Deriving inspiration from his father, who was an educator himself, Dr. Allan P. Gold decided to walk the same path. During his first graduate studies in statistics, he joined the United States Army Reserve during the Vietnam War, where he joined a medical unit that introduced him to the field of psychology. From that point forward, Dr. Gold became enthralled with the psychology industry and, subsequently, applied to collegiate programs in the discipline. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in mathematics and a Master of Arts in statistics, both from the University of California Berkeley. Thereafter, he returned to his alma mater and received a Bachelor of Arts in psychology and a Doctor of Philosophy in educational psychology in 1978.
A nationally certified school psychologist, Dr. Gold joined the Reed Union School District in Tiburon, California, in 1976, where he continues to the present day as a district psychologist. In his role, he helps organize groups for children who are struggling with various life dilemmas, such as parental divorce, poor social skills, parental illness, special needs siblings and other occurrences that may require counseling. Additionally, he conducts individual and group counseling for children, thereby introducing them to the importance of mental health from a very young age. He also has run mathematics clubs for 35 years to challenge high-achieving mathematics students. During this tenure, he also taught as an adjunct professor at his alma mater between 1980 and 1987.
A member of the California Association of School Psychologists and the National Association of School Psychologists, Dr. Gold has also served as the chairman of the board of the nonprofit Being Adept, educating middle school students about substance abuse. Likewise, he has been the president of his local synagogue. As a testament to his success and involvement in both academia and psychology, he was honored with two Outstanding School Psychologist Awards from the California Association of School Psychologists in 1991 and 2017. Furthermore, he received the 2014 Rotary Club Award from Rotary International and the 1994 First Educator Award for Outstanding Educators from the Reed Union School District. He considers his accolades as highlights of his career.
Looking toward the future of his life and career, Dr. Gold intends to witness the continued growth and success of his present career in psychology. Recently, he established the TEA Club, which teaches children the significance of equity and acceptance during their lunch periods. Moreover, he started the Gender Sexuality Alliance, a student organization for children to have a safe space to talk about sexuality and gender identity.
