Help for Helpers
Put Yourself First: Find the Help and Healing You Deserve with Rachel Goodman, MFT
My name is Rachel Goodman and I am a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with an MS in Clinical Psychology from San Francisco State University. In 2006, while in graduate school, I started working with clients: university students, pre-schoolers, individual adults, and couples. My psychotherapy practice has been based in the California East Bay since January 2015, where I specialize in psychodynamic and relational therapy. Before I was a therapist, I worked as a mediator and facilitator for 8 years. Originally from New York City, I am a passionate helper committed to finding support and guidance for myself while assisting my clients.
Since I began working as a psychotherapist in 2006, I’ve had the pleasure of working in a variety of clinical settings:
SF State Psychology Clinic, working with university students
Headstart, working with pre-schoolers
TALKLine Family Support Center (now called Safe & Sound), working with parents and families
El Cerrito High School, working with teenagers
The Psychotherapy Institute, as part of their postgraduate training program, working with individual adults and couples
Since 2011 in several private practice settings
Having worked in several different clinical settings, I am committed to helping my clients find more compassionate and meaningful ways to live their everyday lives. My goal is to assist my clients in finding the strength and courage to face their struggles with understanding, respect, and authenticity. It’s been gratifying to work with other helpers in their journey toward healing and growth. I look forward to meeting you and helping you on your journey.
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Relational psychotherapy is a model of psychotherapy that places emphasis on understanding the individual person's interactions with others to explore patterns of behavior and beliefs that may be limiting them from living a more meaningful life. In relational therapy, therapists strive to understand their clients by creating authentic connections with their clients. Furthermore, relational therapists work collaboratively with their clients to actively engage in difficult conversations and support them through personal growth processes. Through this approach, individuals can achieve greater awareness of themselves as well as their dynamics with others.
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Psychodynamic psychotherapy is a type of therapy based on the belief that psychological problems are rooted in unresolved conflicts and past experiences. This type of therapy focuses on the conscious and unconscious interactions between people and their environment, and how these interactions shaped their current thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. A psychodynamic approach seeks to uncover these patterns in order that individuals can better understand themselves and others. Through this understanding, individuals gain insights into why they think, feel, and behave the way they do today.
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Mindfulness involves cultivating present moment awareness and non-judgmental acceptance of one's thoughts, feelings, and bodily sensations. It encourages individuals to observe their experiences without trying to change or avoid them. Practicing mindfulness techniques, such as focused breathing and body scans, helps individuals stay grounded and fully engaged in the present. This approach fosters self-awareness, emotional regulation, and a greater understanding of one's habitual reactions to stressors.
Therapy Approaches
I utilize a comprehensive multimodal approach, combining a variety of therapeutic techniques including relational psychotherapy and psychodynamic psychotherapy. By considering your unique needs, environment, lifestyle, and culture, I will tailor a personalized solution for you. Together, we will navigate your healing journey with diverse therapeutic strategies that have proven successful for individuals of all identities and experiences. Read on to learn more!
FAQs
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This is the quintessential question. Some parts of this question I can answer now. When we talk, I will listen to you and try to understand what you are looking for. And I will be honest about whether I think I can help. After this, it is up to you to let me know if you want us to work together.
The helping part has different stages and depends upon many variables. If we do meet at least once a week for a substantial period of time, you will notice positive change in your life, and if you do not, I hope you will let me know so that we can try something different or end treatment.
The parts I am not able to speak to are the specifics of what you will do and what I will do each week. What I can say about this is that over time you will develop a sense of the answer. Many of my clients have started treatment mystified by the idea of psychotherapy and eventually reach a point where they are able to articulate precisely what it is that we are doing together that is helpful. The specifics are different with each client.
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You will know if it is working because you will feel better. There may be a period of time during which things feel worse before they feel better. But if you are not eventually feeling better it is definitely not working.
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I have worked with people ranging from a single session to weekly treatment over the course of many years. There is room for success in both short and long term treatment.
I have witnessed greater success with long term treatment. Ultimately, though, the length of treatment is up to you.
I welcome questions about this at any point. If you are contemplating ending treatment, I will share input about where I think we are. On the other hand, if you are interested in continuing and I think that we are nearing the end, I will also share my thoughts about this.
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I typically work with clients once or twice a week
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My current fee for psychotherapy services is $215/hr. Periodically I am able to offer a sliding scale fee, based on need. I am not currently on any insurance panels, but I can offer you a superbill, which you may consider submitting to your insurance company.
I expect payment at each session, or within the current month.
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I am not currently on any insurance panels. I can offer you a superbill that you may consider submitting to your insurance company.
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In my work with adults, psychotherapy is confidential in so far as I am not at liberty to share the contents of what you describe to anyone without your prior written consent. This requirement is one of the most important and protective principles of the work.
There are several exceptions to the confidentiality of our work, under state and federal law. The most common ones are if you reveal something that indicates a plan to harm yourself or someone else — with special consideration given to children or elders — then under certain circumstances I have a legal duty to break confidentiality.
Another exception is that I will periodically consult with psychotherapist colleagues of mine about our work in a general way, to get support and input, but in doing this I will not share identifying information about you.
When you start psychotherapy with me, I will provide you with more detailed information about confidentiality, and I will be happy to answer any questions.
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You have the right to receive a “Good Faith Estimate” explaining how much your medical and mental health care will cost.
Under the law, health care providers need to give patients who don’t have insurance or who are not using insurance an estimate of the expected charges for medical services, including psychotherapy services.
You have the right to receive a Good Faith Estimate for the total expected cost of any non-emergency healthcare services, including psychotherapy services.
You can ask your health care provider, and any other provider you choose, for a Good Faith Estimate before you schedule a service.
If you receive a bill that is at least $400 more than your Good Faith Estimate, you can dispute the bill. Make sure to save a copy or picture of your Good Faith Estimate.
For questions or more information about your right to a Good Faith Estimate, visit www.cms.gov/nosurprises.