Gordon Gooding LCSW, ACSW

I know from my own experience that struggles and challenges can threaten to overwhelm us, making us feel frightened, alone, and unsure of our ability to manage them. When I faced those challenges myself, I was grateful for both the help I received and the insight I gained from it. That experience shapes how I show up for clients, and how I built Gooding Wellness Group.

I began working in the public school system in 1995 and spent my entire career as a school-based social worker here on Long Island, working with students from Pre-K through 12th grade. Some of my earliest and most formative years in this field were spent with the youngest children just beginning to make sense of the world around them. Sitting with them, session after session, taught me something no textbook could: how deeply childhood shapes the rest of a person's life. That understanding has stayed with me, and it still sits underneath every trauma case I take on today, no matter how old the client sitting across from me is.

What those years taught me is this: when schools, families, and communities get the right support, not just any support, we can make a significant difference in the lives of students and families academically, socially, emotionally, and in their relationships. That belief still drives how I practice today, both privately and in schools.

Getting to do this work isn't something I take for granted. I feel fortunate every day to serve and support the people of Long Island, and that gratitude hasn't worn off in all these years.