Updated Apr 4, 2022 by 
Dr Sheri Jacobson
Anger management counselling at Harley Therapy™
- Get so angry that you lash out before you can stop yourself?
- Or is your anger all bottled up inside, leaving you numb and scared of your own thoughts?
- Sick of living with the shame and loneliness of hurting those you love?
"My anger is out of control"
Our therapists understand that you are not your anger. You are a person with a problem, stemming from recent life difficulties, past traumas, or even just never being taught how to effectively communicate.
They see the you behind the destructive thoughts and behaviours that have been controlling your life, and help that person come back to the forefront.
How does a therapist help?
An anger therapist creates a safe space to look at where your feelings of irritation and rage come from, practice new ways of navigating your emotions and triggers, and learn the difference between healthy and unhealthy anger.
Therapy is also a relationship between you and the therapist, who is non-judgmental and supportive. So it acts as a chance to finally try engaging with someone without being defensive and distrustful. In the therapy room you can try out new, healthier ways of communicating and relating that you can then use in daily life.
The benefits of anger therapy
Working with an anger management counsellor helps you to:
- question the thinking that leads you to be defensive or feel disrespected
- process your emotions in ways that help you instead of hurt others
- put into action coping tools that see you step back instead of lash out
- heal the issues from the past that are contributing to your sense of rage
- start to communicate your feelings and get your needs met without anger
- and relate in new ways that mean you feel more connected and understood
- deal with related issues like depression, anxiety, and substance abuse.
Anger management in London
You cannot control the situations that might provoke your irritation, passive aggression, or rage. But you can learn to manage your attitude to them through anger management counselling, ending the cycle of your temper damaging your professional and personal relationships, and leaving you lonely and ashamed.
Why choose Harley Therapy?
Recognising you have an anger problem is a courageous and powerful first step. We make the next step easier by providing only highly accredited therapists with at least seven years of experience, who all have a passion for what they do and are known for their expertise.
Contact us by phone now, or book online to arrange an initial assessment with one of our London cognitive therapists or anger management psychologists at Harley Street, London Bridge, or in the City.
What sorts of therapy help with anger problems?
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is the recommended first step for treating anger issues. It is a short-term therapy that doesn't dwell on the past, but focuses on helping you recognise and change the thinking that leads to the cycle of 'hot' emotions and negative behaviours.
CBT helps you stabilise so that a longer term, more indepth follow on therapy like psychodynamic psychotherapy, schema therapy, or transpersonal therapy can be effective.
If you find that your anger issues are connected to feelings of rejection, or have been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder (BPD), we also offer dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT). It helps you regulate your emotions so you don't lash out.
Aren't we all angry now and then?
Part of learning how to manage your anger is to recognise that it is a healthy emotion when it is expressed in constructive ways, and not turned into rage.
Being angry from time to time is a vital part of our evolutionary make up, helping us to detect and respond to threatening situations. It can motivate us to change aspects of our lives we are not happy with, give us confidence to face our fears, and helps us set boundaries when others do things that are inappropriate.
What are the signs of an anger problem?
Not sure if anger is the problem? Anger tends to have physical, psychological, and behavioural symptoms.
Physical symptoms can include:
- muscle tension
- habits like teeth grinding, jaw clenching, or nail biting
- constant headaches or stomach issues
- things like clenching fists and a pounding heart
- sleep problems
- overeating or overindulging in alcohol.
Psychological symptoms can look like:
- blaming everyone else
- always being irritated and impatient
- or feeling numb and flat
- always feeling a victim.
And behavioural signs can look like:
- breaking things
- lying and manipulating
- easily going off on others
- or constantly sulking and withdrawing
- acting first, thinking later
- self-harm.
The long-term effects of untreated anger
Aside from damaging your personal and professional life, anger can damage your physical health. A study looking at a decade's worth of research papers on anger concluded that not only did it raise your risk of coronary disease and developing type 2 diabetes, it made you more likely to have a car accident. 1
Anger issues also leave you more likely to indulge in unhealthy behaviours like alcohol and drug use, food bingeing, and risky sex.
Further reading on anger management
- ‘Overcoming Anger and Irritability: A Self Help Guide Using Cognitive Behavioural Techniques’ (2009) by Dr. William Davies
- ‘Managing Anger: Simple Steps to Dealing with Frustration and Threat’ (2000)
- The Different Types of Anger and Rage
- Ten Tips to Manage Anger and Reduce Conflicts in Relationships
- How to Deal With Anger - Anger Management techniques
- Negative Emotions: Why We Have Them and How to Work on Them
- Mind Charity's guide for "How to Cope With Anger"
1 Staicu ML, Cuţov M. Anger and health risk behaviors. J Med Life. 2010;3(4):372-375.
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How to book your session
Call us now on 0345 474 1724 OR
All of our practitioners are qualified and accredited with reputable professional associations for counselling and psychotherapy.
CITE THIS PAGE
MLA
Harley Therapy Ltd. “Anger management counselling in London • Harley Therapy™”. Harley Therapy, 4 Apr. 2022, https://www.harleytherapy.co.uk/anger-management-counselling-london.htm. Accessed 7 Jul. 2022.
APA
Harley Therapy Ltd. (2022, April 4). Anger management counselling in London • Harley Therapy™. Retrieved from https://www.harleytherapy.co.uk/anger-management-counselling-london.htm
CHICAGO
Harley Therapy Ltd. "Anger management counselling in London • Harley Therapy™." Last modified April 4, 2022. Accessed July 7, 2022. https://www.harleytherapy.co.uk/anger-management-counselling-london.htm.
Issues for Anger Counselling
- aggression
- impulsivity
- irritability
- outbursts
- passive aggression
- rage
- self-harm
- verbal attacks
- violence
- violent thoughts.
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