Dr. Goldberg received a B.A. from Wesleyan University in 1999, and an M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Massachusetts in 2001 and 2005, respectively. She has been at Clark since 2005.
Dr. Goldberg is interested in how a variety of social locations (e.g., gender, sexual orientation, social class) and contexts (e.g., work, family, community) shape processes of development and mental health. Her research focuses on parenthood, relationship quality, and well-being in diverse families (e.g., adoptive parent families, lesbian/gay parent families) in an effort to increase our understanding of family diversity. For over a decade, she has been conducting a longitudinal study of adoptive parenthood among lesbian, gay, and heterosexual couples. She is also currently conducting research on transgender students’ experiences in higher education. She teaches courses on the psychology of sexual orientation, human sexuality, diverse families, and ethics in clinical psychology.
Degrees
Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 2005
M.S. in Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, 2001
. “There may be a genetic tendency…”: How adoptive parents understand and communicate about substance use and risk behaviors with their adolescent children.
Children & Youth Services Review, 171, 108207.
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2025
Abbie Goldberg
,
Laura Siracusa
,
Sophie Shuster
,
David Brodzinsky
Article in Refereed Journal
“I always viewed myself as a parent”: Parenting among Latinx cisgender sexually diverse people: An intersectional family systems approach.
Thinking about the birth father: Loss, longing, ambivalence, and indifference among adopted adolescents with lesbian mothers.
Infant & Child Development
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2024
Abbie Goldberg
,
David Brodzinsky
Article in Refereed Journal
"I want to support her but also want to protect her”: The gendered parenting practices of LGBTQ+ parents.
Children & Youth Services Review, 169.
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2024
Logan Maddie
,
Heberle Amy
,
Abbie Goldberg
Article in Refereed Journal
Transgender and gender diverse students’ experiences of gender minority stress, financial burden, and resilience in graduate school.
Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Diversity.
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2024
Haylie Virginia
,
Abbie Goldberg
Article in Refereed Journal
Gender identity and pronouns among trans and nonbinary students entering college.
Journal of LGBT Youth.
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2024
Genny Beemyn
,
Abbie Goldberg
Article in Refereed Journal
Perceived impact of the overturning of Roe v. Wade on queer parents’ reproductive and sexual lives.
Sexuality Research & Social Policy.
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2024
Abbie Goldberg
,
Lea Silvert
,
Brittany Charlton
Article in Refereed Journal
Social competence, school engagement, and school performance among US children adopted through private domestic, international, and foster care adoption.
Adoption Quarterly
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2024
Abbie Goldberg
,
Nora McCormick
Article in Refereed Journal
. “Saying ‘I’m not okay’ is extremely risky”: Postpartum mental health, delayed help seeking, and fears of the child welfare system among queer parents.
Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.
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2024
Abbie Goldberg
,
JuliAnna Smith
Book
SAGE ENCYCLOPEDIA OF LGBTQ+ STUDIES.
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2024
Abbie Goldberg
Article in Refereed Journal
Qualitative family research: Innovative, flexible, theoretical, reflexive.
Journal of Marriage and Family.
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2024
Abbie Goldberg
,
Katherine Allen
Article in Refereed Journal
To tell or not to tell: Disclosure experiences and perceived microaggressions among adopted adolescents with lesbian, gay, and heterosexual parents.
Journal of Adolescent Research. Advance online publication.
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2024
Abbie Goldberg
,
Kaitlin Gabriele-Black
Article in Refereed Journal
Perceived impact of the parental rights in education bill (“Don’t Say Gay”) on LGBTQ+ parents in Florida.
The Counseling Psychologist, 52(2), 224-266.
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2024
Abbie Goldberg
,
Roberto Abreu
,
Andrew Flores
Article in Refereed Journal
LGBTQ parent concerns and parent-child communication about the Parental Rights in Education Bill (“Don’t Say Gay”) in Florida.
Family Relations, 73, 318-339.
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2024
Abbie Goldberg
,
Roberto Abreu
Presentations
1.“We Make It Better”: Trans and Nonbinary Resilience, Resistance, and Self-Reliance.” Panel organizer and moderator, Sage Publications virtual event, March 28, 2024.2.“Supporting LGBTQ+ Youth in Schools: Challenges, Strategies, and Possibilities.” Panel organizer and moderator, Sage Publications virtual event, February 28, 2024.3.“Trans Rights & Legislative Discrimination.” Invited (virtual) panelist, Sage Publications’ Social Justice Initiative, Trans Awareness Week, November 16, 2023.4.“The Impact of Discriminatory and Affirming Laws on LGBTQ Parent Families.” Invited plenary speaker, the National Council on Family Relations (NCFR) annual conference, Orlando FL (and Urbana IL), November 10, 2023.5.“Divorce Involving LGBTQ Parents and Parents of Trans Children: Research and Considerations for Legal Professionals.” Keynote address, Massachusetts Guardians ad Litem (MAGAL) annual conference (theme: Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity in Family Law Disputes), Waltham MA, October 6, 2023.6.“Convening on the Regulation of Gametes.” Invited participant, Yale Law School, September 28-29, 2023.7.“Work-family justice for LGBTQ+ individuals.” Panelist, Work-Family Research Network (WFRN) Virtual Conference, May 12, 203.8.“LGBTQ family building: Research findings and future directions.” Keynote address, Conference on Gender and Sexual Minority Families: Evolution and Change, University of Texas at Austin, April 20, 2023.
