Our therapists offer anger management therapy in Chesterfield, VA

Can Anger Counseling Really Make a Difference? – Therapists in Chesterfield

There’s nothing wrong with feeling angry, and in fact, every person experiences anger at some point. It becomes an issue when that anger is out of control or destructive. It can lead to serious consequences in every aspect of life—personal, professional, and it can even affect health. The good news is that anger counseling can help. At Thriveworks Chesterfield, we are trained in helping patients understand the root cause of their struggles with anger. Reach out to us today to help.

The Basics of Anger

At its core, anger is just an emotion. It can be a mild irritant or it can be intense—it can be rage. Like other emotions people experience, it doesn’t just manifest in the mind, but in the body as well. It can cause blood pressure to spike, the heart to race, and it can even cause nausea. Adrenaline and other hormones can also increase. In fact, anger is an action of the fight-or-flight response in the nervous system—a system responsible for detecting dangerous situations and helping us avoid them. Because our body is trying to protect us from a situation it perceives as a threat, in some ways we’re truly unable to control what we say or do while angry—we’re more focused on protecting ourselves from the “threat” (Mills). However, with some forethought and anger management skills learned through anger counseling, it’s possible to develop skills that enable us to rise above our natural inclination to strike out at that threat.

Causes of Anger

Many things can cause anger—both external and internal—and in fact, many of them justifiably create this response. Injustice, for example, is a frequent cause of anger. Injustice in the world, injustice to a friend or family member—it’s understandable that any one of these might cause a rise in temper. And, sometimes we get angry over little things—like going to the store for an item only to find it sold out. But anger is more complicated than simply having an experience that creates a reaction. Our response to anger is all tied up in our individual experiences across a lifetime. What makes one person angry may not faze another.

At Thriveworks Chesterfield, we’ll work with you to figure out what’s causing your anger struggles. Is there an unresolved issue from your past that needs to be resolved? This could be trauma of any kind—from a death in the family to some kind of abuse. It’s also possible that behavior you were exposed to as a child influences your expression of anger as an adult. Whatever the cause, when you seek anger counseling in Chesterfield, know that at Thriveworks we’ve helped many find relief from unrelenting anger problems.

Goals of Anger Counseling

Each person will have a different treatment plan based on the assessment and suggestions of their counselor. However, some common goals of anger counseling include helping patients recognize their triggers, working on skills to respond appropriately when their anger is triggered, and noting times they didn’t react logically when angry. Counselors can then teach clients to stay calm while still being assertive when necessary. Anger counseling isn’t meant to stop anger completely. It’s meant to teach alternative ways of dealing with situations that cause anger so the outcome can be a more positive one.

Scheduling Thriveworks Chesterfield Anger Management

Have you ever worried about your anger levels or the way you deal with your anger? If so, Thriveworks Chesterfield Counseling & Coaching may be exactly the solution you’ve been looking for. We can schedule your first appointment and even meet with your provider within the week, so give us a call today to get on the road to a calmer self.