often, therapists who specialize in grief are trained to help people at all stages of their grief process. Have you or someone close to you been going through a period of grief? Grief can be difficult to navigate, but support from a counselor can make the process easier.
Supportive
Supportive therapy is a type of therapy focused on providing emotional support, guidance, and encouragement to individuals facing difficult life challenges. Unlike some other types of therapy that may focus heavily on analyzing underlying issues or exploring the past, supportive therapy is more about helping individuals cope with current struggles and strengthen their emotional resilience. The primary goal of supportive therapy is to help individuals feel heard, validated, and supported, especially when they're dealing with issues like stress, anxiety, depression, grief, or life transitions. It’s especially useful for people who may not need deep exploration into their past but rather practical and emotional support in the present moment. Here’s what you can expect from supportive therapy: 1. Emotional Support The therapist provides a safe, nonjudgmental space where individuals can openly express their feelings. This support can be invaluable, as it helps people feel understood and less alone in their struggles. 2. Encouragement and Validation Supportive therapy is about acknowledging and validating the emotions that a person is experiencing. Instead of challenging or questioning those emotions, the therapist offers encouragement and validation, letting the individual know that it’s okay to feel what they’re feeling. 3. Coping Skills and Problem-Solving While the focus of supportive therapy isn’t necessarily to "solve" the problems, it helps individuals develop healthy coping strategies. This might include teaching stress management techniques, building confidence in decision-making, or helping the person navigate difficult life situations with practical tools. 4. Building Resilience Supportive therapy works to strengthen emotional resilience, helping individuals feel more capable of managing life’s challenges. By providing positive reinforcement and helping people identify their strengths, this type of therapy helps people cope better with stressors and emotional difficulties. 5. Present-Centered Focus Rather than digging into past traumas or unresolved issues, supportive therapy is more focused on the present. It’s often used for people who may be going through a specific difficult time (such as a loss, illness, or transition), and the therapist helps them manage those current feelings and circumstances. 6. Encouraging Self-Esteem By providing reassurance and emotional support, the therapist helps boost the person’s sense of self-worth. Individuals may begin to feel more capable and empowered in their day-to-day lives, even when things feel challenging. 7. Short-Term or Long-Term Supportive therapy can be both short-term or long-term depending on the person’s needs. For example, it might be used as a brief intervention for someone going through a tough time or could be more ongoing support for someone managing chronic mental health issues. Who Can Benefit from Supportive Therapy? Supportive therapy can be helpful for a variety of people, including: Individuals dealing with significant life stressors (such as a death, breakup, or job loss) Those experiencing mental health concerns like anxiety or depression People with chronic health conditions or serious illnesses Individuals navigating major life transitions (such as moving, retirement, or becoming a parent) Those who feel emotionally drained or disconnected but aren’t sure where to begin in therapy Supportive therapy is about creating a compassionate, empathetic environment for healing and growth. It’s less about “fixing” things and more about helping individuals navigate their feelings and find the strength to move forward in healthy ways. Do you think supportive therapy could be helpful for someone you know, or even for yourself?