Anger Management and Counseling in Santa Rosa, CA.

Anger is a basic or primal emotion that is closley linked to the fight or flight response. So at its best, anger is there to protect you or a loved one. However, when anger is triggerred to easily, erupts inapropriatley, affects important personal or occupational relationships, then it is time to learn a new way of addressing your anger. I can help you learn better ways of communicating when you are angry that do not lead to destructive outbursts. I can also help you look underneath the anger to other issues and feelings that may be present. Some people get angry because it is a familiar feeling when really they are feelilng scared or sad. I can help you identify underling issues.

A response to life's events falls upon a continuum from neutral to highly-reactive. At times anger, Gandhi called it "Righteous Indignation," is necessary to respond to injustices or inappropriate behaviours. However, uncontrolled, inappropriate anger is destructive to one's self and others. Mindfulness and Metta (Loving Kindness) meditations are excellent tools to deal with anger. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) also called Tapping, along with skillful use of affirmations can help to cool the fires of anger. The benefits of anger management lead to a regulating of emotions and thus a gaining of peace of mind, positive relationships, career and family security.

I help people struggling with anger management by working with them to develop awareness of their anger experience in their body and mind and how it is impacting their body. I help you learn and practice strategies for regulating your body and mind so you do not lose control of the anger. I help you to learn healthy communication of anger, and the development of conflict resolution skills. I support you in exploring issues of transference from past relationships and experiences that may be contributing to your strong feelings of anger in present circumstances and relationships. We create safety, increase positive expression of anger, and reduce or eliminate sources of anger when possible!

As a culture, we do not do well with healthy expressions of anger. Often we are raised to suppress it and then we have limited practice at dealing with big emotion. There is a spectrum of healthy aggression- to keep us safe and to maintain boundaries- and rage- our body's strategy for safety. Anger management is about applying the right "dosing" to maintain boundaries yet not fracture relationships or suffer other losses. I am able to help you learn to regulate your body to be able to apply the appropriate "dose" to be effective and not destructive.

If you are grappling with anger that negatively impacts your live, you will find solace and transformation through anger management therapy. My specialized approach emphasizes improved somatic awareness, allowing recognition and understanding of the physical sensations tied to anger. By fostering a better understanding of emotional patterns, you will be guided to uncover the triggers and underlying causes of the anger. Personalized therapy equips you with the confidence and skills to exert emotional control over a wide range of emotions, leading to more harmonious relationships and a more balanced life. This journey is not just about managing anger, but about unlocking a more peaceful self.

Volatile, out-of-control anger can destroy so much of what you love. The necessary first step with destructive anger is to become sensitive to when and how it arises which allows you to employ well-practiced self-regulation strategies to divert the destructive explosion. My therapeutic domain is to help you with the equally necessary second step of anger work. The only way that you can ultimately resolve the anger problem in your life is to go to the hurt underneath the anger, which is the root cause. I provide a safe container and steady, empathic guidance as we move together to experience the depth and the texture of rich emotional energy that has been mis-directed through angry explosion.

One of the most misunderstood aspects of chronic anger is that it is actually a secondary emotion. Underneath chronic anger is pain from a core wound such as physical or emotional trauma or the victim- persecutor pattern. I will guide you to identify your core wounds and work on healing your inner child while also providing you with tools and outlets to help you control anger reactions with others. You will learn mindfulness practices such as cultivating a relationship with your Higher self, somatic practices breath work practices , as well as communication tools. I also incorporate radical forgiveness work, which is a game changer when it comes to healing anger issues.

Anger for a long time was labeled as a secondary emotion but some schools of thought have added it to the primary emotions. Whether it is primary or secondary, if you are looking for support with anger management therapy then it is an emotion that is not serving you well. Good for you for seeking support with that! Lets make a plan to get you feeling better.

Anger can often feel so overwhelming that it causes you to do things you later regret. Not knowing what came over you, there are many unanswered questions: why do I keep doing this? why can't I stop myself? Sometimes, alcohol, substances, or other addictive behaviours lead to this anger, making it more difficult to control. As an addiction counsellor, I help clients overcome addictions leading to anger issues so they can regain a sense of control, rebuild relationships, and gain clarity about how to move forward. If you are unsure where to start, send me a message and I can help. If I'm not the right fit, I can connect you to the right support so you can start gaining back control, today.