Anger is not the red horned devil of our emotional range, it is a tool we need to navigate the challenges of life. We need our anger in order to maintain healthy boundaries, to say “no, this is not OK” when we need to, to protect ourselves and our loved ones from harm, and to motivate us toward making positive changes. As with any tool, if we use it unwisely or recklessly, it can work against us.
It is helpful to know that underneath (or alongside) anger lie other emotions that we may feel in a given situation. We might also find we are fearful, embarrassed, lonely or ashamed, but perhaps we find it easier or more comfortable with anger than those emotions. That is OK. What therapy helps people to understand is the range of their emotions, and to feel whatever you need to feel, without resorting to act-out in destructive ways.
Exploring anger, where it comes from, and what purpose it is serving can be useful in learning to manage its outcomes. What is little understood is that we can “use anger well”. I have assisted many clients that have been wrongly labelled as having “anger issues”,when actually they simply needed support to learn how to “use anger well”.
Let me help you to:
- Explore and understand your anger
- Decrease the intensity of your experience of anger
- Take charge of your own emotions
- Feel more in control and internally secure
- “Use anger well”