Local counselor and author A. Jay Kessinger publishes a book

A. Jay Kessinger

By Alannah Allbrett

“If God Gets Angry, Why Can’t I?” is the title of a book written by local author, Jay Kessinger (MSW, LCSW) a licensed counselor for over 40 years.

Kessinger says the book is not about God, and it’s not about anger. Rather, it is a book about attitudes and feelings. He explains that the word God is in the title because some of the attitudes discussed are moral and judgmental – God representing the ultimate moral authority in any given society according to Kessinger.

Likewise, the choice of the word Angry is prominent in the title because “Anger is the emotion that’s most likely to be judged in a condemning way when dealing with moral standards.” says Kessinger. “Judgment might be too harsh to apply to all situations,” said Kessinger in this discussion. “There are also what I call non-accepting attitudes toward certain feelings,” demonstrating a person’s feelings might be judged as unacceptable, inappropriate, or just not important. An adoption of these attitudes can lead to internal conflicts and counterproductive ways of dealing with feelings.

Some of the weighty topics this book tackles are: the purposes and functions of feelings; sexual feelings; spiritual experiences, and using feelings to help manage one’s life. The book’s goal is help people manage their feelings (and their lives) in productive new ways.

Jay has worked in the field of mental health as a counselor, psychotherapist, and a case manager. He has practiced at State Hospital North, in outpatient mental health, and in private practice.

To learn more about the specifics of this book, published by Digital Legend, visit the following webpage: www.ifgodgetsangry.com/ or check out the link on Facebook.