About Bart Golub …

After spending almost two decades in hospitality and tech, I discovered that my true calling lies in helping people build more authentic, fulfilling relationships with themselves and others. My journey to becoming a therapist began in undergrad at the Cornell Hotel School, where I was drawn to hospitality’s fundamental orientation toward service and human connection. This foundation taught me that genuine care for others’ wellbeing creates the most meaningful and lasting impact. My career path took me through fascinating roles in loyalty marketing for Las Vegas megaresorts, where I developed deep insights into human motivation and what drives people’s choices and attachments. Later, working in tech sales serving restaurants, hotels, casinos, and vacation rentals, I honed my ability to understand what makes people tick and how they form connections. However, over time, I became increasingly uncomfortable with marketing’s inherently disingenuous nature—making products and services appear different or better than they actually are. I realized that if something truly serves people’s needs, it shouldn't require manipulation to be desirable.

This realization led me to pivot toward a career where I could use my understanding of human nature to genuinely help people improve their lives rather than convince them to buy something.

After earning my MSW from Columbia, training at the Community Health Resource Center in San Francisco, and more recently working with the LGBTQIA+ community at the Pacific Center for Human Growth in Downtown Berkeley, I determined my own practice would be grounded in Interpersonal Psychology, drawing heavily from the combined wisdoms of Alfred Adler and Adlerian Psychology (also called Individual Psychology), as well as from my own therapist, Dossie Easton, sex positive polyamorous pioneer and co-author of The Ethical Slut.

I believe that all human struggles are fundamentally interpersonal relationship problems—whether they involve romantic partners, family members, friends, colleagues, or our relationship with ourselves. Rather than focusing solely on romantic relationships, my approach examines the full spectrum of human connections and how they shape our experience. I reject deterministic thinking that suggests our past dictates our future. While our experiences certainly influence us, I believe it’s not the events themselves that determine who we become, but rather our perception of those events and the meaning we assign to them. This is why two people can experience similar situations yet emerge with completely different outlooks and coping strategies.

My practice is teleological rather than etiological—meaning I’m more interested in understanding what you’re moving toward (your goals, values, and desired future) than endlessly analyzing what might be pushing you from behind. We act to achieve specific purposes, not because we’re victims of our past. This perspective opens up tremendous possibilities for change and growth, regardless of what you’ve experienced before. As someone who lives polyamorously, I believe deeply in the power of holding intimate, dynamic, and vulnerable relationships with multiple people in our lives. I don’t see any inherent reason to limit the depth of connection we can experience with various individuals. In my view, healthy relationships should be descriptive rather than prescriptive—meaning we define what our relationships actually are based on how they naturally develop, rather than forcing them into predetermined boxes with rigid rules.

I’m particularly passionate about helping people move away from authority-based relationship dynamics. I believe that moral, caring individuals should be trusted to make their own choices with the understanding that they love and care about those around them. When structure is needed, I encourage agreements (collaboratively discussed and mutually chosen) over rules (imposed restrictions that limit freedom). My approach to relationships—whether romantic, familial, or platonic—centers on encouraging continuous learning and growth. I want my partners, friends, and clients to choose to be in relationship with me each day because they genuinely desire to, not because they feel obligated by contracts, social expectations, or fear. This philosophy extends into my therapeutic work, where I aim to create a space where you feel genuinely chosen and valued for who you are.