Anger Management and Counseling in Woodbridge, VA.

Anger is a natural response to hurt and fear but it can cause more pain in our lives if we use it to hurt others, physically or emotionally. Anger that is destructive, usually comes from an old hurt that we are carrying within us. This hurt has been painfully touched by circumstances or by the actions of someone else. First we need to learn ways to stop our hurtful actions by taking a break or walking away. Then, however, we need to turn our attention to the underlying hurt and to bring compassion and care to our own hurt self. You will find that at the same time, you become more compassionate toward other people.

All of us experience moments of unwanted emotional intensity and that is normal. However, if you are experiencing moments of intense emotional intensity that you are unable to control, we can help you regain your emotional self-control. We will work with you to help you gain insight into the disruptive emotions and impulses that make you feel out of control and helpless. We will enable you with tools and strategies that you can use to improve your relationships and make your life more fulfilling and enjoyable. Emotional self-control can be learned and we can help.

Anger is a natural emotional response and it emerges as a combination of thoughts, statements, physical reactions, and overall physical arousal. One goal of therapy is to use anger as a helpful and constructive tool in recognizing and establishing boundaries or advocating for your needs. Another goal is to reduce agitation, aggression, argumentativeness, and tension, by learning and practicing skills that help you improve interactions with others and develop healthy ways to communicate your emotions.

We treat anger with compassion, as it is our experience that anger is usually a symptom of an underlying issue or feeling that is harder to feel or cope with in life. Issues with anger can also present themselves as a part of someone versus all of them. We treat all mental health issues from a trauma-informed, strengths-based, systems model of care.

Many people have quick tempers and are easily flooded with unhappy emotions. Using new information from neuroscience, we help people learn to observe and think about their own anger process, and then learn ways to re-evaluate and apply “antidote” thoughts to the angry ones. Conversely, many people carry resentment and grudges, and have a lively inner critic of themselves or others, but don’t know how to effectively request what they need and want. They may stew rather than share the needs for safety, control or connection which fuel the anger. Again, we help people follow the feelings, re-appraise them, and come up with a whole different set of actions and reactions. And then practice them in rea....

Has your anger taken on a life of its own? We can help you find a way to put anger behind you that works. Anger that doesn't go away or flares up when it's not helpful is a sign that something inside you needs to shift. Like an earthquake, the ground at the surface moves unpredictably because of pressure built up somewhere hard to reach. You can learn an effective and respectful way to detect and decode your own seismic rumblings which will give you plenty of time to respond to difficult situations with many more options and many more choices. You'll be able to put your best self in the lead when it matters most. Call today or visit our website for free resources that may help you right away