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.