In-Office
And the day came when the risk to remain tight in a bud was more painful than the risk it took to blossom
Michal Goldman, LCSW's style
🎯 Direct 💪 Challenging 🙌 Affirming 🤝 CollaborativeWhy Michal Goldman, LCSW chose to be in the helping profession
I believe that everyone has the capacity to thrive and to build the loving, secure relationships they truly want. Over time, I have seen how painful it can be when people feel stuck in familiar patterns, begin to doubt their relationships, and even question their own worth. I also know that just as people are hurt in relationships, some of the deepest healing is possible through relationships. When two people who feel stuck begin turning toward each other with honesty, curiosity, and vulnerability, the growth that follows can be powerful for each partner and for the relationship itself.
I chose to be in the helping profession because I want to be part of that healing process. I am drawn to supporting people as they move through the noise, slow down, and reconnect with themselves and with each other. My work is grounded in creating space for clarity, compassion, and meaningful change. Together, we work toward relationships that feel more secure, more authentic, and ultimately more hopeful.
Michal Goldman, LCSW's approach
My approach to therapy is primarily experiential, which means I focus on helping you actively experience new, more secure ways of relating to yourself and to each other in the room, rather than only talking about what you want to change. Instead of simply teaching skills or offering insight, I structure our sessions so you can feel what it is like to connect differently, respond to emotions in new ways, and experience safety and understanding in real time. These moments of lived experience often create shifts that feel more meaningful and lasting. As this new way of being is practiced and felt in session, it often becomes easier to carry it into your life outside of therapy, supporting deeper and more natural progress.
Therapy will always move at a pace that feels safe and manageable for you, and I regularly check in to make sure our work aligns with your goals and your comfort level. Your wellbeing is my priority, and I believe collaboration and transparency are essential to the process. If it ever seems like our work is stalling or not quite fitting, I will initiate an open conversation so we can adjust and make sure you are getting what you need from our time together. I see my role as a therapist as one that requires humility, openness, and ongoing learning, and I am committed to continuing to grow so that I can show up fully, thoughtfully, and effectively for you in each session.
What you can expect from sessions with Michal Goldman, LCSW
In our sessions, you can expect a space that meets you where you are while supporting steady, sustainable growth at a pace that feels right for you. I believe that authenticity, integrity, and attunement are essential to this work, and I strive to show up with these qualities while helping you and your partner cultivate them with each other. Therapy will focus not only on working through difficulties but also on building a sense of safety, connection, and understanding that creates real, lasting change.
A key part of the process often involves “meta-conversations,” where we talk directly about what you are feeling toward each other and about the therapy itself, bringing unspoken dynamics into the open so they can be understood and shifted. We also intentionally slow down in certain moments to notice what is happening between you in the present, especially during more charged or difficult interactions that are often rushed through. These moments hold valuable opportunities for insight, healing, and deepening connection.
You are coming into therapy with strengths in yourselves and in your relationship, and those strengths deserve to be seen, honored, and celebrated. I make it a point to notice and nurture them because recognizing your resilience and care helps you draw on these resources as you move through challenges together. By highlighting what is already working, therapy can support both growth and confidence in your ability to navigate the ups and downs of your relationship.
Michal Goldman, LCSW's experience working with the Jewish community
As a therapist, I am committed to providing care that is thoughtfully tailored to the unique needs and experiences of the frum community. Members of the frum community often navigate complex family expectations, communal norms, and the balance between religious commitments and the demands of everyday life. I believe it is important to have a space where all of that can be spoken about openly, without judgment, and with full attention to the nuances of your experience.
Being part of the frum community myself, I bring a deep familiarity with its culture and values, while also recognizing that every person, couple, and family has a distinct and personal relationship with the community. In our work together, I strive to show up as someone who understands many of the contexts you come from, while holding firmly to the idea that you are the expert on your own experience. I do not assume that you think, believe, or practice in any particular way, and I honor the individuality of your journey.
