Caroline Goldman

Caroline Goldman
Born	(1975-12-29) December 29, 1975
Occupation	psychologist

Caroline Goldman is a French psychotherapist with a doctorate in clinical psychopathology, specializing in child and adolescent psychology.

An advocate of psychoanalysis, she has made numerous public statements that contradict the scientific consensus, particularly regarding childhood depression and ADHD.

Biography

Family and personal life

Born on December 29, 1975, in Paris, Caroline Goldman is the eldest daughter of singer Jean-Jacques Goldman and psychologist Catherine Morlet. She is the sister of producer Michael Goldman and pediatrician Nina Goldman. She is the mother of four children.

Education

After studying psychology, she completed a doctoral thesis in clinical psychopathology at Paris 5 University in 2008. Her thesis, titled Gifted Children: Genius or Madness? Theoretical and Projective Articulations: A Psychoanalytic Perspective, was supervised by Professor Catherine Chabert. In this psychoanalytic work, she studied childhood giftedness (i.e., children with an IQ above 129).

Career

Following her studies, she became a psychologist for children and adolescents. In the mid-2000s, she opened her practice in Montrouge. In parallel, she taught for 15 years at the university level and at the School of Practical Psychologists in Paris from 2011 to 2015. She hosts a podcast on child and adolescent psychology and education called Caroline Goldman – Doctor of Child Psychology. In it, she discusses various topics such as sibling relationships, motherhood, divorce, and grief.

Media Recognition

In a June 2023 investigation by Arrêt sur images, journalist Thibaut Schepman pointed out that Caroline Goldman became highly media-visible at the end of 2022, receiving multiple invitations to prestigious newspapers such as Le Monde, Libération, Le Figaro, and Le Point. She also appeared on radio and television shows like La Maison des Maternelles on France 5. Her interview in Le Monde became the most-read article in the newspaper over the past two years, with 2.2 million readers and 300 new subscribers, reflecting the success of the new parenting section. In summer 2023, she hosted 40 shows on France Inter and entered a media hiatus afterward, returning in mid-May 2024 to promote a new book.

Views and Positions

Criticism of Positive Parenting She has criticized advocates of "positive parenting," which she believes causes behavioral disorders. She has particularly criticized psychotherapist Isabelle Filliozat and pediatrician Catherine Gueguen, both prominent figures in positive parenting. Goldman supports the use of "time out," where a child is temporarily removed when they break family rules or become unmanageable. According to her, this method helps avoid yelling, physical or verbal violence, and repetitive arguments. She has also stated that some parents are "being bullied by their children."

Media Promotion of Psychoanalysis

Caroline Goldman frequently references psychoanalysis, describing it as a family passion. Journalists Stéphanie Benz and Victor Garcia noted in L'Express that she emphasizes psychoanalysis in her podcasts and interviews, criticizing the "excessive weight of scientific psychology and neuroscience in child care." In a Marianne article, Marie-Estelle Pech stated that Goldman is on a media crusade to defend psychoanalysis, which has been marginalized by neuroscience in France.

Criticism

On Psychoanalytic Approach

In February 2023, cognitive science researcher Franck Ramus opposed her views, highlighting that Goldman's psychoanalytic stance leads to "a denial of neurodevelopmental disorders (autism, ADHD, learning disabilities), seeing them only as symptoms of parent-child relational problems." In March 2023, over 280 researchers and child professionals criticized her stance on "time out," arguing it increases anxiety and fails to teach children expected behavior. Goldman defended herself, claiming to base her views on scientific evidence. The Washington Post labeled her approach "ultra-strict," noting that her positions might seem extreme to an American audience.

On ADHD Commentary

Her 2023 summer series on France Inter was criticized for medical inaccuracies and scientific imprecision, particularly on topics like childhood depression and ADHD. Specialists and associations, including TDAH Partout pareil, accused her of spreading misinformation, even filing a complaint with Arcom to demand the removal of her ADHD segment.

Publications

• Le Test PN. Guide d'interprétation clinique (2013)
• Doit-on tout dire aux parents ? (2016)
• Le Bilan avec les tests projectifs en clinique infantile (2018)
• Établir les limites éducatives (2019)
• File dans ta chambre ! (2020)
• Guide des parents d’aujourd’hui (2024)