Anger Management and Counselling in Trail, BC.

Many people have an uneasy relationship with anger. I use Narrative and Internal Family Systems approaches to working through anger issues, where clients are helped to understand that anger is part of the normal human range of emotions, and serves a unique purpose in our overall mental and emotional health. Together, we explore the functional role anger plays in their lives, and how a better relationship with anger can be fostered. Clients learn that turning toward and understanding their anger, rather than fighting or denying it, gives them more, not less power and control.

To incorporate either DBT skills training or Psychodynamic approaches when working with clients who may identify to having anger management. To assess and explore the root cause of such issues. The goal is to enhance the emotion regulation of the client and this may entail exploring their early childhood developments or if past traumas have been experienced. A focus on problem solving is the goal with emotion regulation skills training.

Anger and violence are wildly misunderstood issues. I believe that it is important to explore the context in which the anger or violence occurs. For example, does it happen at home, or at work, or in public? Who is impacted by the anger or violence? How do the individuals who are impacted resist and respond to the anger/violence? Through counselling we will explore the context of the interactions. Once we understand the context (who is doing what to who?) I will respectfully invite responsibility taking and strategies for more helpful communication and responses.

Our anger can be a sentry, a protector and a wise indicator that our boundaries have been transgressed or that something vitally important to us is threatened. It can also be a raging tyrant, a short fuse, a simmering internalisation that off-gases through passive-aggression, or a childish tantrum. Becoming intimate with our anger is synonymous with becoming intimidate with our power. In anger therapy, we will work to understand the unique way your anger process happens through somatic awareness, mindfulness and emotional intimacy. We will look at your history with anger, your family lineage, and you will learn tools to channel this fire in ways that support rather than hinder your life.

My approach is to use a step-by-step process that follows an evidence based approach: goal setting; self awareness; cognitive reframing; behavioural modification; review of progress. Fundamental to the work is a good therapeutic relationship. That is, we have the collaboration and trust to combine your knowledge of yourself and your situation and my skills and knowledge of the clinical issues to make change happen.

It sucks to be angry and loose control of our emotions. Anger can have a devastating impact on the people we love the most. I will support you in addressing the emotions, trauma and pain underneath anger and learn to identify your triggers and patterns. I will teach you tools to address your stress and help you learn to better deal with your emotions. Learning to communicate our needs in a way that will be received is also a part of how I address anger issues.