New phone-in counseling service offered by New Berlin entrepreneur

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.”