2.3 Treatment Goals and Plans
One important goal of the treatment was to help Michael manage his anger better. Part of this goal involved helping Michael identify the ways in which his anger actually got in the way of efforts to re-engage socially. In addition, Michael was not aware of emotions other than anger (i.e., “emotionally numb”). A second goal was to increase his exploration and awareness of other feelings. This was intended to help relieve his depression and also support communication and socialization. As a gay man, Michael was subject to minority stressors which included chronic discriminations and micro-aggressions. It was important for him to learn how to handle them in a more adaptive way and with a less negative impact on himself. It was also important for him to recognize the powerful emotions that came from his traumatic past and determine whether or not they were not helpful in managing day-to-day stressors. Last, most importantly, Michael had not properly grieved the loss of Drew, his friends and community. He had been left feeling unloved and had become dismissive of the idea of ever developing a deep relationship again.