Anger Management

Who Was Your Role Model on How to Express Anger in a Healthy Way?

How have you seen anger expressed in your life?  Many of us have never seen anger expressed in a way that does not hurt anyone.  Typical expressions of anger are shaming, blaming, yelling, and/or hitting.  Since these methods of expressing anger are usually hurtful, some people learn not to express their anger at all because they don't want to hurt anyone.  Many live in fear of anger.

Anger Does Not Equal Violence!

Anger is often acted out in violent ways.  When I say "violent ways" I mean in ways that are hurtful to ourselves or others, emotionally, physically and/or spiritually.  Violence is the unhealthy acting out of the anger, not the anger itself.

What is Anger?

Anger is a natural human response that we feel when emotions such as fear, hurt, loss, disappointment, discouragement, etc, are felt with a sense of powerlessness.  We typically only get angry when we think we cannot change what is bothering us. 

Effects of Avoiding Anger

Because most people lack healthy skills of expressing anger they tend to hold it in so that they do not hurt others.  When we hold our anger in it stays inside of us and blocks us from feeling the same levels of joy that we could feel otherwise. Often not expressing our anger can lead to feeling depressed or numb.  Others react as if they are a victim and have no control over their life's circumstances.  Even when we do our best to hold it in, anger usually finds a way out.  Common ways that anger leaks out when we have been holding it in are:

• Blowing Up Over Little Things
• Acting out Passive/Aggressively
• Sarcasm
• Self-Harmful Behavior
• Road Rage
• Through Addictive Behavior
• Complaining and/or Whining

Benefits of Expressing Anger in Healthy Ways

Feeling anger is an inevitable part of life.  Expressing it in healthy nonviolent ways helps us feel more:

• At Peace
• Empowered
• Joyful
• Connected
• Alive
• Safe

My Approach to Anger Management

I individualize my approach to anger management depending on your history with anger and how you react to it.  Together we will work to help you learn to feel safe with anger and to find healthy ways of expressing it that are comfortable and most effective for you.  As you develop tools for expressing your anger I will help you move the energy of your anger into your passion giving you a greater sense of power in your life which will contribute to a decrease in the amount of anger you feel.

You may also want to participate in my workshop: Taking Control of Anger .  In this workshop we focus on channeling our anger to our passion and our power, and learn how to use it as a tool to help us get what we want out of life.  Workshops happen every couple of months.  Click the link for more information on this workshop.