Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lexa Goldman . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lexa, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear stories from your time in school/training/etc.

A great deal of my graduate program focused on self-reflection. In most classes, we were given assignments that had us explore and reflect on our own experiences, including our thoughts and feelings on them. This helped us to understand ourselves better and to identify any biases prior to seeing clients, as it is important to do our own emotional work. One aspect I really loved about my schooling was that we were put into groups that met weekly. These groups mimicked that of a counseling group, so it helped us to empathize with what it is like to be a group member (or client), and to be vulnerable and process concerns with our peers.

The counseling program I was a part of also gave many opportunities for feedback. One that was anxiety-provoking at the time, but I am so grateful for, was practicum. In our practicum, which was our first experience seeing clients, we were on camera and had ear pieces to get immediate feedback and support from a supervisor. Because the sessions were videotaped, we were assigned to re-watch the sessions to identify things we did well on and areas in which we could improve. We then had supervision sessions with one other classmate and a supervisor to discuss. I truly grew so much throughout graduate school, and these two aspects were a huge reason for that!

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

My name is Lexa (she/her) and I am both a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in the state of Florida. I am a double UCF Knight–Charge on! I received my Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Psychology from UCF and then continued my education in the Counselor Education Master’s Program at UCF. While in graduate school, I identified that I had a passion for working with, and helping, the LGBTQ+ population. I did my student internship at an LGBTQ+ youth agency and knew that I wanted to continue this work post-grad. When I returned to South Florida, I started doing pro-bono sessions at an LGBTQ+ agency while seeing clients at my private practice. I eventually got hired full-time at the agency, so I did that side-by-side with my private practice. I have recently taken the plunge to do private practice full-time in order to have the time and flexibility to see more people. I love helping people with anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues, life transitions, and of course, LGBTQ+ specific issues. I have provided letters for gender affirming healthcare, such as hormone replacement therapy and surgeries. I take pride in my ability to create a safe space for people to work through the concerns that brought them to therapy, including those who have never seen a therapist before and are hesitant to begin. I can truly empathize with my clients, and I do my best to help them feel heard and listened to. It is my honor to sit in the room with them and to help support them through what they are going through.

Putting training and knowledge aside, what else do you think really matters in terms of succeeding in your field?

It’s important to tune in to yourself and your empathy in order to connect with the other person, or people, in the room. It’s essential to have the skills to help guide your client(s), but in order to do that, you need to be willing to be vulnerable with yourself. It is difficult to follow a client to their deepest pains if you are unwilling to go there due to fear or being closed off. Therapists are humans before we are therapists, and that’s one of the greatest assets to bring into the therapy room.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

I have received most of my clients from word of mouth. As a therapist, my job is to build connections with others, and that is also the best way to meet my clients. Sometimes that is through networking and other times that is a current or former client referring me to their loved ones. I am grateful that I have a wonderful support system of family, friends, and colleagues who help to get my name out there in order to reach more potential clients!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://cwcsf.com/staff/lexa-goldman-ma-lmhc-lmft/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/counselor.lexa/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LexaGoldmanLMHC