If you are looking for a therapist who understands the frum world from the inside and is committed to offering respectful, culturally sensitive care, I invite you to reach out. My goal is to create a space where you feel heard, understood, and supported in navigating both the challenges and the joys of your life and relationships.
Michal Goldman, LCSW's Book Recommendation Zone
- Secure Love
My top recommendation! A very clear explanation of how connection and attachment in relationships work - The Gifts of Imperfection
Helps explain the benefit of vulnerability and how to reduce shame to create more connection - Come as You Are
An excellent book for women with sexual difficulties - No Bad Parts
A very helpful framework for understanding ourselves
Approaches
- Attachment-based
- Couples Counseling
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Imago Therapy
- Person-Centered Therapy
- Premarital Counseling
- Solution Focused Brief (SFBT)
- Somatic Therapy
- Supervision Services
- Trauma Focused Therapy
Concerns
Languages spoken
EnglishAges
Adults Elders (65+)People I work with
Men Women Individuals CouplesPersonal religious affiliations
FrumJewish community experience
ExtensiveLicensed to work in
New YorkNearby areas within a short commute to my in person office
Bayswater, Borough Park, Bronx, Brooklyn, Cedarhurst, East Meadow, Far Rockaway, Five Towns, Flatbush, Flushing, Forest Hills, Fresh Meadows, Great Neck, Hewlett, Hillcrest, Holliswood, Inwood, Jamaica Estates, Kew Gardens, Kew Gardens Hills, Lawrence, Long Beach, Long Island, Lower East Side, Manhasset, Manhattan, New Hyde Park, New Rochelle, North Woodmere, Park Slope, Plainview, Queens, Rego Park, Richmond Hill, Riverdale, Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Washington Heights, West Hempstead, Williamsburg, Woodmere, Yonkers8 years in practice
Licenses
- LCSW by NYSED 2021. License number 092547
Degrees
- MSW by Hunter College 2018
Trainings
- Emotionally Focused Therapy Externship (Level 1) by ICEEFT 2024
- Emotionally Focused Therapy Core Skills (Advanced Training) by ICEEFT 2024
- Discernment Counseling by The Doherty Relationship Institute 2024
- Contemporary Orgone Therapy (Somatic Psychotherapy) by Daniel Schiff, PhD 2025
- SFBT Diamond Level 1 Certification by Solution Focused University 2016
- Neurobiology of Inner and Outer Boundaries by Julianne Taylor Shore 2025
Average costs per session
$250
Payment Methods
- Free consultation
- Cash
- Credit Card
- Zelle Quick Pay
What people have to say about working with me:
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We've been through therapy before, but Michal's style resonates different than past experiences. She made it easy to be raw with each other and connect differently. Even outside of us, friends have been telling us they could see the difference in our relationship between before we started therapy and now.
MS
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I came in not seeing much of a point in couples therapy and thinking that it can all be worked through individually. The way Michal worked with us not only helped us connect in a much better way and put us in a completely different spot than we were before, but it also helped me grow individually in a way that I couldn’t in just my individual therapy.
KG
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I began working with Michal Goldman in August 2018 when she joined The Jewish Board mental health clinic, Pride of Judea, where we both worked. I supervised her for a number of years, past the time that she got her LCSW, and even after she left, we continued to speak at times and do supervision and consultation work together. Discussing cases with Michal has always been a great pleasure, as she is so open to learning and to becoming more aware of herself in the work, which is the cornerstone of good clinical practice. I recommend Michal without reservation as a therapist for many reasons. She is a very gifted clinician, and excels at listening, supporting, and staying with people through difficult challenges. Her insight and substantial clinical framework of understanding is accompanied by compassion, kindness, and warmth. She has been tireless in continuing to study and learn new clinical skills and modalities and then integrate them into her work. She has been courageous at exploring new approaches if they might help a client. I have seen her make a difference in the lives of many individuals, couples and families.
Susan Heckler Verified