Anger Management and Counseling in Minneapolis, MN.

Learning how to control your anger can improve your relationships, self-esteem and reduce the amount of stress you feel. Anger is a sign that something has hurt you. It is important to deal with that hurt in an effective way. Anger in of itself is not a bad thing. It is what a person does with that anger that makes all of the difference. Anger management is good for your health and all of those around you. Learning how to use your anger effectively will have a great imact on all parts of your life.

Anger doesn't have to rule your life. I recognize that people who struggle to manage their expression of anger are hurting. It doesn't feel good or empowering to lose control. I can help you take back the power anger has stolen from you and make the changes you are looking for. I believe that if you're coming to therapy you are ready for change. Let's work together to make it happen.

I'll help you understand the choices you have to manage and express your feelings in constructive ways. You'll become more aware, accepting, and assertive rather than reactive and misunderstood. Anger is a powerful emotion that needs to be expressed like any other emotion. Anger itself isn't bad - in fact, it's a useful signal that something's wrong and we need to take action. However, the way it's expressed can be either helpful or hurtful. Learn to center yourself and be proactive in expressing your anger in a way other people can hear.

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 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.