Michael Upston, LCSW

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Michael Upston, LCSW, has treated individuals across the lifespan through individual, family, and group psychotherapy. He specializes in OCD and related disorders, anxiety and depression using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and family therapy.

Before joining the BioBehavioral Institute, he served as Director of the Community Advisory Program for the Elderly (CAPE) and Assistant Director of the Jewish Board of Family and Children’s Services Pelham Clinic. Michael provides integrative, evidence-based care tailored to each client’s needs and has many years of experience offering clinical supervision and training seminars.

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November 6, 2019

Participating in Life

Mindfulness has three parts: observe (creates space for choice), describe (labeling thoughts/feelings as what they are), and participate (fully engaging with reality to cope and live).

April 13, 2020

Keeping The Coronavirus in Mind

Manage anxiety by using mindfulness to distinguish facts from catastrophic thoughts. Only respond to concerns with real evidence to achieve a measured response.

April 24, 2020

Enjoying the Flowers

Use Cognitive Therapy to manage crisis emotions by focusing on facts. Use a thought record to identify and question distorted thoughts. If feelings conflict with facts, use Opposite Action.

May 15, 2020

The Final Word

To cope with major challenges, adopt heroic defiance: find value in the experience and growth, which takes back power and stops the hardship from defining your life.

March 10, 2021

How Little We Know

We can't control the future, as much of life is unknown. True confidence comes from engaging effectively with the present moment and prioritizing action over speculating about outcomes.

January 4, 2022

Ain't No World But This World

Regret involves fantasizing about a better life in a possible world, but the actual world is the only reality. Use these thoughts only to identify what is missing now, motivating you to accept what you can't change and take action in your current life.

January 10, 2023

Saying Goodbye to Just Right Feeling

The continuous search for the "just right feeling" is futile because life is inherently imperfect. Confidence comes from accepting this, letting go of the need for perfection, and having the courage to live effectively in an imperfect world.

June 13, 2023

Sitting With the End of Our World

The core fear of OCD is dread, which is addressed by Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). ERP involves exposing the individual to anxiety triggers while preventing the compulsion, which slowly "retrains" the brain and reduces anxiety.

THE HEALING POWER OF VALIDATION

You can experience life again. Let’s take steps together.

At Bio Behavioral Institute, we’re here to be your team and get you back to the life you deserve. Schedule your consultation and take the first step towards a more meaningful life.

Call our office at 516-487-7116 or complete the form to schedule your consultation.

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