The Trouble with Toxic Positivity With Whitney Goodman, LMFT, Author
Published:
08/09/2022
When going through difficulty, many people turn to friends and family for support. But what happens when those people dismiss your feelings and tell you to “look on the bright side?” While it may be said with the best of intentions, this is an example of toxic positivity. In this episode, Whitney Goodman, author of the book Toxic Positivity: Keeping It Real in a World Obsessed with Being Happy, will define toxic positivity and speak on the importance of allowing ourselves, and those we support, to feel hard feelings. It’s okay to not be okay sometimes. Goodman uses research and client examples to help listeners learn how to work through difficult emotions.
Guest: Whitney Goodman, LMFT, Author of Toxic Positivity: Keeping It Real in a World Obsessed with Being Happy
Whitney Goodman is the radically honest psychotherapist behind the hugely popular Instagram account @sitwithwhit, the author of Toxic Positivity, and the owner of The Collaborative Counseling Center, a private therapy practice in Miami, FL. She helps people who want to improve their relationships and emotional awareness.
Whitney earned her undergraduate degree at Tulane University and a graduate degree in Counseling Psychology from The University of Miami. She has additional training and certifications in working with couples, trauma, and clients who have been diagnosed with chronic illnesses. Whitney has her own column in Psychology Today and has been featured in dozens of domestic and international publications, including The New York Times, Teen Vogue, NY Magazine, Instyle, and Good Morning America.
Whitney is a millennial on a quest to make mental health information accessible and easy to understand. She rejects the idea that a therapist should be a blank slate and believes that authenticity and emotional expression are the keys to living a full life. Whitney fully embraces her successes, humanity, and struggles and strives for authenticity in everything she does.
Whitney lives in Miami, FL with her husband, their son, and two dogs, Luna and Charlie.
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