Anger Management and Counselling in Madoc, ON.

In today’s cultural environment we have been taught to avoid anger as it is undesirable and needs to be tamed or suppressed. I believe that anger is an emotion that needs to be understood. Anger is a signal that something in our lives calls for attention. I won’t attempt to suppress or eradicate your anger. Instead, we'll lean into understanding its origins, your triggers, and the messages it has for you.

Anger is an emotion, and like any emotion, it serves a purpose. When proportional and effectively directed, anger can motivate us to act and make changes. But when intense and expressed with fighting, swearing, and as an “explosion,” or inward toward yourself, it can lead to harm for both oneself and others. Together, we will explore the benefits of expressing anger effectively, learn how to not “bottle up” emotions, and delve into how cultural and family influences may have shaped your patterns of anger expression. Additionally, we will identify and practice skills, including mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.

Self management of strong emotions including anger can lead to a deeper understanding of ourselves and, in turn, more compassion for the human experience in all its manifestations. Through the therapeutic process in which one feels safe, freedom to explore powerful feelings, and constructive ways of managing frustration can be developed so that anxious, stressful or volatile reactions can be channeled for the well-being of the self and others.

In my experience of conducting the Men's Anti-violence groups, I can help with "self-regulation" of negative and highly charged feelings of anger and resentment, both in intimate family and work-related areas. My focus is to help people with a "hot-temper" or "short-fuse" by identifying and isolating feelings that may originate and reside in negative family dynamics where "injustice" and unfairness often are at the root of such "pent-up" unexpressed feelings. Or, you were "not allowed" to express such natural and valid feelings. Effective new "habits" are learned as are ways to "control" this reflexive and impulsive behaviour. I have seen positive and healthy change come about as a result.

I provide strategies using Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) for emotional regulation to manage anger, or other overwhelming emotions such as irritability, frustration, impulsivity, and lea to difficulty communicating and expressing feelings, which can be difficult to cope with. These issues can cause problems in relationships and work. Contact me for a free 15 minute consultation to discuss how this can help you.

Anger is a completely normal, often healthy human emotion. But if it gets beyond your control, it can be very destructive in your work and interpersonal relationships and can drastically devastate the quality of your life. Fortunately, anger can be 'managed' which is very different than 'suppressing' it. Unexpressed anger leads to a host of other problems including high blood pressure. However, when we learn how to 'manage' our anger, we can learn to diminish both the emotional feelings and the physiological arousal that anger causes. We can learn to avoid triggers and develop strategies. We can learn how to problem solve, change our thinking and relax our bodies.

Anger is like a grumpy cat with a tiny umbrella in a thunderstorm - unpredictable, a bit irrational, and often best approached with caution and a sense of humour! If you've been told you have "anger issues", or can recognize that you "lose it" too often, counselling that focuses on anger management can be a big help. When I work with clients on anger management, I assist clients in identifying triggers, exploring underlying issues that are contributing to anger, and developing coping strategies to manage and express anger in a healthier way. The goal is to promote self-awareness, teach assertive communication skills and constructive emotional regulation.

Anger is a common and useful emotional reaction. However, there are times when anger is excessive or extreme and controls a person to the point that it is hurtful to them, their life, and their loved ones. I work with clients to understand their experience of anger, learn to identify potential triggers and underlying issues, and develop coping skills to manage these issues and emotions. Clients will learn relaxation or calming strategies, how to communicate to reduce angry outbursts, problem solving skills, and how to alter negative thinking which may be contributing to the anger. This often results in clients feeling happier, more relaxed, and having improved relationships.

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 is a normal and healthy experience and is part of our fight/flight defensive response to protect ourselves. However, it can become damaging to one's physical, mental and emotional health if it becomes chronic and create an attitude of bitterness, resentment, and even hatred for self and others. Pent up or hidden anger can be harmful to the self and others, although acting out of anger is also most often harmful. Learn how to mange, cope with, and decrease your anger and make better choices and have better responses. Life becomes must happier when you do!

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is proven to be effective in managing mood such as anger. Using CBT and other helpful interventions, I can assist you to manage your anger. The goal is not to get rid of all anger, the goal is to manage and tame anger. If we can't control our anger, it can cause serious health issues, ruin relationships and careers, get you into trouble with the law, etc. I have developed an anger management workbook that can systematically guide you in your journey of recovery. You will feel a great sense of control and calmness.

Anger is like many emotions we experience - it can get too hot to handle and when it is not dealt with it causes problems for ourselves and others. It can often lead to relapsing into addictive tendencies, having conflict with others and doing and saying things we regret later. At OWA Therapy you will learn to deal with anger by understanding where it is coming from and developing ways of regulating it. Instead of anger calling the shots, we will learn to get in control of anger and become empowered enough to choose how we express it.

The use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is something that many anger management therapies incorporate. By trying to get a patient to open up about their emotions and feelings and being driven to accomplish a specific task (in this case controlling anger), a person can see positive results in their behaviour. By slowing down our thoughts, we can catch ourselves when anger presents itself and choose an alternate course of action, more in line with our goals.