Michael S. Astor M.A. LCSW, Psychotherapy © 2013
Anger is one of the biggest challenges many of us face. We either let it out and do or say things we regret, or we hold it in and explode inwardly or outwardly. We carry resentments that poison our daily lives and relationships. We damage our health suffering from, high blood pressure, damage to our hearts and vessels and countless other known health hazards of anger. We can also be addicted to anger and the power it makes us feel. We can feel that we are entitled to our anger and resentment and think we are giving in to let go of it, or it can even be frightening to think of letting go of resentment and anger. I can help you to work through the anger to gain a deeper understanding of its roots, to gain control without repression, or acknowledgement without damaging relationships or harming yourself or others, or using the power of anger to get what you want and need without force, transforming anger into empowerment.
Michael S. Astor M.A. LCSW, Psychotherapy
I can help you to gain a greater understanding of your moods and a greater acceptance of the shifts you experience. At the same time I can teach you tools to recognize, and moderate the intensity of moods. I can show you how to watch your moods and not be drowned by them. I can help you to reduce the destructive forces that moods can be. I can help you to gain perspective even in the midst of an intense mood experience. You can learn how moods affect and influence your thinking and actions and so reduce their power.
Low energy, negative thoughts about yourself, a pessimistic outlook on your future, sometimes feeling like there is no hope, difficulty enjoying much of anything all, spending more time in a painful inner dialogue then in anything else, inability to make or follow through on even simple decisions describe “depression”. You have heard the word many times. Many have tried to fix you, argued with your negative thinking, pointed out the positives. Some folks get angry and frustrated with you and then you feel bad for pushing them away. Maybe you have tried medication, maybe you don’t want to be “medicated”. Maybe you have tried to do other things like exercise, changing your thinking but nothing seems to help for very long. Sometimes depression is a natural function of change in our lives. Like a snake who hides while shedding an old skin, depression can be a symptom of unrecognized transformation.
I can help you start to take a close look at what you are feeling, emotionally, physically, mentally and spiritually. Let’s look in detail about the interactions or inner conversations between all of those aspects of yourself. Let’s ask together some of the more difficult questions, like: Who am I?, What is the point? Am I worth it? Let’s reexamine the expectations you have of yourself and life. I can help you find a way to be OK with yourself and “how it is” before we begin to think of how to “make it better”. I can help you to find some love for yourself as you are before you think about how you “should be”. Let’s be human beings, not human doings.
I can teach you the skill of non-judgmental self observation that will help to bring the present into clearer focus. You can begin to learn what it means to gain some self-acceptance. You can begin to let go of the responsibility of how you feel about yourself, you begin to understand the chain reactions that lead into and out of depression. This is the healing that can begin in our work together.