Anger Management and Counseling in Dayton, MN.

Are you having trouble keeping your anger in check? This is a common challenge for a lot of people. Anger is what I call an umbrella emotion, which means that it often covers up other emotions that are harder to share with others. It is really useful to take a look at what might be underneath the anger, such as hurt or fear. Anger is a very useful protection, and it might have served a very valuable function for you in the past. However, it is important to take a look and decide if it is useful to you NOW. If your anger is pushing people away, it might be time to learn a new way to express your feelings.

I approach anger management as a basic emotional skill. Like all skills, it can be taught and with practice it can be effectively developed in a short time. Some of the specific techniques I may use in teaching anger management are: identifying early signs of anger, breathing exercises, thought stopping, avoiding triggers, and teaching healthy emotional expression of a full range of feelings. I also use a variety of other techniques from cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to help my clients learn to effectively manage anger. Beyond the behavioral approach to managing anger I sometimes find it useful to explore the sources of the anger.

Anger is often a discharge of other emotions one may be experiencing below the surface. Anger can present itself in situations that involve ongoing sadness, worthlessness, hopelessness, adverse life events, chemical imbalances in the brain, persistent low mood, trauma, etc. Getting to the core of anger and identifying any core issues that may be present. Once there is increased awareness one can learn new coping strategies to better manage emotions and the development of anger.

Do you feel irritable and frustrated? Do you rage sometimes and don't know why? When you fight with your partner, parent, or friend does it escalate quickly? Anger can come from a deep part within you that may be bottle up. It is possible to remain cool headed even if your natural go-to is anger. I can teach you effective strategies and skills to help you remain calm and collected in those moments of frustration.

We have a number of clinicians that specialize in dealing with anger issues whether it is with children, adolescents, or adults. Figuring out healthy ways to cope with feelings is key. Often clients need help dealing with other emotions and/or need help examining their expectations of themselves and others. Our clinicians are able to help get to the root of anger issues and help resolve those problems.

I believe anger is the most misunderstood emotion. Anger is neither good or bad. It's perfectly normal to be angry it's HOW we express our anger that gets us in trouble. Another troublesome issue with anger is dealing with those angry feelings that get trapped inside. Anger turned inward can lead to depression so we have to be careful that we just don't stuff our anger. The good news is that getting our anger under control is easier than we think. There are two primary tools to effectively managing our anger: first is gaining insight into the underlying reasons for our anger, and next is learning effective ways to manage our anger. Do not live with unresolved anger, call today.

Do you often lose your temper with family, friends or strangers? Does it feel like rage sometimes “takes over”, leading to physically or emotionally hurting yourself or someone else? Do you always feel angry? All kinds of people struggle with anger: adolescents who feel “out of control,” parents who regret angry behavior toward their kids, former spouse abusers that never want to relapse, veterans with unresolved anger about deployment experiences, people with legal histories due to actions taken in anger. Together, we will work to identify your anger triggers, to provide tools to interrupt your triggers and to help you heal relationships that have been damaged as a result of your anger.

Anger becomes a habitual way of responding to frustration and stress in life. It can become particularly harmful for our relationships with others, whether that be in our romantic relationships, in our families, or in the workplace. Unfortunately, our society tends to reinforce aggressive ways of handling relationship difficulties and the general frustrations of life. Expressing impatience, frustration, and anger have become all too common as acceptable modes of handling conflict. Overcoming patterns of anger requires honest self–appraisal and a deep commitment to treating others with respect at all times using more respectful skills of effective assertiveness.

Anger itself is not bad, but many of us have not learned how to handle it or channel it in healthy ways. I will work with you to identify the triggers that challenge you and help you come up with a plan of how to talk yourself into a calmer place. Then when you speak, you will feel confident that you are representing yourself in a clear, strong way.

Anger Management therapy is often very structured for me. I use a curriculum to address the following: Anger. (What is it? What triggers anger? What makes it better/worse?) Quick Control of Anger. (Recognizing anger and learning ways to calm your emotions.) Strategies to Manage Anger. (What stops it? What is frustration? What is rumination? Strategies for managing unhealthy rumination.) Relationships. (Communication strategies) Challenging Angry Thoughts and Beliefs. (How our thoughts affect our anger) Challenges to Managing Anger.

There's no shame in asking for help with anger management. What causes shame is the damage you cause others when your anger spills out onto them. In any healthy relationship, disagreements are to be expected. But decisions need to be discussed and negotiated, not forced or made on the sly. Anger management is about learning how to regulate negative emotions, ask directly for what we need, and tolerate the frustration and disappointment that come with being in relationship with others. If you are struggling to hold it together without blasting people you care about, you need help with anger management.

Do you feel overwhelmed at time by people who push your buttons and bring out the worst in you? Would you like to be calmer and more in control when under stressful and challenging situations. Anger is a challenging emotion which can be managed with easily learned skills and strategies to help improve your interpersonal relationships and get the results you want!

Is your anger getting you in trouble at work or at home? Do you feel overwhelmed and sometimes out of control? If you are ready to stop hurting others and yourself then I can help. Together we will learn strategies to slow down your reactions to your triggers, keep yourself calm, and think before your respond. You can learn to transform your anger into effective communication by learning new skills and understanding how to love and accept yourself and those you care about. Please call today to get started.