ANGER MANAGEMENT

Anger management has been the subject of controversy and comedy in the media. In my practice it's not a joke, it's the real thing. Anger is a normal human response. It becomes problematic when people have trouble controlling their behavior, when they do things that hurt others and themselves. Anger can be incredibly productive, but it can also be terribly destructive. Dynamic therapy is well suited to helping people manage strong feelings.

One thing that brings many people to therapy is recognizing that they have a problem with anger. They often feel tremendous guilt, remorse, and shame for things they've done in a rage. My clients consistently report that before therapy they worked hard to avoid another explosion, but no matter how hard they tried it would happen again. This type of therapy does not simply train people to act differently, but instead is directed at helping get one's emotional world under control. It looks to the roots of a person's rage to develop better internal methods for dealing with strong feelings. Talking about it can be hard, but it is worthwhile. In fact, the tendency for strong emotional responses can become remarkably useful when it is handled well. Growth in this area tends to bring great relief to people who struggle with anger, and to those around them.