Anger Management and Counseling in Milpitas, CA.

Anger is a natural feeling that everyone experiences. It is what we do with out anger, how we handle it, that can cause us trouble. I help my clients understand their thoughts and their reactions by beginning with an understanding of what happens in their bodies when they get angry and or frustrated (they go hand in hand). We look at ways to recognize when anger is building and importantly to recognize the triggers, what is going on just before the feelings build. Together we explore the thoughts and feelings, help change some of those thoughts and learn important ways to manage them.

Managing anger is an opening of the door to the Self. Therapy is of tremendous value for anyone who wants to learn more about responding in the world rather than reacting in the world -and later wishing you hadn't....again and again and again.Managing anger has nothing to do with willpower and everything to do with gaining consciousness, setting intentions, and learning about the wounded parts of the self that are lurking below the surface that can trigger such chaos in one's life. ready to get off the roller coaster of reactivity and begin to feel empowered and happy like never before? Please call to learn how i work with anger management today at 925-520-5263.

Your anger is an attempt at reclaiming power and control. The problem is that when others feel victimized in some way by your angry outbursts, they naturally become defensive and perhaps angry as well. I can help you find more effective ways of expressing yourself and getting your needs met. Underneath the angry feelings are the vulnerable feelings of fear or hurt. Once these are acknowledged and cared for, either by yourself or another, there is movement towards ease and contentment. I can help you slow down the powerful reactions, and get to the core so that you find your real needs and your abilities to connect healthfully with others.

I provide individual psychotherapy for anger management. Anger is normal emotion that everyone experiences. It becomes a problem when one expresses anger inappropriately or one lacks the proficiency to express any emotions but anger. I use Humanistic and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) to help my clients understand their anger, improve their emotional experience, and express their emotions in healthy ways. A healthy emotional life is the cornerstone of living a full and successful life.

Angry outbursts usually reflect an autonomic nervous system that is dysregulated from unresolved trauma and accumulated stress response. Not only do I work with you to give you new tools and ways to put a stop sign between the stimulus and your anger reponse, but using the tools of Somatic Experiencing we can actually discharge that fight or flight energy that is backed up behind the dam waiting to explode. This will leave you feeling calm and well regulated in the face of daily stresses and encounters.

Anger is an emotion that is generally not allowed in our culture. It is something that we tend to either avoid or overuse. The first step is awareness and taking ownership of what feelings belong to you and why. The second step is to find healthy ways to release the anger. And thirdly, therapy can help you express your feelings in a healthy format so that you can take better care of yourself and be the person you truly are.

ANGER....something that we all have negative (if not traumatic) experience with. We are taught from a young age that it is no o.k. to feel or express anger. Unfortunately, simply because we ignore or suppress does not mean that it disappears. If left unacknowledged, it remains in our minds, hearts, and bodies. Further, the inappropriate expression of (or LACK of healthy expression) can cause severe damage to our most cherished relationships. Therapy is the ideal place for articulating, as well as learning how to effectively express, our anger. Remember, anger is only an internal alarm system telling us that something needs attention. It's what we do with it that matters.

Anger is one feeling that seems to come up readily when we are hurt, feel misunderstood, feel hopeless, or wronged. Anger in itself is not a bad thing. It is an emotion like all others, but how we find resources, who we turn to, having someone to talk to, and then deciding what to do, can be helpful. Anger can be a useful tool if we can understand what has triggered us and what to do about it in ways that are not self destructive. I offer a safe place to explore all the feelings surrounding anger so that it starts to feel like something you have a choice in expressing the way you want to.

Clients from various backgrounds take many different approaches to think about, feel and express anger. However, when anger negatively impacts one’s relationships, it is important to explore what is contributing to an unhealthy experience of anger. In my collaboration with clients, we venture out to explore the conscious and unconscious factors that may need to be brought to light, in the context of perhaps other biopsychosocial (biological, psychological or social) factors that may need attention. Clients who learn to understand, better identify and manage their impulses, cultivate insight and explore opportunities to practice developing skills to have an improved sense of self-mastery.

Donald Dufford,Ph.D., Licensed Clinical Psychologist, has specialized training and experience in Anger Management. Dr. Dufford provides a safe, non-judgemental environment to overcome anger, frustration and relationship issues. Where appropriate he can help uncover and clear past trauma or underlying emotional patterns that fuel frustration as well as teach specific tools and techniques to change behavior in the present. Learn how to be calm and effective in any situation. Call now for a free ten minute phone consultation.

Anger can feel like an all consuming reaction to something other may have done to you intentionally or unintentionally. However, we always wind up on dealing with the aftermath of our anger when we didn't even feel like we were in control of the situation. If this is happening, we will working on developing anger management strategies. We will identify those common words or behaviors that set us off and try to better understand our anger in the beginning stages. This will allow us to start establishing and using coping strategies that will put us in control. Ideally, these techniques and strategies will help improve our relationships with those that we want to spend time with.

Think before you speak. Express anger when calm, not in the heat of the moment. Take a few moments to collect your thoughts before saying anything — and allow others involved in the situation to do the same. I teach clients to express frustration in an assertive, non-confrontational way. To state concerns and needs clearly and directly, without hurting others or trying to control them. There are several useful, evidence-based methods to use in the face of unhealthy behaviors such as anger mismanagement. I teach my clients to become aware of these habits, and work on changing them by engaging them in talking about what lies underneath anger which is a secondary emotion.

Do you find it difficult to distinguish between experiencing the emotion of anger and the behavior you exhibit when angry? While "anger-management" techniques are somewhat helpful, the results are often not sustained. Appropriate attention to the underlying issues of depression and anxiety is critical in effectively addressing anger-related difficulties. A combination of Cognitive-Behavioral and Psychodynamic therapies focused on these issues can greatly help you to learn with and accept your "emotion" of anger without needing or being triggered into "behaving" in an angry and destructive manner. If you have trouble controlling your anger and want help, feel free to contact me.