Honolulu therapist, therapist in Honolulu, HI

Anger Management

Anger is a very natural reaction to those situations that may cause disappointment, hurt, frustration, sadness, confusion, shame or other negative emotions. Yet, for many people, it is an extremely uncomfortable and confusing emotion. Most often, we have learned ways of handling anger by chance and with little direct or formal instruction.

By chance, some have learned to immediately become hostile or aggressive in response to anger and its related tension. Others have learned to stuff, minimize, or deny anger or to overly value their contribution to a particular situation that aroused conflict. Instead of anger, they more readily experience depression, pain, excessive guilt, and shame. Some of us have learned not to experience anger. Others believe they lose control by giving up anger.

However, when we make sense of anger and learn ways to constructively manage it, we experience new freedom and increase real control in our lives. We tap into energy tht can become the driving force for intimacy or move us to right what is wrong. Most significantly, we experience increased harmony and connection in relationships with others and with ourselves.

For Individuals Who

• Desire to reduce conflicts in communication related to expressing annoyance, frustration or more severe anger.
• Want to overcome guilt, shame and/or depression related to 'stuffing' anger.
• Desire to manage anger in the workplace
• Seek to develop skills in constructively expressing anger.
• Want to help children and teens understand and manage anger.
• Desire to learn a variety of strategies to manage irritation or anger.

Objectives

• Recognize the signs, symptoms and impact of anger
• Better understand anger as described by a Model of Anger
• Identify distortions in thinking that promote anger
• Learn how to challenge the conclusions based on 'child logic'
• Reduce the body's reactions to anger