Doug Goldschmidt — Central NY Kink Friendly Counselor

Sexuality is like a big house with many rooms, some of which are interesting and other less so. While there may be many rooms with kink, there are many who may be interested but are afraid to enter the room, or those who enter into the room but find it hard to find the satisfaction they want -- in terms of sex or relationship with others. Carrying the metaphor further, there is an adjacent house with gender expression, again with many rooms. Gender, like sexuality, has different expressions that may be confusing, but when properly addressed, can lead to great satisfaction.Therapy is a way of cutting through the barriers to healthy sexual and gender expression, whatever the form of expression, and to forming committed relationships, if that is desired. Therapy also allows one to cut through issues of shame or guilt that come from earlier periods of one's life. My practice is grounded in a series of techniques that are tailored for each client. I am a Buddhist informed therapist, meaning that my work emphasizes the ability to focus on what is happening in the moment, without judgment, and in learning to avoid the behaviors that lead to suffering. My clinical work includes the use of meditative practices that help foster self-awareness, the ability to deal with difficult emotions, as well a developing greater ability to work with situations that are challenging, exciting, or off-putting. I also utilized hypnosis and Eye Motion Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to process emotions as well as to develop new skills. I accept most common NY insurances (many of which are national), and I provide therapy both in-person and via video, phone or text.