Licensed clinical social worker Henchi Goldberg has a strong foundation in traditional talk therapy, having studied the classic psychoanalytic approaches to understanding and helping people accomplish their mental health goals. In addition to Blossom, her private practice, Goldberg serves as a counselor in a girls’ high school, so she also has considerable experience with teens. She is also uniquely qualified to provide the special counseling required for patients with eating disorders and addictions. Her extensive training includes dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) and family based therapy for eating disorders (FBT). In fact, she holds so many specialized certifications that The Jewish Link asked her to explain her credentials in order to better explain the unique and specialized work of Blossom Therapy.
“I started with SRT certification, a one year self-regulation training course,” Goldberg said. “It was an eye opener, and the results that I saw immediately were incredible.” She was so impressed and encouraged that she decided to engage in another specialized course called SEP, Somatic Experiencing Training, which focuses on trauma and other stress disorders. This course is an intensive three-year training with Peter Levine, Ph.D. Levine is well-known in the field of trauma healing for his statement “Trauma is a fact of life, but it doesn’t have to be a life sentence.”
Goldberg explained: “As I studied more in depth the connection between the mind and body and how to integrate both parts of them in the therapy room, it became clear that this training fills an important need for people. Often people who encounter stress, anxiety or trauma have a physical reaction to experiences, even when their mind understands it completely.” She has continued to study extensively and applies the incredible mind-body connection to help people heal. In fact, all therapists at Blossom are somatically trained in addition to being licensed therapists.
With many years of experience as a counselor, Goldberg realized that working with thoughts, behaviors and emotions wasn’t always enough to help people effect the changes that they wanted. So she began to incorporate the body and mind together into her treatment approach.
Goldberg added that she has been fortunate to study under some extraordinary experts and mentors focused on healing human suffering. Another of her certifications is as an EMDR practitioner (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing), a therapeutic modality that works to heal trauma; TIST (trauma informed stabilization treatment); IFS (Internal Family Systems) modality tailored to trauma; and DARe (Dynamic Attachment Repatterning Experience), which works to heal relational trauma. “I am specifically drawn to SEP and DARe work,” she said. “I find the combination of trauma healing and attachment repair extremely empowering and almost magical. To me, the importance of a blending body and mind work is vital.” This mind-body approach is one of the concepts that truly makes Blossom unique.
Goldberg has deep belief in the strength and greatness of each individual. “Our practice is very strength-based. We work to empower people and nurture the blossom that is already there and cultivate the true flower it is meant to be.”
A blossom is beauty in and of itself, and it also symbolizes the power of what will be. “If you are looking to walk away feeling empowered, and feel emotionally and physically different, this is the right place to be,” Goldberg stated emphatically.
At Blossom therapists work with individuals as well as the family unit. The focus is on repairing family systems. Therapists work with teens and young adults, while other clinicians work with the parents, so each unit of the family receives the specific care that they need.
According to Goldberg, somatic work is cutting-edge and almost “out of the box” for typical talk therapy. “If you are expecting to just sit on a couch and talk, you may be pleasantly surprised. We employ toys, games and other tools in order to help both children and adults experience themselves in a new way. When people have a chance to experience themselves in a physically and/or emotionally different perspective, the process creates new neural pathways. This experiential process paves the way to significant healing, because spaced experiential repetition unlocks the conduit.
“My passion is to raise awareness of the benefits of somatic healing, allowing people to live their lives in a more authentic and productive way,” said Goldberg. “The ideal therapy candidate is looking for a broad healing experience. Often people come to us after exhausting typical therapy approaches that haven’t worked. We offer cutting-edge, modern-day research together with the wisdom of our predecessors. I do feel that times are changing and people are more educated and understand more of the mind and body connection. Somatic healing is incredible.”
Blossom also caters to people who are simply looking for more support, to feel better and to experience themselves in a new way. We are often not able to shelter ourselves from the stress of the world around us. Somatic healing offers tools to experience living in a more natural, healthy and peaceful way.
What should a person look for in deciding whether a counselor is a good match for their situation and personality?
Goldberg addresses the issue definitively. “I always tell people to trust their gut. Does this feel right to you? Are you meeting your goals? Are you comfortable with your therapist? Do you feel safe, do you feel understood? There is no shame and there are no ‘shoulds’ in Blossom Therapy. Each person is guided to trust their gut and intuition. We work with each person to find the right match and the right modalities best suited for them.” At Blossom, the staff is trained to check in and make sure that the client feels the fit is right in order to best serve each individual or family.
“We are clear about setting goals and working to accomplish those goals,” Goldberg affirmed.
To set up an appointment or for more information, reach Blossom Therapy
Group by calling 973-768-8000 or online: [email protected]
