About the Center for Intimacy, Connection and Change
The Center for Intimacy, Connection and Change — CICC — was founded in 2018 by Mark Goldberg, LCMFT, with a clear purpose: to provide specialty therapy for couples and individuals navigating the most personal dimensions of their relationships and sexuality.
Mark began his career as a couples therapist, drawn to the work of helping partners find their way back to each other. Over time, he recognized that for many couples, the path to deeper connection ran directly through their sexual relationship — and that very few therapists were equipped to address both with genuine expertise. That recognition led him to pursue AASECT certification in sex therapy and ultimately to build a practice where both disciplines could be offered at the highest clinical level under one roof.
Today, CICC is one of the only practices in the Baltimore area holding both EFT certification in couples therapy and AASECT certification in sex therapy. That combination is the foundation of everything we do.
What We Do
CICC is a specialty practice. We do not try to be everything to everyone. Our work is focused on three interconnected areas:
- Couples therapy and marriage counseling, using Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT)
- Sex therapy for individuals and couples, delivered by an AASECT-certified practice
- Individual therapy for adults addressing relationship challenges, intimacy, anxiety, and depression
We see clients in person at our Pikesville, MD office, and via telehealth throughout Maryland and New York. Our therapists work with individuals and couples of all backgrounds, orientations, relationship structures, and faith traditions.
Our Credentials
Credentials matter in therapy — particularly for the specialized work we do. At CICC, our clinical standards go beyond standard licensure requirements.
EFT Certification in Couples Therapy
Emotionally Focused Therapy is one of the most extensively researched approaches in couples treatment, with studies consistently showing 70-75% of couples moving from distress to recovery. EFT certification through the International Centre for Excellence in Emotionally Focused Therapy (ICEEFT) requires supervised training and demonstrated clinical competency specifically in couples work — it is not a credential any licensed therapist can claim.
AASECT Certification in Sex Therapy
AASECT — the American Association of Sexuality Educators, Counselors and Therapists — is the national certifying body for sex therapy in the United States. AASECT certification requires extensive supervised clinical training in human sexuality above and beyond standard therapy licensure. It is the gold standard in the sex therapy field, and it is rare. Very few practices in Baltimore and Maryland hold this credential.
Additional Training
Our therapists hold advanced training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) from the Beck Institute, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and mindfulness-based approaches. Our team members are licensed clinical marriage and family therapists (LCMFT) and licensed graduate professional counselors (LGPC), and hold active membership in AASECT and ICEEFT.
Our Approach
We believe that meaningful, connected relationships are central to human wellbeing — and that the work of improving them deserves the same level of specialized expertise we expect in any other area of healthcare.
That means working with evidence-based methods that have been tested and validated, not approaches that simply sound reasonable. It means holding advanced credentials, not just standard licensure. And it means creating a clinical environment where people feel genuinely safe to work on the most personal aspects of their lives.
We work with couples and individuals across a wide range of backgrounds — including LGBTQ+ clients, interfaith couples, religiously observant clients, and people navigating cultural differences in relationships. Our approach is non-judgmental, affirming, and deeply respectful of each person’s values, beliefs, and definition of a fulfilling relationship and sexuality.
An Investment in Exceptional Care
CICC is a premium, out-of-network practice. We do not participate in insurance networks, and our fees reflect the specialized expertise, advanced credentials, and quality of care we provide.
This model is a deliberate choice. Insurance-based practices are often constrained by reimbursement rates that limit session length, treatment duration, and the time therapists can invest in each client. By operating outside that system, we are able to offer the level of attention, continuity, and clinical depth that meaningful therapeutic work requires.
For clients with out-of-network benefits, we provide receipts that can be submitted to your insurance provider for partial reimbursement. Many FSA and HSA accounts also cover therapy services. We are happy to discuss fees and payment during your free consultation.
We believe that working on your relationship and your wellbeing is one of the most worthwhile investments you can make. Our commitment is to make that investment count.
Where We Are
Pikesville, Maryland
Our in-person office is located at 6 Reservoir Circle, Suite 206, Pikesville, MD 21208 — in the northern suburbs of Baltimore. We serve couples and individuals from across Baltimore City, Baltimore County, and the surrounding communities including Towson, Owings Mills, Reisterstown, Lutherville, and beyond.
Telehealth — Maryland
We offer telehealth therapy to clients anywhere in Maryland. Our telehealth practice serves the same clinical standard as in-person work and is available to clients throughout the state who prefer the convenience and privacy of remote sessions.
Telehealth — New York
CICC launched telehealth services in New York in early 2026. We are licensed to serve clients throughout New York State, with a focus on couples and individuals in the New York City metro area seeking specialty couples therapy and sex therapy at a level of clinical expertise that is difficult to find in a traditional therapy setting.