Anger Management

Anger Management

Thinking about whether counseling for anger is appropriate for you? If you are wondering if you may have a problem with anger you should read our article  on “5 ways to tell if you or a loved one struggles with Anger,” that can identify whether this could be an issue that therapy could support. If you or a loved one has identified that there is a problem with the way that anger is being expressed or how it is manifesting into behaviors that are destructive, then counseling or therapy that focuses on managing anger in an appropriate way is a necessity. Our therapists who specialize in anger management and therapy to learn to resist the pull of anger understand that anger is an activating emotion with a myriad of expressions that can be either positive or negative.

We utilize a balanced approach, at times anger can lead us to understanding when our boundaries are being crossed. When we are mindful of our emotions we can express our feelings and needs constructively. Our counselors help adults, children, and teens manage their emotional responses in better ways. Whether you are court mandated to counseling for anger management or seeking therapy because you are tired of dealing with the consequences of limited emotional awareness and regulation, we can help, and even if you have decided to come because someone in your family has encouraged you to seek treatment, our counselors are glad to provide you with a comprehensive and ongoing assessment of your presenting concerns with the goal of deep long standing progress. We understand that the consequences associated with the problem expression of anger can be very troubling and even baffling, there are times that you as the client may not completely understand what has gone wrong or why someone is upset with what has happened, in other instances it may be difficult to remember exactly what has led up to the expression of anger or rage. These are all things that will be gauged in our assessment phase.

Our therapists are glad to work as a part of a treatment team to help our clients overcome the emotional and physical barriers which have prevented them from being able to provide emotional expression in social acceptable and helpful ways. We know that understanding emotions and responding to them is influenced by multiple internal and external factors including things that we learned in our childhood. It takes insight, compassion, and time to improve our communication and relationship with ourselves and others.

Treatment to manage anger better will involve the following:

• You will learn anger management strategies that you can activate in your life immediately.
• Your therapist will work with you to understanding the underlying mechanisms which cause emotional responses and outline a full list of personal triggers for anger and rage.
• You can learn new ways of expression your emotions in your daily interactions and relationships as a part of therapy.
• Often angry outbursts happen suddenly, you and your counselor can help you to identify the physical sensations and thoughts that are happening just prior to the expression of anger.
• You and your therapist will work together to develop a routine for how emotions can be responded to in constructive ways, some of which will be completely new behaviors.
• Examine any irrational component to your emotions such as anger.
• Discover whether your anger has any other source such as depression, a mood disorder, or personality disorder.
• Come to understand power dynamics within your relationship and how you may be using anger to exert control over your loved ones.
• Learn to utilize a wellness, mindfulness, and behavioral protocol which we be an opportunity to regulate emotions. Learning the skill of regulating emotions will be empowering and while exercising the new skill will initially be unfamiliar, with time, the client will feel really good about gaining mastery by deescalating heightened emotions.

One of the final goals is that the client can experience enhanced self-esteem as they achieve the positive effects of meeting their progress goals and being able to express themselves and handle hurt, disappointment, and frustration, and anger in new ways.