What is Anger Management?

Anger, though a natural emotion, may express itself in undesirable ways. Anger and high adrenaline triggers physiological reactions such as raised heartbeat, higher temperature and palpitations. Mounting anger can cause us to behave aggressively and inappropriately which can negatively impact our relationships, both personal and professional. We cannot control anger-provoking situations, but we can manage our attitudes to them. Anger management counselling can help with all anger issues from mild irritation to explosive rage. Anger management sessions can help you to understand the causes of anger and help to set it in context. A counsellor would work with you to manage your anger levels and to minimise angry confrontation or self-harm.

Signs that you have an anger problem :

• explosive outbursts that cannot be controlled
• domestic Violence and controlling behaviour
• rages when driving or at work
• depression or anxiety may indicate introverted anger
• alcohol or drug dependence may cover an anger problem.

How can Counselling help with Anger?

Anger management is a form of counselling that can be instrumental in helping individuals overcome their anger issues. Whether you suffer from mild irritation or explosive rage, in the safety of the therapy room you and your therapist can explore the triggers that precipitate angry feelings and develop the skills needed to be able to handle them more effectively. Your therapist can also target the multitude of other emotions entangled within anger such as shame, fear and embarrassment which may also be impacting upon you. During therapy, you will travel on a journey to better understanding yourself so that you can learn to communicate less aggressively and turn destructive behaviours into more constructive responses.

What are the Benefits of Anger Management?

• Understanding the root causes of your anger/irritability
• Examines the thoughts, feelings and behaviours that contribute to anger
• Gain self-understanding and insight, including identifying triggers
• Improves your communication skills and self-expression
• Develops coping strategies to manage anger-provoking situations
• Learn techniques and tools that are applicable for the long term.

How Much Does It Cost?

For a full range of fees and discounts please visit the "Fees and Services" section of this website.

Information guide to Anger

At some point in our lives most of us will have experienced the heated surge of being angry. It could be the fact that someone jumped ahead of you in the queue, your computer crashed holding your entire day's unsaved work or something more serious such as an argument with a friend or partner that triggers you into ‘seeing red’. Yet, while being angry from time to time is an integral part of our evolutionary make up (it can help us detect and respond to threatening situations or motivate us to change aspects of our lives we are not happy with) there is a fine line between venting our anger in a cathartic way and anger becoming an incredibly destructive aspect of our lives.

During an angry episode you may feel your heart beating faster, your body tensing and your breathing rate increasing. You may also feel the desire to lash out, shout or throw something. These characteristics are often what we would associate with someone ‘seeing red’, yet anger can also be a more ‘bottled up’ internalised process. However, regardless of whether an individual ‘sees red’ or ‘bottles it up’ this level and intensity of emotion over a prolonged period of time can lead to serious physiological and psychological health problems including depression, anxiety, high blood pressure, and lower-functioning immune system to name just a few. It can also have a devastating impact on our relationships, both professionally and personally, causing us even more misery. Yet, while we cannot control anger-provoking situations (wouldn’t life be great if we could), we can manage our attitudes to them. Anger is a complex emotion and comes in many different forms and, as such, therapists see a variety of people, from all walks of life, who have problems managing their anger. Regardless of age, gender, occupation or marital status many of us have a problem with this destructive emotion. Yet help is available. Listed here are just some of the different issues explored in counselling and psychotherapy; consequently, if you are suffering from any of the issues listed, then you may benefit from counselling and psychotherapy.