Anger Management and Counselling in Nanaimo, BC.

Anger is a normal healthy human emotion. When people allow it to get out of control it can turn destructive, it can lead to problems at work, personal relationships, and the overall quality of life. I like to think of anger using the metaphore of a hammer. You can do a lot of things with a hammer. You can build things and you can tear things apart. The hammer is just a tool just like anger can be a tool. Anger isn't the problem, it's what you do with it. I help people learn the skills they need to use their anger and the underlying hurt and feelings of injustice to make positive choices that lead to positive relationships and experiences.

Individuals struggling to manage anger can be exhausting and overwhelming; often there is a significant negative effect on others in their life. We will work to uncover where the intense anger is originating from and heal. We will also wok to develop new skills and tools to manage emotional situations in a more positive an effective way. It is also important to work to heal the damage to loved ones whom have been affected.

We all experience difficulties from time to time in managing our emotions. We feel anger, frustration, anxiety and irritation. When not properly managed we may experience stress, burnout, and feel unsatisfied with life. Our relationships and parenting skills may suffer. Sometimes this is due to us having too many issues to deal with at once, lack of supports in our lives; and when not taught to us, a lack of skills or resources to cope. Seeking the support of a counsellor can help. I have facilitated anger management workshops, and provided one on one counselling to teach coping and management skills. As a former Forensic Therapist, I am qualified to provide court ordered treatment.

Therapy with me offers a safe, supportive space to understand and manage anger. We'll explore your triggers, build healthy coping tools, and uncover what's beneath the surface. You'll learn to express yourself clearly without losing control, strengthen relationships, and feel more grounded and in control of your emotions.

Olivia is skilled in helping clients work through anger issues, guiding them to understand the underlying causes and triggers behind their emotions. She uses a cognitive behavioural approach to help clients manage their anger in the immediate moment, offering practical strategies to respond constructively. Olivia collaborates with clients to identify support networks that can provide ongoing care. Her compassionate and non-judgmental approach fosters self-awareness and empowers clients to channel their anger in healthier ways, promoting personal growth and stronger relationships. Through her guidance, clients develop tools to manage their emotions and build a foundation for lasting change.

Anger, although a completely healthy human emotion, can also turn destructive and become a powerful unpredictable emotion. Expressing anger in an assertive non aggressive way, making clear what your needs are and to get them met respectful of both self and others is imperative. Working together to determine the underlying cause of the anger. earning how to calmly and respectfuly have these needs met, learning relaxation, problem solving and better communication skills are what is needed to be learned. Unexpressed anger can cause hypertension, high blood pressure and depression as well as highly explosive behaviour. With committment these new skills can be learned.

As I work with clients struggling to navigate anger management, I like to gather information about how anger presented itself in the home while they were children. I view anger as a symptom for a problem (or problems) that are deeper rooted and anger has become the default reaction. I like to find ways to address the underlying emotions that are being displayed through the anger.

“Speak when you are angry and you will make the best speech you will ever regret.” Ambrose Bierce Anger is often an intense emotional response that can negatively affect people’s lives. Many people struggle to manage and express their anger effectively due to often intense and overwhelming feelings. Families, work, friendships and one’s personal well-being can be destroyed unintentionally along the way. Although we cannot control anger provoking situations, we can learn step by step techniques for successfully and efficiently managing them. Through counselling we will work to access the issues provoking anger and outbursts, and develop tools to identify and effectively manage emotional triggers. When needed, we will also work with families and...(view profile to read more)

Anger management involves more than just identifying triggers; I can help you get beneath the anger, turning off the "auto-pilot" and transforming anger at its root, before it becomes destructive. With effective tools like CBT, Mindfulness, Internal Family Systems Therapy, I can get you the skills you need to you slow down interactions and respond rather than react. I have extensive experience and training in anger management; for several years I ran the Solicitor General's Relationship Violence Program, teaching ready-to-use skills to deal with anger.

If a client comes to me with anger management, I would approach them with curiosity and examine the root cause of the anger. Depending on the source of the anger, I would determine what type of approach to use. For example if the anger was caused by a specific event, if the client agrees, we would explore that specific event in detail, as well as practical strategies to manage the existing anger. Approaches I use are Alderian therapy or EFT for treatment.

Through groups and individual counselling, we use cognitive behaviour therapy to help clients learn about the cues and triggers connected to anger outbursts. Awareness of one's experience of anger is the first step to making change. After this, we work on new responses that are more effective than uncontrollable anger. If this is something you would like to work on then Island Clinical Counselling has solutions to your difficulties.