Anger Management and Counseling in Columbia, MD.

I have run anger management programs for many years. I have an eight week program to assist clients to experience and express their anger and other feelings in ways that are healing. I have also provided couples with ways to communicate their anger so they feel heard and better understood. Often times people are feeling sad or hurt but can only feel safe with the feeling of anger. I will give you tools to express all your feeling to feel calmer and peaceful.

First I help the client to understand the purpose of their anger. There are usually feelings underneath, such as, hurt, sadness, feeling betrayed. Anger is a warning that something is wrong. We explore other ways to handle the issue without acting out the anger. Many people are impulsive and will need to change this habit to learn new ways to deal with their feelings. Groups can be very helpful. It is important to learn how acting out anger affects other people especially those you are close to.

Anger is a natural response to hurt and fear but it can cause more pain in our lives if we use it to hurt others, physically or emotionally. Anger that is destructive, usually comes from an old hurt that we are carrying within us. This hurt has been painfully touched by circumstances or by the actions of someone else. First we need to learn ways to stop our hurtful actions by taking a break or walking away. Then, however, we need to turn our attention to the underlying hurt and to bring compassion and care to our own hurt self. You will find that at the same time, you become more compassionate toward other people.

I do not help clients to "manage" anger. I help them to understand its source and to use it productively rather than destructively. Sometimes it covers up some other feelings that need to be dealt with, and sometimes it is simply directed at the wrong person. By coming to understand your anger better you keep it from making problems and use it to find solutions.