Anger Management therapists in Harrogate, England ENG, United Kingdom GB
Anger Management
Sara Aicart-Pendlebury
Art Therapist, Human Givens Practitioner (HG.Dip.P), Member of Human Givens Institute, IFS therapist Levels 1&2, Narm Practitioner
Road rage, plane rage, even art-gallery rage (when an exhibition is too crowded) are becoming all too familiar terms and are just some of the forms that over-the-top anger can take in modern-day life. Excessive anger can have an obvious trigger or else seem to occur out of the blue; and it can ruin lives, as work and relationships suffer. Excessive anger always results from stress and essential emotional needs not being met. That’s why the human givens approach, which focuses on helping people in distress find healthy ways to meet their emotional needs, is so successful.
The ability to get angry is natural. It is part of the ancient ‘fight or flight’ survival mechanism, which evolved to help our long-distant ancestors survive when, faced with attack from wild animals or invading tribes, they either had to stand up for themselves or flee. The pulse races, adrenalin surges, breath gets fast and shallow, blood surges into the muscles of the legs and arms and the body gets flooded with stress hormones, all so that we are ready to take action if we decide to act aggressively to ward off something or someone. Once action has been taken, the feelings subside.
But, today, there are far fewer occasions when threat is as real and physical as just described. If we get frustrated or feel angry with the boss, we may have to keep those feelings to ourselves, which leaves them circulating with no obvious way of being discharged. Or we may become more and more wound up by little annoyances that build up over the day until we reach a point when, over something seemingly trifling, we snap. There are many other circumstances that can lead us to have lower tolerance for irritations – for instance, overtiredness, feeling ill or hungry, hormonal changes, chronic pain or addictive cravings.
Sometimes people have a tendency towards anger because of chronic low self-esteem, which usually stems from abuse or neglect during childhood. As adults, they may never feel good or worthy enough and tend to lash out if they perceive themselves as slighted in any way. Mild brain damage can cause a loss of impulse control and aggression. And people on the autistic spectrum are often more prone to angry outbursts because of their difficulties and frustrations in trying to relate to other people and make sense of the social world.
More often than is realised, aggression is triggered by fear and sometimes it is a long-forgotten fear. For instance, a man who, as a child, was locked in a tiny dark space under the stairs as a punishment, may lash out, seemingly inexplicably, at his wife when she wants him to check the space under their stairs for damp. This is because an ‘alarm system’ in our brain, called the amygdala, accesses our emotional memories and, on the basis of previous experience, alerts us to anything that may represent a risk. Because the stair cupboard experience was so traumatic and frightening, it stays ‘live’, causing the man to experience terror all over again, usually without knowing why. Sometimes, too, repeated and seemingly inexplicable anger outbursts stem from ‘pattern matching’ to a shocking situation in childhood, when anger was felt but, at the time, suppressed.
Fortunately, people can be helped to deal with their anger, whatever its cause. Human givens practitioners will show people how to calm themselves down quickly (this is essential, as high emotional arousal makes us stupid, stopping us from listening to reason); encourage them to take exercise (doing enjoyable physical activity is a great way to discharge accumulated stress); and help them to examine and change their self-talk – having hostile thoughts only harms us – and to look at situations from other people’s perspectives as well as their own.
Simple, effective techniques can be used to resolve anger outbursts arising from incidents in the past, so that these cease to occur in the future.
Finally, human givens practitioners will help people explore what needs are not being met in their lives, which may be fuelling anger – for instance, a lack of a sense of achievement or status or control or connection with others may cause feelings of inferiority and hostility. Experiencing uncontrollable or excessive anger always means that something is not working well in a person’s life. No one is naturally an ‘angry’ person; they are just, temporarily, overcome by anger and can learn how to cease to be its victim.
15 Years Experience
Anger Management
Gui Mansilla
Registered Psychotherapist, Lawyer (Arg) M.Div (USA) Reg. Psychotherapist (CA) Coach (Ca)
Oh, anger, often relegated to the shadows as the most maligned emotion in the human repertoire. Yet, it is my fervent passion and ambition to redefine its narrative, shedding light on this potent emotion's healthy and empowering uses. Acknowledged for its potential to become one of the most poisonous energies when mismanaged, anger has been implicated in family breakdowns, wars, lost relationships, emotional harm, and tragically, even death. It's no wonder that society often perceives anger as the problem, prescribing the solution as suppressing or never expressing it.
Unfortunately, this approach doesn't lead to healing toxic anger, which I define as the kind that manifests as a destructive force, causing harm and leaving poisonous aftermaths. The path to healing unhealthy anger emerges when we dare to recognize anger as a precious emotion. This guide can lead us to a world where healthy boundaries shape relationships, justice guides us through addressing problematic situations, and self-care and self-respect become guiding beacons in the vast expanse of our lives.
Across millions of years of evolution, anger has served as a vital signal, alerting us to instances of hurt, mistreatment, neglect, or abuse. Its healthy purpose extends beyond mere survival; it empowers us to create harmonious and peaceful experiences with ourselves and our communities. However, the unfortunate consequence of society's tendency to discard all forms of anger is the epidemic of toxic anger we witness today.
Toxic anger, I believe, is the misguided use of this powerful emotion—redirecting pain toward the wrong targets and employing inappropriate tools for expression. People often blame anger for the misuse of this energy, and when addressing anger management, my approach goes beyond preventing harmful outbursts. I strive to guide individuals toward understanding the messages embedded within themselves, transforming signals of frustration and anger into powerful fuel for positive life transformation and inner peace.
Understanding the healthy aspect of anger becomes apparent when we experience or witness injustice, feeling a surge of anger. I believe this form of anger has fueled human revolutions led by inspiring figures such as Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Gandhi, and Martin Luther King. Leaders like them harnessed anger in its healthiest form—transforming the desire to harm into a commitment to establishing clear boundaries, standing up for justice, and never remaining silent in the face of injustice.
Throughout my own life, advocating for justice and assisting others in developing this capability has been a profound passion. With this passion, I extend an invitation to transform your relationship with anger, utilizing it as a catalyst to enhance your life rather than perpetuating harm to yourself and those you hold dear through toxic anger. It would be my honour to guide you on this transformative journey.
19 Years Experience
Anger Management
Dr Ian Anderson
Psychologist, Consultant Clinical Psychologist (HCPC registered), PhD, MSc, MSc, MSc, MA (Econ), BA (Econ) Hons
In my experience anger is not acontextual. The complexity of an individual's anger needs to be deconstructed and addressed. I design individual programs for individual problems.
44 Years Experience
Anger Management
YouBeYou Therapy
Registered Psychotherapist
Allowing anger to be present and understanding what the real need may be underneath can be supportive in working with anger and using it as a beautiful ally rather than a destructive force.
4 Years Experience
Anger Management
Tamzin Brain@HypnoChange4U
Therapist, Ad.Dip.CP, DipHyp CS, Dip CP, MNCS (Acc), MHS, Counselling Cert, CACHE3, B.A. Honours Degree PsyCrim
I have attended anger management training and have worked with clients facing challenges around managing anger and emotions for nearly 15 years. Some of the work includes recognising and understanding anger, identifying triggers, developing coping techniques, reducing anger. Clients also have the opportunity to learn how mindfulness and meditation can help too.
13 Years Experience