Anger Management

So lets first clarify, Yes, anger is a powerful emotion. However, anger itself isn't all bad. When expressed appropriately and with assertive communication and regulated emotions, feeling angry can be healthy and is your mind's way of signaling something isn't right. It can help protect you from dangerous situations, motivate you to make personal changes and drive problem resolution.

However, it doesn't always go that smoothly. Many people who struggle with regulating emotions, most specifically those feelings related to anger, know all to well the guilt and shame that evolves when those feelings flare up out of control and negative behavioral reactions follow suit. The aftermath is hard to recover from personally and even harder to make amends for, to others.  Anger that's out of control can be destructive and lead to problems in your relationships, at work, in your general enjoyment of life and of course, lets not forget, with your health. 

Types of Anger:  "State" -vs- "Trait"

Sure, everyday annoyances, irritation and bitterness can all cause your temper to flash; this is what we call "state" anger. For many people, these are fleeting moments before the intensity of emotion subsides and everything quickly returns to normal . Most of us experience state anger from time to time and are able to take these moments in stride and quickly return to a sense of calm without exploding.
However, when you find that your blood pressure frequently stays through the roof from minor irritations in life and when you live in a state of general irritation and unhappiness, you are likely experiencing "trait" anger.  Trait Anger is reflected in those chronic aggressive responses to somewhat otherwise normal circumstances. This type of anger is what is most commonly managed through therapy as it tends to otherwise manifest over time to become habitual- to the point it may even seem normal. 

If you tend to express anger in an unhealthy way, whether in a flash (state) or chronically (trait) you may find it helpful to learn to deal with your anger before it deals with you!  As a client served by Minding You, the goals of our anger management therapy are to assist you in increasing awareness of your options to respond to negative feelings in specific ways, develop healthy patterns of communication and emotional expression, and to take greater responsibility and accountability for your feelings and behaviors. In learning to develop more constructive coping skills you also begin to recognize that while negative emotions have their function, if they have total control over our reactions, they become a source of unhealthy behaviors. Through our work together, you will also learn to alter your mindset, in turn helping you reduce stress and change the conversation you have with yourself. For some, this may sound like easy tasks to master, but for many men and women, the struggle to understand and responsibly manage intense negative emotions is a very daunting challenge. 

  Minding You offers 3 Options for AM Therapy:

1. Anger Management classes (a group of 4-6) are offered 3-4 times a year. This class utilizes an evidence-based program called 'Anger Management for the 21st Century', which entails 8 modules (chapters) covered over the course of 9-10 weeks. Each section teaches a different "tool" to help you manage anger-related issues.  Topic areas focused on consists of improving communication skills, relationship dynamics, productively managing stress, reducing negative thinking, and well our favorite, learning how to "respond instead of react". 

2. This course can also be taught through individual sessions on an as needed basis. 

3. Individual, therapy for anger problems is provided from a clinically driven, therapeutic approach. Through addressing a client's other life-issues, stressors, depression, anxiety or any other mental health problem that may be present, this more personalized therapy intervention helps resolve underlying causes of anger, teaches clients to use safe and appropriate means to handle conflicts and learn to exhibit emotional regulation skills across multiple life settings.  This therapy process uses the same program/ manual as the Anger Management Group however also incorporates traditional psycho-therapeutic treatment methods to address underlying causes of anger. 

***Insurance DOES cover this type of therapy. 

At the successful end of your sessions, you will be awarded a certificate of completion.