Anger Management and Counseling in White Oak, MD.

Anger is an emotion. And anger is usually the result of emotions building up inside. One of the traits that I bring to therapy related to anger management is being able to process how anger comes into any situation my clients are dealing with. In taking the time to identify how anger manages to invade my client's life we can work towards ways of preventing it from stopping the ability to live a fulfilling - and complete - life.

How do you know if your anger is serious enough to need help? A quick answer is if you find that anger is your go-to, knee-jerk reaction to everyday irritants and disappointments, or if your anger is compromising your quality of life, it may be time to talk to someone. My way of working with angry clients is to both search for the causes of the anger as well as figure out concrete, common-sense ways for anger to be managed on a daily basis. Anger itself is not the problem; often it's the management (or mismanagement) of it that brings on a host of other problems. Maybe you have a right to be angry! But wouldn't it be better to be able to express that anger in a way others can really hear it?

First I help the client to understand the purpose of their anger. There are usually feelings underneath, such as, hurt, sadness, feeling betrayed. Anger is a warning that something is wrong. We explore other ways to handle the issue without acting out the anger. Many people are impulsive and will need to change this habit to learn new ways to deal with their feelings. Groups can be very helpful. It is important to learn how acting out anger affects other people especially those you are close to.

We all experience anger in our lives. I help clients develop healthy ways to experience and express their anger by: • Identifying effective ways to handle anger and express feelings; • Understanding how feelings such as fear, pride and inferiority feed anger; • Transforming negative patterns of thinking, relating and behaving that influence anger; • Learning ways to communicate, resolve conflicts and meet needs successfully; and • Developing a healthy lifestyle that supports a successful life. The constructive use of anger, assertiveness, helps express and preserve our needs, worth, and convictions while considering and respecting the needs and feelings of others.