We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Arden Greenspan Goldberg Lcsw Ceds-c. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Arden below.
Arden , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about how you went about setting up your own practice and if you have any advice for professionals who might be considering starting their own?
I always knew I wanted to work with children, families, and adults to teach them how to better help themselves by becoming more authentically attuned to themselves. I knew that I needed extensive training, so after social work school and working a few years in the field, I decided to go into a training program, Where I would be supervised and develop a part-time private practice as well as exposure academic courses. Little did I know how much that encompassed over the four year period and how much I would change as a person, so much more ready for a private practice.
I was able to take about six young adults that I was working with into my private practice full-time. From there, it was about extensive networking with colleagues in the field to expand my private practice. I also noticed that my patients would refer to me as well. that always felt like a vote of confidence in my skill set as a compassionate, empathic, caring human being.
I would suggest for new people wanting to have a private practice, networking, talking yourself up, is all about the establishment of connections and future referrals. The other piece is go to many conferences, workshops, and seminars where you could meet, like-minded people and sharpen your skills.
I did that especially in the field of eating disorders. Not only did I meet some new colleagues, but also I stayed sharp with my skill set with cutting edge new input.
Keep an open mind and an open heart, Be like me, a student of life, always learning. I’ve been in this field for 45 years and still loving it. I love my patients and I have great admiration for them.
Arden , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I provide individual, couple, adult, family, group psychotherapy, trauma informed, and evidence based. I’m also a trained supervisor in psychotherapy and psychoanalysis, as well as an eating disorder, specialist and supervisor
I’ve been in this field since 1972. I started young and I’m now 74 years old. What sets me apart, is that I’m very seasoned, really know what I’m doing, I come from heart, compassion, and lots of lived experience. I’ve always had an intuitive earthy bent to me in the best sense I particularly enjoy collaborating with new patients, established patients, supervisees,
In reference to recovery from an eating disorder., I work with a team, nutritionist, medication provider, and MD, outpatient for the recovery of an eating disorder
I’m particularly proud of my expertise as a meal recovery coach, specifically in the rehabilitation, outpatient of someone, struggling with anorexia nervosa bulimia and binge eating disorder. It’s incredible to be doing trauma work and meal support at the same time.. it’s a process that gives you a great deal of patience because it’s so slow and moment to moment.
The other piece that I’m very proud of is the book that I wrote and published by sourcebooks in 2011, “What Do You Expect? She’s A Teenager! A hope and happiness guide for mom’s with daughter‘s age is 11 through 19.
I had always worked with parents, children, teenagers, and young adult adults. This book took me about a year to write, with the help of a ghost writer.
And it was incredible the process of having an agent, and shopping an outline and two chapters to different publishers. It certainly gave me so much more clout, and it was amazing for me to read my advice out loud, which was spot on. It’s not ever too late. I was 61 when the book was published.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Not ever a person to sit still too long, I enjoyed challenging myself on the one hand, on the other hand, it would scare the daylights out of me!
It was 1995 and I was asked to share a couple or two in my private practice for an interview article written by the Ladies home journal magazine column, “Can this marriage be saved?” I had no idea that I would get a call from the Oprah show, nor from Good Day New York local news. That spring boarded into becoming a regular on local fox five news at the time and being invited to numerous talk shows as a family therapy expert. Then that morphed into becoming a member of.AFTRA which eventually merged with Screen Actors guild. I’ve been a member of screen actors guild SAG since 1996.
It’s important to take some risks, push your boundaries a bit, because you’re never know where that could go, in the best sense. So I built up some more courage for speaking engagements, because I had a lot to say, and people were very interested in hearing what I had to say.
Other than training/knowledge, what do you think is most helpful for succeeding in your field?
You need to be a very curious person who is reflective and that is not afraid to dig deep. When I’ve worked with my patients individually couple, my group for women, struggling with anorexia, there’s a lot that comes up in me. I need to be curious enough to find out what’s going on in my head, and in my body as well. For me, that’s partly about figuring out the puzzle, what makes people tick, what makes me tick. That continues to be a very motivating variable for me. I’ll repeat, having compassion, heart, your own personal journey Is essential. I spent over 14 years in psychoanalysis, and did some couple therapy with my husband as well. All of that has made me into a mature human being, and a very present Psychoanalyst/psychotherapist. Also, it’s about having a life Outside of work
I’m a big yoga and Pilates devotee, a nature walker who adores the ocean. I am grateful and blessed every single day of my life, and do not take any moment for granted. I could work a little harder on meditating, I admit..
Certainly, your patient will benefit, By your own personal growth and development.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.askardengreenspan.com
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Image Credits
Book cover
Stock photo
www.sourcebooks.com