Anger Management and Counseling in Valinda, CA.

Anger is very closely correlated to depression and is in fact one of its symptoms. When people get labeled as having "anger issues" I as a therapist suspect that there is some form of underlying depression and in most cases early childhood trauma. I use cognitive behavioral therapy, but I also use psycho-dynamic psychotherapy to get down to the root of the underlying reasons for the anger.

To externalized emotions will reduce anger. Anger held in internally hurts. I will assist you in developing a means to solutions and resolution without you feeling the pain from anger. Working at coping and letting go of highly intense emotions will lead you to emotional freedom with the ultimate goal being emotional wisdom. It is not always what we say to another, but rather how we say it.

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.

Anger is not wrong. How we hurt others or ourselves in anger is damaging. I work with clients to release their anger and frustration in healthy ways prior to interacting with anyone. We then work on how to release tension and understand their feelings so that when they discuss challenges they do not re-ignite and exacerbate the sitaution. We explore the cycle of anger and violence and create saftey measures so this cycle is altered. Self-responsibility is critical. We work on body relaxation, visualization, and breath work to help the client understand their body and utilize it more effectively.

All of us experience anger from time to time. It is a normal, commonly experienced emotion. However, anger can be incredibly destructive if we do not know how to control it. Frequent or misplaced anger can hurt our reputation, destroy our relationships, limit our opportunities, and damage our physical health. Acknowledging that anger has become an issue is the first step. Getting help is the second. I have worked with individuals and groups helping them to first identify, acknowledge, and then manage their anger for many years. I will help you gain the emotional skills and tools needed to control and manage your anger and help you to live a more harmonious life. Please feel free to call.

Feeling out of control can be extremely distressing, destructive, and can have a lasting impact on your relationships with others. Learning how to manage your emotions and effectively deal with anger is an important goal, and one that can be accomplished through active participation in therapy. The goals is for our clients to leave therapy with the skills and confidence that they can manage the challenges that come with everyday life. Learning such skills will directly help with increasing the quality of your relationships and decrease the negative impact of your anger in areas such as work, school, and family difficulties. It can also potentially help avoid any negative legal outcomes.

Anger is usually triggered when individuals have difficulties verbally expressing their feelings of frustration. All those feelings can lead to a violent physical altercation due to not being release the undesirable anger thru the use of communication. With a therapist support, skills can be learned on how to manage your strong undesired feeling and release them in a 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.

My approach to addressing anger management is practical, empathic and non judgmental. I aim to help clients look at what is underneath the anger, identify patterns and triggers to the big emotions and to develop adaptive ways in which to better communicate and cope. Together we work toward greater emotional awareness, improved self control, and more meaningful interpersonal relationships.