Anger Management and Counselling in Cobourg, ON.

Anger is a secondary emotion, meaning that something else is usually going on, other needs may not be met. Assistance with Anger management involves actively listening to your story, experiences, expectations, and frustrations. I will help you learn coping strategies to effectively notice and avoid unecessary anger, better communication strategies to deal with others, and adopt a healthier outlook on life to provide more realistic expectations.

Many of us grew up in families where we were told to rate our emotions as positive or negative. Positive emotions were love, joy, and compassion. Negative emotions were sadness, fear, anger, and rage. Unfortunately, anger got placed in the harmful emotion category for many of us, which is not where it belongs. Anger is a helpful emotion that strengthens our resolve to set healthy limits in our relationships. Anger helps us communicate what we need from others. Psychotherapy is a space where you can learn the positive attributes of anger and how to express it positively and safely. Let's get together and explore some of these healthier options for this vital emotion!

Have you ever felt like you needed to hold a piece of yourself back, fearing that people won't accept you? Do you feel you can’t be your true and authentic self around others? Are you constantly saying yes to things you want to say no to? Wouldn’t you rather feel like you’re in control? Others are more worried about how you act when you're angry than about why you're angry.

A response to life's events falls upon a continuum from neutral to highly-reactive. At times anger, Gandhi called it "Righteous Indignation," is necessary to respond to injustices or inappropriate behaviours. However, uncontrolled, inappropriate anger is destructive to one's self and others. Mindfulness and Metta (Loving Kindness) meditations are excellent tools to deal with anger. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) also called Tapping, along with skillful use of affirmations can help to cool the fires of anger. The benefits of anger management lead to a regulating of emotions and thus a gaining of peace of mind, positive relationships, career and family security.

Anger issues can be very destructive to relationships, careers and your health. Even though anger may have initially been used as way to help feel more powerful in the moment, it often leaves you feeling powerLESS in that it often feels like the anger is controlling you rather than you controlling it. It also becomes ineffective as a "problem solving" strategy in the long run. Anger usually hurts more than it helps. I will help you understand you anger - what causes it and why you fall into it so often - and provide the tools and support you need to overcome this issue. Anger may be trauma-based and I take a trauma-informed approach to therapy in general.

I believe that often times anger is a manifestation of unprocessed or repressed painful emotions. As such, I approach anger in a patient, respectful and inquisitive manner, allowing clients to access parts of themselves that they have disconnected from. I believe that when the emotions underlying anger can be brought to light and processed, then alternative ways of expressing those emotions can be explored. Contact me to book a free consultation.