Anger Management and Counseling in Dranesville, VA.

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.

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?

We treat anger with compassion, as it is our experience that anger is usually a symptom of an underlying issue or feeling that is harder to feel or cope with in life. Issues with anger can also present themselves as a part of someone versus all of them. We treat all mental health issues from a trauma-informed, strengths-based, systems model of care.

Uncontrollable anger, a bad temper and aggression can lead to significant relationship and career failures. Identifying the triggers that cause one to become upset and learning more adaptive strategies and solutions are the essential ingredients for change. Cognitive restructuring, problem solving, improving communication and relaxation strategies are but a few approaches used in anger management treatment. Working with partners, spouses or family members is also beneficial. At times, medication may be warranted in conjunction with therapy or counseling. We at Ashburn Psychological Services are here to help.

Anger is a normal human emotion. It is a strong negative feeling that is often inappropriately expressed, negatively impacting interpersonal relationships. It is a secondary emotion rooted in fear, pain, and/or frustration. In therapy, we identify the origins of your anger and teach you alternative ways to respond and express yourself more effectively.

There is a lot in the world that can leave you feeling angry, especially right now! Anger is a natural human feeling, though people don't always know how to manage or what to do with it. Some find being angry can be scary or overwhelming, or gets in the way of more satisfying experiences. Working to better understand what makes you angry and any additional feelings (hurt, sadness, etc) can help you to better be able to advocate for what you need. In therapy, we will collaboratively come to better understand your anger and develop ways of approaching it that allows you to be heard.