About me
I'm a Licensed Clinical Social Worker practicing psychoanalytic psychotherapy. I studied Classics (ancient literature, philosophy, and language) at Stanford and social work at MSU Denver, and trained in psychoanalysis through the Clinical College of Colorado, the Colorado Lacanian Forum, and, for a time, the Lacan School of Psychoanalysis in the Bay Area.
I've worked in inpatient psychiatric units and psychiatric nursing facilities with people living with schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, dissociative identity disorder, and other serious mental illnesses. I've worked as an educator in public and private schools, and after college I tutored and taught high school students through nonprofits in the Bay Area.
For years I've also worked in Colorado's public defense system, writing the life histories of people facing the courts. That work taught me how much of a person's story goes unheard, and how much changes when someone finally listens closely. I bring that same attention to therapy.
How I work
Psychoanalytic therapy doesn't hand you a worksheet or a script. I ask you to say whatever comes to mind, as freely as you can, without censoring yourself. That's harder than it sounds. Most of us carry an internal censor that edits what we say before we say it, and sometimes before we let ourselves think it.
Together we pay attention to what surfaces: the repetitions, the slips, the things that are hard to say. Over time, patterns that felt fixed can loosen.
This kind of work suits people who want to understand themselves, not just manage symptoms, though relief often comes along the way. I work with teens as well as adults. I usually meet with people weekly, sometimes more often.
People often come to me with
- Trauma and its aftermath
- Dissociation
- Psychosis and unusual experiences
- Anxiety and depression
- Questions of identity, or not knowing who you are
- Relationship patterns that repeat
- Involvement with the legal system
- Grief and loss
- Feeling stuck without knowing why
Be patient toward everything unresolved in your heart, and try to love the questions themselves.
Process groups
A process group is a small group of people who meet regularly to talk, with attention to what happens between members in the room. It's a place to notice how you relate to others, how they experience you, and what you repeat with people without meaning to.
Groups can be a good fit alongside individual therapy, or on their own. I'm currently gathering interest for an upcoming group. If you'd like to be considered or want to know more, get in touch.
If one has only one good memory left in one's heart, even that may sometime be the means of saving us.
Getting started
- Get in touch. Email or call and tell me a little about what brings you in. You don't need to have the words for it yet.
- A free 15-minute call. We'll talk about what you're looking for and whether we're a good fit.
- First sessions. The first few meetings are a chance to get to know each other and decide together how to proceed.
Fees & insurance
Through Alma, I'm in network with Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, Carelon, Cigna, and Optum. You can check your coverage on my Alma profile.
- Individual session, 50 minutes
- $140
- Initial consultation call
- Free
A limited number of reduced-fee spots are available. If you're paying out of pocket, you have the right to a Good Faith Estimate of expected costs.
Contact
jfrgoulder@gmail.com
(970) 414-1794
Office: 2560 Sheridan Blvd, Denver, CO 80214. Video sessions available anywhere in Colorado.
You can also find me on Psychology Today and Alma.
Email isn't fully secure, so please keep your first message brief. I usually reply within two business days. If you are in crisis, call or text 988 or go to your nearest emergency room.