Anger Management and Counselling in Kingston, ON.

Anger can be directed inward (depression) or outward towards others. We will uncover where in your body you feel the anger, how it affects your actions and feelings that it can generate. Will help you to label and express your angry feelings in a healthy and safer way eg. journaling, sports and being heard and feeling seen in therapy. Anger can be useful in some situations and can be a protection to some people. We will uncover together what your anger is like and what purpose it serves.

If anger has a hold on you and your life, therapy can help you feel free again. I can help you learn the necessary skills to manage overwhelming emotions that arise due to anger and help you identify the roots of your anger. Therapy can also help a person address underlying emotions and memories that may be contributing to the distress. With time and patience, anyone can learn to control their anger, and I am here to help you through this journey.

In working with clients with anger-management problems, my approach often involves helping them feel understood and heard. Then, to increase their awareness of the different contributors to their issue, be it from unresolved feelings about past events, difficult recent events or worrying about the future. Using a structured cognitive-behavioral approach, such as found in CBT based workbooks such as the Cognitive Behavioral Workbook for Anger (William J Knaus) is often part of my strategy to increase insight and healthier coping skills.

Anger issues can be very destructive to relationships, careers and your health. Even though anger may have initially been used as way to help feel more powerful in the moment, it often leaves you feeling powerLESS in that it often feels like the anger is controlling you rather than you controlling it. It also becomes ineffective as a "problem solving" strategy in the long run. Anger usually hurts more than it helps. I will help you understand you anger - what causes it and why you fall into it so often - and provide the tools and support you need to overcome this issue. Anger may be trauma-based and I take a trauma-informed approach to therapy in general.

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.

If anger has caused too much damage to the relationships in your life, please reach out - there is hope. I provide a structured and compassionate approach to understanding and managing your anger. I provide a safe space for clients to express their frustrations while helping them identify the underlying emotions and triggers fueling their anger. Through tailored strategies, such as relaxation techniques, cognitive-behavioral tools, and communication skills, clients will learn to respond to anger in healthier, more constructive ways. My goal is to help clients gain emotional control, improve relationships, and develop lasting coping mechanisms to handle future challenges.

Anger is a natural emotion, that often comes secondary to the initial emotion. Anger is a behavioural response to unmet needs, not being heard, not listening to the primary emotions, and/or not voicing your concerns. Counselling may help you slow down the behavioural response and focus on performing more effective behaviours (e.g., communication). Through improved self-awareness, identifying emotions, addressing thinking patterns, and having behavioural options improvements can be seen. If individuals are willing to put in the work, they can lead more fulfilling lives and develop better personal and professional relationship.

Maybe you are reaching out because your words and actions are affecting those you love. We will work together to address your emotional reactivity so that you can create enough space before your actions so that you can choose a different path. We will explore what is underlying your anger so that we can address the root cause. Anger is a secondary emotion, and we will work to discover the primary emotion that is causing you such difficulties.

Anger presents in various forms and can range in intensity within and between individuals. When working with clients who see anger as a barrier in their lives, I strive to work together to gain an understanding of where the anger comes from, determine its different features and triggers, and explore the possible ways that you can feel more in control over this experience. Please contact me for a free consultation to learn more about my approach and to determine if we would be a good fit.

Anger is the outward expression of internal pain. Often, it is easier to be angry than to feel painful emotions such as sadness, loss, and grief. However, working through the underlying foundations of anger is not easy. By recognizing and understanding the feelings driving your anger, we can help you resolve your anger issues and support positive change in your life.

While anger is one of our five basic emotions, it is often the one that gets the worst rap. Anger makes people uncomfortable, and for understandable reasons. When we are angry, our brains go off-line and there is no reasoning with us. We are illogical, we are loud, we might yell or swear or blame others. Frustration is often a cause of anger, but it’s not the only root cause. Stress also plays a critical role in anger building up. Thankfully there are a lot of great concrete strategies that can help lessen the intense flames that burn within. Having a fire extinguisher is not necessary… just a quick call to a therapist will do.

Perceptions of anger vary based on personal experiences; some of us have experienced it as a destructive force presented through aggression or violence. Whether anger is getting in the way of authentic connection, resolving differences with others, or impacting your overall mental health, understanding it can be a helpful first step in anger therapy, also known as anger management therapy. Schedule a free consultation to see if we are a good fit for therapy.