Anger Management and Counselling in Mount Albert, ON.

Where is your anger really coming from? Where do you feel it in your body? What sort of rage takes you over and renders you completely out of control? Anger is a complex emotion that is often misunderstood. It is actually a result of profound sadness transformed into a physical and often violent outburst. Working with anger is not just about coping with the events that bring about the response, but digging deep into the cause of the sadness and resultant anger and rushes out of you often unexpectedly. Let's work together to solve this mystery—with the dual goal to lessen the symptoms as well as to find the deeper cause.

Anger, frustration, rage, and reactivity overall, can make a person feel frustrated and powerless; when we have emotional outbursts of any kind they can feel so all-encompassing and make us feel like we are not in control of feelings, thoughts, and behaviours. In working with clients on their emotions I aim to primarily promote an understanding of why our emotional outbursts occur; once this has been established we begin to work on how to manage, mitigate, or change how these outbursts occur, or why we feel the way that we feel in the first place.

Anger is a normal emotion. However, anger becomes a problem when it occurs frequently, is disproportionate to the situation that triggered it, when it leads to verbal or physical aggression, and when you cannot “let it go” even after the situation has passed. Anger management helps people identify the triggers for their anger and to develop strategies to manage those triggers so they do not lead to excessive or inappropriate anger. While it may not always feel like it, there is a step between whatever triggers your anger and your feelings and expression of anger. You may not be able to avoid the people or situations that make you angry, but you can learn to change your reactions to them.

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.

Anger is normal and tells you something is wrong in your life. However, some of us need to learn to express our anger differently. Counselling involves learning to identify your unique triggers, and exploring new responses that are healthy to you and those in your life. It is most effective in managing your anger if you can identify causes of your anger so we will look at family history of anger and life experiences. Learning communication skills and healthy boundaries may help you reduce your angry responses and be more relaxed in your life and relationships.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is proven to be effective in managing mood such as anger. Using CBT and other helpful interventions, I can assist you to manage your anger. The goal is not to get rid of all anger, the goal is to manage and tame anger. If we can't control our anger, it can cause serious health issues, ruin relationships and careers, get you into trouble with the law, etc. I have developed an anger management workbook that can systematically guide you in your journey of recovery. You will feel a great sense of control and calmness.