Anger can be a useful emotion, alerting us to make changes in particular situations, setting boundaries with how we interact with people or to defend ourselves & our rights.
However, feelings of uncontrolled anger and acting out can damage our health and relationships, eroding our quality of life. It can become a vicious cycle which can be hard to break, but the good news is that counselling can help.
There can be many different causes and triggers for anger, past and present, so it’s important to be able to honestly explore what is at the root to your anger feelings & actions, so a deeper understanding can empower you to work towards making some manageable changes.
There are several aspects to working with anger and during our work together you may:
learn to recognise and understand the triggers for your anger
learn ways to control and contain your anger in the here and now, so that you do not ‘lash out’ and cause damage to yourself or others
gradually explore and understand the buttons that these triggers push for you, usually to do with past experiences, such as childhood or relationship issues
“unhook” the present from the past, so you can react appropriately to what is happening in the “here and now” rather than triggering an over-reaction arising from a past situation
gradually explore, understand and learn to express your feelings appropriately, so that your needs feel met in a positive way
Counselling can help you to get back in the driver’s seat, back in control of your life and your emotions so that you can make positive life choices.
Therapy requires your commitment & it might take some time to get to the bottom of your anger issues, to change old habits and learn new ways of relating to yourself and other people. But this time is well invested if it means you can let go of the past and go on to have the healthy, fulfilling relationships everyone deserves.