The (mis)representations of queer lives in true crime.
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2023
Routledge
Abbie Goldberg
,
Danielle Slakoff
,
Carrie Buist
Presentations
Invited Talks and Workshops (2022-2023):1.“Creating welcoming and inclusive school environments for all: A focus on LGBTQ+ and adoptive families.” Instructor, Montessori Schools of Massachusetts, Professional Development Series, February-March, 2023.a.“Creating LGBTQ+ inclusive schools: A focus on school administrators,” February 16, 2023.b.“Creating LGBTQ+ inclusive schools: A focus on teachers and classrooms,” February 23, 2023.c.“Creating adoption inclusive schools,” March 9, 2023.2.“LGBTQ family building: A guide for prospective parents.” Presenter, The Massachusetts Council on Mediation’s Reading Group, December 8, 2022.3.“Divorce involving LGBTQ parents and parents of trans children: Research and considerations for mediators.” Keynote address, The Massachusetts Council on Mediation Annual Family Mediation Institute, December 1, 2022.4.“Adoptive families and schools.” Invited lecture, The Chris Walsh Center at Framingham State, October 20, 2022.5.“From research to the classroom: Understanding and supporting the adopted child’s school experience.” Keynote address, Connecticut Council on Adoption Mid-Year Training, June 10, 2022.6.“Adopted children and schools: Real-life scenarios, strategies, and solutions.” Invited workshop, Connecticut Council on Adoption Mid-Year Training, June 10, 2022.7.“A Q&A with Abbie E. Goldberg.” Invited talk and discussion, Clark University LGBTQ Alumni Association, Clark University, June 2, 2022. 8.“Conducting research with LGBTQ+ adoptive families.” Invited workshop, Rudd Summer Adoption Research Institute, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst MA, May 25, 2022.9.“LGBTQ issues in divorce and custody cases: Considerations for attorneys and mediators.” Invited speaker (via Zoom), Massachusetts Collaborative Law Council, May 19, 2022.10.“So you want to be a Twitter scholar?: A professional development webinar.” Invited speaker (via Zoom), Relevate webinar, May 18, 2022.
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2022
Abbie Goldberg
Article in Refereed Journal
“I’m not just the nonbiological parent”: Encountering, strategizing, and resisting asymmetry and invalidation in genetic/gestational status among LGBTQ parents.
Journal of Family Nursing
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2022
Abbie Goldberg
,
Katherine Allen
Article in Refereed Journal
White parents of adopted Black children in an era of racial reckoning: Challenges, tensions, and strategies.
Journal of Marriage and Family
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2022
Abbie Goldberg
,
McCormick Nora
,
Kironde Emma
,
Virginia Haylie
,
Logan Maddie
Article in Refereed Journal
Lesbian, gay, and heterosexual parents’ perspectives on their adopted children’s puberty and approaches to puberty-related communication.
Journal of Family Communication
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2022
Abbie Goldberg
,
Haylie Virginia
Article in Refereed Journal
LGBTQ Parent Families: Diversity, intersectionality, and social context.
Current Opinion in Psychology
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2022
Abbie Goldberg
Article in Refereed Journal
What do teachers know about adoptive families, and how do they use it to serve adopted children?
Adoption Quarterly
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2022
Abbie Goldberg
,
Harold Grotevant
Article in Refereed Journal
Associations between trans-inclusive resources and feelings of inclusion in campus LGBTQ+ groups: Differences for trans students of color.
Psychology of Sexual Orientation & Gender Diversity
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2022
Jack Day
,
Abbie Goldberg
,
Russell Toomey
,
Genny Beemyn
Book
The SAGE Encyclopedia of LGBTQ Studies, 2nd edition
●
2022
Abbie Goldberg
Chapters In Books
Families as they really are.
Chapter: The transition to parenthood for LGBTQ people.
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2022
Abbie Goldberg
Chapters In Books
Social parenthood in comparative perspective.
