Anger Management and Counseling in Annandale, VA.

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.

Anger is an unresolved issue from the past, which eventually ruins most relationships in a person's future. Anger is an emotion that we all experience. However, how one deals with their anger can become a big part of a problem. For some couples, anger can make it nearly impossible to figure out what the problem is or how to fix it. Counseling will decipher the root of the anger, and then how the client may manage those feelings. Oftentimes, sessions will involve the client, and the people who reside with them. Residents are encouraged to participate in counseling sessions for healing. The biggest challenge to living with a resentful or angry person is to keep from becoming one yourself.

How do you know if your anger is serious enough to need help? A quick answer is if you find that anger is your go-to, knee-jerk reaction to everyday irritants and disappointments, or if your anger is compromising your quality of life, it may be time to talk to someone. My way of working with angry clients is to both search for the causes of the anger as well as figure out concrete, common-sense ways for anger to be managed on a daily basis. Anger itself is not the problem; often it's the management (or mismanagement) of it that brings on a host of other problems. Maybe you have a right to be angry! But wouldn't it be better to be able to express that anger in a way others can really hear it?

I help clients develop strategies and techniques for managing intense anger or aggressive episodes. These techniques involve learning ways to “cool off” and validate underlying feelings so that they may be communicated more effectively. Generally speaking, difficulty with anger is typically the result of a person having difficulty regulating their emotions.Emotional Regulation is achieving a balanced emotional life where you are neither numbed out from your emotional experiences nor emotionally overwhelmed by them. Achieving emotional balance is done through both talk therapy as well as learning specific concrete strategies for managing your emotional experiences.

Anger is a natural emotional response and it emerges as a combination of thoughts, statements, physical reactions, and overall physical arousal. One goal of therapy is to use anger as a helpful and constructive tool in recognizing and establishing boundaries or advocating for your needs. Another goal is to reduce agitation, aggression, argumentativeness, and tension, by learning and practicing skills that help you improve interactions with others and develop healthy ways to communicate your emotions.

We all experience anger in our lives. I help clients develop healthy ways to experience and express their anger by: • Identifying effective ways to handle anger and express feelings; • Understanding how feelings such as fear, pride and inferiority feed anger; • Transforming negative patterns of thinking, relating and behaving that influence anger; • Learning ways to communicate, resolve conflicts and meet needs successfully; and • Developing a healthy lifestyle that supports a successful life. The constructive use of anger, assertiveness, helps express and preserve our needs, worth, and convictions while considering and respecting the needs and feelings of others.

We all get angry sometimes. Anger, like other emotions, is important. It signals to us that something is going on that we need to pay attention to. Chronic irritability, rage and/or violent outbursts also can be a sign that our nervous systems are stuck on high. If we don’t slow ourselves down, anger can take up a lot of space in our relationships and our lives. I work with people to help them recognize the triggers for their anger and what meaning this trigger holds for them. I also help people learn how to calm down their systems. In this way, people can express their feelings and needs in a way that leads to happier lives and better relationships.

Anger is an emotion. And anger is usually the result of emotions building up inside. One of the traits that I bring to therapy related to anger management is being able to process how anger comes into any situation my clients are dealing with. In taking the time to identify how anger manages to invade my client's life we can work towards ways of preventing it from stopping the ability to live a fulfilling - and complete - life.

Anger management counseling can help to identify stressors and learn the steps to stay calm in the face of anger. The goal is to handle tense situations in more constructive and positive ways by reducing the emotional and physical arousal that anger can cause. It will provide the tools to take back your life and resolve the triggers that result in unplanned anger reactions.