Posted by spiritdt@comcast.net on Oct 4, 2013 in Chronic pain, Mindfulness | Comments Off on Psychotherapy and Minfdulness for Chronic Pain
As a psychotherapist who has dealt my own neuromuscular challenges, I have searched all my life for ways to minimize the pain and discomfort in my life. For years I felt helpless to change anything about the way I felt. I was fortunate to grow up in an age where holistic approaches to medicine were becoming part of the mainstream thinking and I naturally was drawn to this out of my own need to feel healthier and more peaceful about my life. Finding the techniques of mindfulness to ease the psychological and physical effects of my condition was a true blessing. The mindfulness approach was introduced by Jon-Kabat Zin and initially helped millions to achieve a more relaxed approach to life through meditative techniques. It made absolute sense to me that with a more relaxed approach to the day to day challenges, my body could achieve less tenseness and then less pain. I never realized that learning to observe my pain whether it be psychological fear or the sensation of physical discomfort could be helpful. Just be watching and observing all the nuances of the pain from a slight distance, the distance of observation would help me understand the difference between pain and suffering. I suffered when I became involved in the fears or the stories I would tell myself about the pain. In the moment if I could be truly present with the pain in the moment, it would come and go on it’s own. The less I identified with my body, the less significant the pain seemed to be. Once I could let go of the stories I would tell myself about the pain, the less anxiety I experienced. Psychotherapy and Mindfulness to Help you Cope Psychotherapy and Mindfulness can be powerful tools for you to use in your daily life. Teaching clients simple breathing techniques along with learning to witness and observe their physical and psychological states in every moment is a lifelong practice that becomes second nature after a while and truly improves the capacity to live in the present with so much more freedom and joy. Upper West Side Therapist, NYC David Tannenbaum, LCSW is a psychotherapist in private on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. David provides individual and couples counseling for a wide range of struggles including psycho-spiritual, grief, bereavement, loss, LGBT counseling, and chronic pain and...
read more
Posted by spiritdt@comcast.net on Sep 18, 2013 in LGBT community | Comments Off on Insecurities and Doubts Getting the Best of You?
The feeling of not being “good enough” permeates the LGBT community in much the same way that it does the heterosexual community. I have noticed over the years that coming out to ones friends and family is an important first step to self acceptance ,but within the LGBT community, there are other obstacles to overcome. Judgement from others around physical attractiveness and socioeconomic status can create insecurities that lead to social isolation. Many a client within this community have expressed a feeling that they are not part of the “in crowd”. They are usually referring to the imagined” A List Gays” that seem to have it all. Many within the LGBT community have faced the same type of insensitivity that heterosexuals have experienced. The feeling of being on the outside looking in can exist even after one finally accepts his or hers sexual preference. The comparison game runs rampant. Am I hot enough?, Do I have a nice apartment?, Do I have enough money to attract the right man?. Do I have the right friends?. One would think that since most of the LGBT community have suffered so much discrimination, there would be more sensitivity around these issues. But sadly this is not the case. If you feel or have felt this way you are not alone. The emotional pain of feeling rejected can lead to serious reflection on what is truly important to your life, learning to love your uniqueness, and create a life of purpose and meaning. To love ourselves simply for our existence and identify with our hearts rather than our biceps can be a valuable first step. Therapy can help you along this journey by healing where these ideas and beliefs are rooted, helping you love yourself, and create a more authentic...
read more
Posted by spiritdt@comcast.net on Sep 18, 2013 in LGBT community | Comments Off on Coming Out is a Brave Act
Coming out to friends and family as a gay, lesbian or transgendered person is the bravest act one can accomplish. It is the rare individual who says that it was “no problem”. For most, it is something that has been thought about for a long time. Even in 2013 when there is a much stronger gay presence in the media, and laws in some states for equality have been passed, prejudice still exists in the consciousness of the country. The courage that is required for this kind of disclosure can be overwhelming. The original meaning of the word courage is to tell your story with your whole heart. The root meaning of courage being heart. As a therapist I encourage all people to lead with their heart because that is where our greatest strength is revealed. It is frightening to expose oneself to rejection but even tougher to live an inauthentic life where our individuality is never fully seen. Our work in therapy can help you understand the roots of these fears and become a true companion and support for this life changing event. When a client understands how holding back such a major aspect of his being can suppress his energy in all aspects of his life, he or she is more willing to take this step. A supportive therapist can be enormously helpful. Accepting ones sexuality is only one aspect of who we are, but anytime we withhold one part, we withhold other parts as well. The goal is to become...
read more
Posted by spiritdt@comcast.net on Jun 4, 2013 in Featured | Comments Off on David Tannenbaum, LCSW, Psychotherapist in Private Practice on the Upper West Side, NYC
Most people seek out a psychotherapist out of a feeling of discomfort. They are tired of living with constant anxiety, a vague feeling of discontent, a sense that something is missing in their lives. The desire to change that and feel better, is a positive sign that you are motivated to do something about it. Seeking help is an important first step. I have been a psychotherapist for over thirty years on the Upper West Side in NYC, and I have been fortunate to help others develop qualities of presence and simplicity in their lives, to learn to love and live fully, and realize how our fears have limited us in seeing the many opportunities for our hearts to open. My practice helps people integrate a spiritual vision into their lives and helps them achieve true balance in the midst of an urban lifestyle. Psychotherapist, Upper West Side, NYC If you would like to make an appointment, or speak on the phone, please call my voice mail at (917) 441-6084. I will return your call within 24 hours and most likely within a few hours. If email works better you can send me one...
read more
Posted by spiritdt@comcast.net on Jun 4, 2013 in Featured | Comments Off on We cannot change anything unless we accept it. Condemnation does not liberate, it opresses. ~ Carl Jung.
Living with chronic disability or pain can affect ones day to day ability to experience life’s richness. It can lead to depression with an inability to appreciate how limitations can also be turned into strengths. Psychotherapy for chronic pain disability and illness can help you have compassion for yourself and your suffering can lead to new ways of finding meaning and purpose in your life. Discovering meaning in your suffering can be life changing. Realizing that we have a choice how to handle and think about chronic pain or chronic disability, can make all the difference in the world. Psychotherapy for Chronic Pain Disability and Illness Upper West Side NYC Learning the difference between pain and suffering is the key. Pain is the physical sensation of your condition. Suffering is how we think about it. Suffering can be so much more debilitating than pain. The fears and stories we create in our mind about our physical condition are often the leading cause of our emotional discomfort and inability to enjoy the lives we have. Living in the present takes practice but it can truly be a blessing for those of us trying to live fully in spite of our physical...
read more
Posted by spiritdt@comcast.net on Jun 4, 2013 in Featured | Comments Off on Everything can be taken from a man but one thing, the last of all human freedoms, To choose one’s attitude on any given set of circumstances,to choose one’s own way. ~ Victor Frankl
read more
Posted by spiritdt@comcast.net on Jun 4, 2013 in Featured | Comments Off on To conquer fear, you have to feel the fear and take action anyway. ~ John Maxwell
read more
