NEW BERLIN – The thought of asking a mental health counselor for advice is enough to make some people squirm. For others, the opportunity to speak to a professional about anything personal is simply deemed cost-prohibitive.
New Berlin-based entrepreneur Dr. Thomas H. Golden has launched an Internet-based consultation service that is not only convenient and confidential, but also relatively inexpensive.
Golden began offering “Talk to Me” in July after 38 years of professional experience as a clinical psychologist, an entertainer, a columnist and an international business entrepreneur. Although he maintains offices in New Jersey - where he has lived and practiced for most of his professional career - he relocated to New Berlin last year. He is one of four children born to Golden Artist Colors entrepreneur, Sam Golden.
Individuals who have questions or want direction on any number of topics can visit ‘Talk To Me’ at www.thomasgolden.net and make arrangements for a one-time, 25 to 50 minute phone conversation. Once the appointment is made, the online service later reminds individuals and Golden about the pending call as well as takes payment online. At $45 for 25 minutes and $90 for 50 minutes, the consultation is less expensive than most one-on-one visits to a therapist.
The service is not for ongoing psychotherapy, Golden said, but rather a convenient and timely responsiveness to people who have some concern.
“I’ve found so often that people say to me, ‘I don’t need therapy, but I have a question.’ They’ve been given advice about something, but are not exactly certain where they can go for help. Normally, if you looked up someone in the Yellow Pages, you would have to go in for an appointment. With this, you can stay on the telephone in the comfort of your own home, on your own time schedule.”
“The nature of content is not solely mental health issues. I’m not locked into that. It is really informative,” he said.
Golden has a database of websites and information numbers for people to call on everything from cerebral palsy to union regulations. He can specifically call on his background experience as an expert witness in family and criminal courts, executive coaching and staff education and human resource management. He has worked with children, adults and families.
As a charter member of the Society of Pediatric Psychologists, Golden has extensive experience with behavior evaluations of children of all ages and developmental stages. He has also mediated separation and divorce agreements, counseled narcotic and alcohol addicts, children diagnosed with various attention and hyperactive disorders and has worked with sexually abused children and adults.
The entrepreneur said he had the idea for ‘Talk to Me’ as interactive Internet services have become more available. He said he expects to offer web cam counseling by year’s end.
He said he would listen to calls about physical illness such as obesity, phobias and smoking cessation, but those issues aren’t always settled within a call’s time limit. “I would recommend a one-on-one course of treatment,” he said.
Golden’s writings have been published in the New York Times, the Record, Sixteen Magazine, Penelope Magazine and New Jersey Singles. His media appearances include ABC’s Good Morning New York; NBC’s John Davidson Show; and Court TV’s Both Sides, and Court TV with Nancy Grace. He has written several animated screen plays, as well as a book: “Overweight is a Family Affair.”
In addition to an acting career both on and off Broadway, Golden produced and hosted a weekly public access cable television talk show that was distributed throughout New Jersey and covered a wide range of individual, family and community concerns.