Chapter: A psychological perspective on the significance of legal recognition of diverse social parent relationships for children.
Published by NYU Press
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2022
Abbie Goldberg
Chapters In Books
The social science of same-sex marriage: LGBT people and their relationships in the era of marriage equality.
Chapter: Doing it for the kids? Motivations to marry and perceived effects of marriage among lesbian and gay parents.
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2022
Abbie Goldberg
Book
The SAGE Encyclopedia of Trans Studies
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2021
Abbie Goldberg
,
Genny Beemyn
Article in Refereed Journal
Consensually nonmonogamous parent relationships during COVID-19.
Sexualities
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2021
Melissa Manley
,
Abbie Goldberg
Article in Refereed Journal
Transgender graduate students: Considerations, tensions, and decisions in choosing a graduate program.
J of Homosexuality
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2021
Abbie Goldberg
,
Nora McCormick
,
Haylie Virginia
,
Em Matsuno
,
Beemyn Genny
Article in Refereed Journal
Intimate partner violence in the LGBTQ+ community: Experiences, outcomes, and implications for primary care.
Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice
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2021
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Vol. 48
Autumn Bermea
,
Danielle Slakoff
,
Abbie Goldberg
Article in Refereed Journal
Parenting in a pandemic: Work-family arrangements, well-being, and intimate relationships among adoptive parents.
Family Relations, 70(1), 7-25.
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2021
Abbie Goldberg
,
Nora McCormick
,
Haylie Virginia
Article in Refereed Journal
Reconciling realities, adapting expectations, and reframing “success”: Adoptive parents respond to their children’s academic interests, challenges, and achievement.
“Studying harm and resistance: Interrogating the impact of anti-LGBTQ policies in Florida.” Invited workshop, All Together Now conference (sponsor: Equality Florida), February 27, 2025.“Foreign policy and state level implications of the 2024 US elections.” Invited webinar presenter (focus on anti-LGBTQ legislation), Clark University Alumni Association, October 30, 2024.“Impacts of discriminatory laws and policies on LGBTQ people and families.” Invited lecture, the AAUW Florida Public Policy Education Forum, October 29, 2024.“LGBTQ+ politics and the US election.” Invited talk and panelist, Smith College, October 9, 2024.“Developing inclusive approaches to LGBTQ parent families of young children.” Invited plenary speaker, Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health annual training event (virtual), September 30, 2024.
Siracusa, L.,* & Goldberg, A. E. (2024). “I’m More Cautious Than I Would Have Liked to be”: Navigating Parenting Values, Concerns, and Approaches in a Hostile Sociopolitical Climate. Poster presented at the National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference, November 20, 2024, Bellevue, WA.
Silvert, L.,* & Goldberg, A. E. (2024). What Do Parents Want from Health Care Providers During the Perinatal Period?: Perspectives from Diverse LGBTQ+ Parents. Paper presented at the National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference, November 20, 2024, Bellevue, WA.
Goldberg, A. E., & Silvert, L.* (2024). Family Building Desires Among Adopted Adolescents. Paper presented at the National Council on Family Relations Annual Conference, November 21, 2024, Bellevue, WA.
Goldberg, A. E. (2024). Disclosure Experiences and Perceived Microaggressions Among Adopted Adolescents with Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Parents. Paper Presented at the International Conference on Adoption (ICAR), July 10, 2024, Minneapolis MN.
LGBTQ parents’ accounts of their children’s experiences with heterosexism in schools.
Psychology of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity.
Abbie Goldberg
,
JuliAnna Smith
Presentations
Conference Presentations 1.Goldberg, A. E. (2022). From Seeking Safety in Silence to Speaking Up For LGBTQ Families: A Reflection on the Personal, Professional, and Political Through a Feminist Lens. Paper presented in the Theory Construction and Research Methodology Workshop: Reflexive Family Voices: Narrating the Personal, Professional, and Political, at the annual National Council on Family Relations conference, November 14, 2022.2.Goldberg, A. E. (2022, Discussant). Unveiling Complexity and Decision-Making in Queer Families. Symposium presented at the annual National Council on Family Relations conference, November 16, 2022.3.Silvert, L.,* & Goldberg, A. E. (2022). “It Felt Natural, Normal, and Very Much How it Should Be”: Reasons For Becoming a Parent Through Adoption Over Biological Pathways Among LGBTQ+ Individuals. Paper presented at the annual National Council on Family Relations conference, November 16, 2022.4.McCormick, N.,* & Goldberg, A. E. (2022). Factors in Decision-Making Among LGBTQ People Choosing Between Known and Unknown Sperm Donors. Paper presented at the annual National Council on Family Relations conference, November 16, 2022.5.Virginia, H.,* & Goldberg, A. E. (2022). Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Adoptive Parents’ Communication Approaches to Puberty. Paper presented at the annual National Council on Family Relations conference, November 16, 2022.6.Logan, M.,* & Goldberg, A. E. (2022). Adoptive Families’ Experiences with Birth Family Contact During the COVID-19 Pandemic. Paper presented at the annual National Council on Family Relations conference, November 16, 2022.
