Anger Management and Counseling in Irvine, CA.

The goal of anger management is to reduce both your emotional feelings and the physiological arousal that anger causes. You can't get rid of, or avoid, the things or the people that enrage you, nor can you change them, but you can learn to control your reactions. Anger management is an approach designed to help you manage the emotional and physiological arousal that accompanies anger. As it's often not possible to change the circumstances or people that elicit anger, anger management can help you recognize your triggers for anger and learn to cope with them more effectively.

Anger is a normal emotion that can lead to negative outcomes in your life and relationships is not effectively managed. Through therapeutic support, I help clients recognize the underlying roots of anger and provide practical tools and coping strategies to feel more in control over your thoughts, feelings and emotions using cognitive behavioral therapy and regulation management. CBT is one of the most widely effective choices for working with anger. *Please note-This is not anger management class nor do I provide court ordered anger management services.

Free 30 minute zoom call - Anger is a powerful emotion AND it's an energy we feel in our bodies. Generally, stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol are running through Anger can tell us that something isn't right in the current moment. It may also be the result of childhood trauma. When unresolved, this anger continues into adulthood. There are many ways that anger can be addressed - through changing thoughts & beliefs, learning to express feelings & needs and using brain science and nervous system education, clients can learn to calm & soothe themselves or what is called, "regulate the nervous system"

Anger is actually a secondary emotion. Below anger one can almost always find more vulnerable emotions. It is difficult to access and communicate those more vulnerable feelings when emotions are running high. The first step is to learn to turn down the volume of the emotions. This can be done a using a variety of skills which I teach, such as through breath control, progressive muscle relaxation, body scan, calming imagery and affirmations, etc. Then once quieted we can help you to understand and be able to use constructively the deeper feelings and needs which fueled the overly strong anger response.

As a culture, we do not do well with healthy expressions of anger. Often we are raised to suppress it and then we have limited practice at dealing with big emotion. There is a spectrum of healthy aggression- to keep us safe and to maintain boundaries- and rage- our body's strategy for safety. Anger management is about applying the right "dosing" to maintain boundaries yet not fracture relationships or suffer other losses. I am able to help you learn to regulate your body to be able to apply the appropriate "dose" to be effective and not destructive.

I help people struggling with anger management by working with them to develop awareness of their anger experience in their body and mind and how it is impacting their body. I help you learn and practice strategies for regulating your body and mind so you do not lose control of the anger. I help you to learn healthy communication of anger, and the development of conflict resolution skills. I support you in exploring issues of transference from past relationships and experiences that may be contributing to your strong feelings of anger in present circumstances and relationships. We create safety, increase positive expression of anger, and reduce or eliminate sources of anger when possible!

Using a combination of cognitive-behavioral therapy and mindfulness techniques I help individuals identify triggers and automatic negative thought patterns that lead to anger outbursts. Together we can work on changing these thought patterns and develop healthier coping strategies, such as deep breathing and relaxation techniques. In session we also work on listing skills, as well as assertiveness skills. Teaching clients Mindfulness practices can also help them cultivate awareness and emotional regulation, leading to greater emotional control and improved relationships.

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.

I aim to help my clients gain a better understanding of their emotions and how to manage them. My practice specializes in anger management and provides tools and techniques to help people maintain stable emotions, stronger relationships, and better communication. I also offer psychoanalytically informed counseling, which helps clients gain insight into their unconscious thoughts and behavior. With my understanding of the human mind, I am able to provide my clients with the support they need to make positive changes in their lives.