Counseling For Anger

Have You Been Struggling With Anger Or Irritability?

Do you experience an almost constant feeling of irritability or frustration? Do you find you are quick to anger or become irritated over little things?  Do you bottle up your feelings and then “lose it” or “snap” at your loved ones?  Have you ever said hurtful things or even lashed out with physical violence when you were mad?  

Perhaps someone close to you has suggested you have an “anger problem.” Or perhaps you feel worried because you have been snapping at your children a lot lately. Or maybe your spouse or partner has asked you to get counseling for your anger.

If any of these statements are true for you, then anger is likely affecting your happiness and causing problems in your life. You do not have to keep suffering with these symptoms alone!  Mental health counseling can help you uncover the root cause of your anger, learn strategies for coping, and feel like your true self again.

Anger And Irritability: What Are They Trying To Tell You?  

People often come to therapy feeling ashamed or afraid to talk about anger. This may be because anger seems to carry a stigma in our society, as if it is wrong to feel or express anger. But anger is a normal human emotion that we all experience. So let’s talk about anger! Therapy is a safe place where you can talk about it.

Sometimes anger and irritability are fueled by the bottling up of other emotions. When people are taught in childhood that it is not okay to express emotion, they may become very adept at concealing, numbing, or bottling up their emotions, and doing so can be a crucial survival skill in some families. It can keep a child safe from harm. But bottling up our emotions is not healthy in the long-run. Angry outbursts and irritability can act as messengers that tell us our emotional life needs some attention. In other words, anger and irritability tell us that we have been burying some deeper, more painful emotions. Like an iceberg, the anger may be the emotion seen by you and others, but underneath there may be a myriad of other hidden thoughts and feelings. 

Sometimes anger and irritability are symptoms of another mental health issue, such as depression, bipolar disorder, or PTSD. Your therapist at Three Peaks Counseling will ask you some diagnostic questions to determine whether your anger or irritability may be a symptom of one of these other mental health issues, and if so, your therapist will work with you to formulate a plan for your therapy related to that issue. In this way, you can be assured that you are receiving appropriate therapeutic care that is targeted to meet your own unique needs.

You Can Find Relief From Anger and Irritability In Therapy

A therapist at Three Peaks Counseling can work with you to help you identify and process any underlying painful emotions that have been concealed by anger and irritability. What is it that you’re really angry about? Your therapist can help you let go of old resentments, forgive others for past wrongs, and look for solutions to ongoing issues that may be fueling your anger. Your therapist can help you identify your anger triggers, use coping strategies to reduce your anger level, and learn to peacefully communicate your feelings and needs to loved ones. 

And if we discover together that your anger or irritability is stemming from another mental health issue, such as depression, bipolar disorder, or PTSD, your therapist will work with you to help you recover from or manage those symptoms as well, so that you can live a happier, healthier, and more peaceful life!

NOTE: While some therapists at Three Peaks Counseling do provide individual mental health and substance abuse counseling for clients who are on probation, we do not offer court-ordered Anger Management classes at this time. If a judge, probation officer, or diversion officer has told you to attend Anger Management classes, you can ask your probation officer or diversion officer for a list of therapists who offer those services. 

Anger Counseling content written by Cindy Pace, MA, LPC