LGBTQ family building: A guide for prospective parents.
American Psychological Association
Abbie Goldberg
Chapters In Books
Sourcebook of family theories and methodologies.
Chapter: Feminist theories: Knowledge, method, and praxis.
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Katherine Allen
,
Abbie Goldberg
,
Ana Jaramillo-Sierra
Chapters In Books
The psychology of fatherhood.
Chapter: Gay, bisexual, and queer fatherhood.
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Abbie Goldberg
,
Nora McCormick
,
Haylie Virginia
,
Emma Kironde
Article in Refereed Journal
Failed” matches, child removals, and disrupted placements: Devastating and invisible losses during the family building journey for LGBTQ adoptive parents
Journal of Family Nursing.
Abbie Goldberg
,
Katherine Allen
Article in Refereed Journal
School-aged adopted children’s early responses to remote learning during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Family Relations
Abbie Goldberg
,
Nora McCormick
,
Haylie Virginia
Article in Refereed Journal
The impact of COVID-19 on child welfare-involved families: Implications for parent-child reunification and child welfare professionals.
Developmental Child Welfare
Abbie Goldberg
,
David Brodzinsky
,
Jacqueline Singer
Article in Refereed Journal
). “I want to be safe…and I also want a job”: Career considerations and decision-making among trans adults pursuing post-graduate education.
The Counseling Psychologist
Abbie Goldberg
,
Em Matsuno
,
Genny Beemyn
Article in Refereed Journal
Apart, but still together: Separated parents living in limbo during COVID-19.
Journal of Marital and Family Therapy
Katherine Allen
,
Abbie Goldberg
Article in Refereed Journal
Divorced and separated parents during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Family Process
Abbie Goldberg
,
Katherine Allen
Article in Refereed Journal
“Life is already hard enough”: Lesbian and gay adoptive parents’ experiences and concerns after the 2016 presidential election.
Couple & Family Psychology,
Katie Gabriele-Black
,
Abbie Goldberg
,
Melissa Manley
,
Reihonna Frost
Article in Refereed Journal
Family building desires among a sample of transgender and nonbinary students.
Journal of GLBT Family Studies
Carly Guss
,
Sabra Katz Wise
,
Emily Martey
,
Abbie Goldberg
Chapters In Books
In A. Shanok & N. Eden (Eds.), Thriving in graduate school: The experts guide. Rowman & Littlefield.
Chapter: “To be your best self”: Surviving and thriving as a trans grad student.
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Abbie Goldberg
,
Beemyn Genny
Chapters In Books
In C. Price & K. Bush (Eds.), Families and change (6th edition) (pp. 127-154).
Chapter: LGBQ-parent families: Development and functioning in context.
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Abbie Goldberg
,
Nora McCormick
Article in Refereed Journal
People said we were nuts … I understand what they were saying now”: The transition to parenthood in sibling group adoption.
Children & Youth Services Review, 116, 105-209.
Frost Reihonna
,
Abbie Goldberg
Article in Refereed Journal
Community characteristics, victimization, and psychological adjustment among school-aged adopted children with lesbian, gay, and heterosexual parents.
Frontiers in Psychology, 11(372). doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00372
Abbie Goldberg
,
Randi Garcia
Article in Refereed Journal
“We don’t exactly fit in, but we can’t opt out”: Gay fathers’ experiences navigating parent communities in schools.
Journal of Marriage & Family, 82, 1655-1676.
Abbie Goldberg
,
Katherine Allen
,
Megan Carroll
Article in Refereed Journal
Lesbian adoptive mothers’ emotional responses and adaptation in the wake of relationship dissolution.
Journal of Women & Aging, 33, 184-200.
Katherine Allen
,
Abbie Goldberg
Chapters In Books
Chapter: Goldberg, A. E. (2019). Experiences of trans/gender nonconforming graduate students in higher education.
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Abbie Goldberg
Chapters In Books
Chapter: 6. Goldberg, A. E., & Roe, C. (2019). The seven core issues and LGBTQ families. In S. Roszia & A. Maxon (Eds.), Seven core issues in adoption and permanency: What they are and why they matter
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Abbie Goldberg
Chapters In Books
Chapter: Postpartum depression and anxiety in male-partnered and female-partnered sexual minority women: A longitudinal study.
