About Cory Gouldman

I am Cory Gouldman, MS, MDiv, LPC. Way too many letters. I am a graduate of Tarleton State University with a Master of Science in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. I also earned my Master of Divinity from George W. Truett Theological Seminary many moons ago. I have clinical experience working with a variety of age groups and life situations, with considerable time spent with children and adolescents. I am certified in CBT-I (cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia) and really like ice cream. There is no degree or certification for ice cream, sadly.

That’s the really boring credential stuff. For those of you interested in a bit more insight into who Cory Gouldman, MS, MDiv, LPC is, and would like to continue reading, hang on tight. Not really, it’s still pretty boring. Just not as boring as the really boring credential stuff.

One time, years ago, when I was interviewing for a job, the interviewer asked a typical and boring question that interviewers are, for some reason, expected to ask…In one word, how would you describe yourself? Really? With one word, you want me to break down the essence of my existence in such a way that appeases your fake curiosity? It’s a ridiculous question (come on interviewers, admit it), but I wanted the job, so I played along and reached into depths of my professionalism in search of the perfect answer. With all the confidence I could muster, I proclaimed, “Goofy.”

It caught the interviewer visibly off-guard, and for good reason. Goofy is not the route most potential candidates take when seeking a job. The same probably applies to those of you coming to this page seeking my credentials and background, wondering if you should confide in me of all people. Goofy doesn’t really inspire a lot of trust. When our fire has almost faded and we feel the embers growing cold, our immediate thought probably isn’t, “Geez, I wish I could talk to a real goof right about now.”

But maybe, just maybe, it’s something we all could use a bit more of. Those who are goofy do things a little differently. In surfing or snowboarding, for example, a goofy stance means to put your left foot towards the tail of the board rather than towards the front, which is known as the regular stance. The majority of people are much more comfortable utilizing the regular stance. Goofy isn’t is necessarily better, it’s just different. Which may be exactly what we need. Someone whose perspective is different. Someone willing to ask hard questions and walk with us as we attempt to answer them. Someone who is able to sift through the ashes and blow on the coals.

Being goofy, seeing differently, doesn’t mean we dismiss or degrade your story or your experiences. It simply means that we explore the possibility that we are more than the sum of the terrible things threatening to steal our light.

Maybe it’s time to shift your perspective, to approach your life in a way you never considered before. Maybe it’s okay to be a little goofy. If you’re willing to try, I’m willing to help.

That’s who I am. In more than one word.

Back home

Book a consultation

Would you like to book a consultation? Fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch soon!