Anger Management and Counseling in El Cerrito, CA.

My approach to anger management is helping my client see what the underlying feelings, thoughts, and beliefs are that are driving them to act out there feelings through anger, and learn how to drop beneath the anger to the fear and/or pain that always underlies anger. Through doing this we can learn to express our vulnerability and share our feelings in a safe and healthy manner.

Anger is one of our fundamental emotions, part of the basic machinery of our mind and personality. In some ways it is a useful tool that helps to motivate and energize us in seeking fairness and justice in the world around us. But this powerful hold-over from our primal history can also be enormously destructive if we lose control of it. If your anger is slipping out of your control and you find yourself saying or doing things that damage your reputation or your relationships, hurt those around you, or otherwise consistently put you on the outside of society's expectations for behavior, you need help to find tools or strategies to change this and I would be happy to help.

Anger Management = dealing with unexpressed feelings that are buried, such as shame, grief, or fear, in a way that is acceptable to yourself and the world. I have worked with many individuals on anger relief - from perpetrators to people who feel victimized. I help you unearth the root of the anger/pain, and teach you coping tools to improve your life.

Anger is a damn tricky emotion. It can feel like it takes the driver's seat when it comes. It can feel terrible and bitter, or powerful and justified. However it feels, you probably already know that it can be hurtful to those around you and ultimately to yourself. Managing the immediate feeling of anger so you don't do and say things you regret is part of the answer, but not all of it. We need to figure out what makes you angry. There are often understandable reasons to be angry, but it helps to know why you are, because you don't want to end up expressing it toward the wrong people or to a level of severity that doesn't make sense.

I help men and teens who are struggling with anger management, transform their lives. You will benefit from psychotherapy by 1) learning to control your emotions in the moment, and 2) reducing your vulnerability to becoming overwhelmed and destructively angry in the first place. Relying on more than 10 years experience working with men, I will teach you how to monitor your state of physiological arousal so that you can intervene before you lose control. I will also help you explore the origins of your anger, in other words, where you "learned" to be angry in the first place. Gradually, you will gain a sense of emotional freedom and power as you increase your control and self-awareness.