Anger Management Kansas City Kansas – Armstrong Family Counseling

If you have found yourself overreacting to situations in your life with anger, anger management may be right for you. There is no shame in reaching out for assistance with handling your anger. Armstrong Family Counseling in Overland Park, Kansas City has a wonderful staff of trained experts who can assist you with managing your anger. 

What Are The 3 Types Of Anger?

While you may not be aware of this, there are three types of anger that affect each and every one of us. 

The first type of anger is passive anger. This is the type of anger where you avoid confrontation and tell yourself “everything is fine” when in fact it is not. You may fall silent, leave passive-aggressive notes, procrastinate, or even sulk when experiencing passive anger. 

The second type is open aggression. When you experience open aggression, you quickly lash out and become physically or verbally aggressive to those around you or even to yourself. You may even display signs of both physical and verbal anger during open aggression. 

The third and final type is assertive anger. Unlike the first two types of anger that are reactive, assertive anger is more controlled. Before you make comments or complete actions, you think through the next few moments. This type of anger can save you from harming yourself or others, and it can also prevent you from saying or doing things that may ruin relationships that are precious to you. 

Root Causes and Triggers Of Anger Issues

Each individual is unique and will have their own set of causes and triggers that bring on anger issues. However, many of us have common themes that can bring on anger. 

Family System Traits: Learning behaviors and skills that are passed down from one generation to another, or the skills and behaviors one learns to survive and thrive within the family.

Lack of Coping Skills: Simply not knowing a better way to pro-socially release the stressors and triggers that send someone into anger.

Lack of Support Network: Not having the social support/family to have a support outlet for stressors and triggers. Even further, having friends and family that encourage anger outbursts and behavior that goes against the grain of anger management goals.

Stressors: Stressors (such as financial hardship, marital problems) are a constant in our lives. When you do not know how to effectively manage stressors and feelings associated with stressors, you can turn to anger/anger outburst behavior.

Family issues are a well-known cause of anger issues. Family can push your buttons more than anyone else in the world. Whether your family members intentionally or unintentionally push you to a point of anger, it can be difficult to not react to what your family members are doing or saying. 

Financial hardship is also a common problem that can quickly insight anger. When you are struggling financially, you fall into a place of constant stress. Since you are always worried and anxious about your finances, comments and actions from others can cause you to react with anger. 

Addiction to alcohol and other drugs makes it incredibly easy to become angry even over the simplest statement or action. Addiction is similar to anger in that it is used to escape and avoid the root issues and emotions you need to process to feel congruent with yourselves.

Those who suffer from addiction may find that is the root cause of their anger issues. Addiction to alcohol and other drugs makes it incredibly easy to become angry even over the simplest statement or action. 

Top Ways To Handle Anger 

Use Coping skills to process your anger and release it such as:

• Think first, speak second. 
• Go for a workout. 
• Write down your feelings. 
• Watch funny videos. 

Increase personal insight to determine where the root cause of your anger is, process it, and let it go.

Challenge ineffective thoughts and beliefs that could fuel narratives and triggers that cause anger in you.

Increase self-care. Sometimes people can get lost in the shuffle in daily life and forget to take care of themselves. Increasing self-care, engaging in activities that give purpose and meaning, can make stressors and triggers for anger seem less intense.

Anger Management Therapy Can Help

Anger management can help you identify the root causes of your anger and create actionable steps to controlling your anger at the moment. Your anger management therapist will go over patterns and themes in your anger outbursts to help create a unique plan for you. Remember, there is reason to feel shame in seeking anger management therapy. 

The key difference between mental illness and symptom management is the level of impairment. If left unchecked, anger can ruin your life, ruin relationships, impair work, and even get you terminated from work. Anger that is not managed can also lead to legal involvement and committing actions that you cannot take back. Learning and using anger management techniques can put you on a path to living a stable life. Effective anger management opens the door to having stable, pro-social relationships, attending social events with no fear of having aggression or outburst behavior. Anger management can allow you to let go of what troubles you and learn how to relax.

You are not broken and you do not need to be fixed; you simply need help identifying how to control your anger at the moment.  

Our Team Of Therapists Is Certified In Anger Management

We only utilize therapists who are certified in anger management for these services. Each therapist will go over your unique triggers and help develop a plan that works for you.

Court Ordered Anger Management

Having a court order to do anger management and navigating through something outside of your control can be frustrating. Doing court-ordered anger management through our services is about balancing needs. Your needs for therapy and what you want into account while reading, adhering to, and meeting all requirements from the court order. Your caseworker/judge will also be kept in contact to inform them of your progress or to make a report if you are not compliant with therapy. When/if you are able to meet the requirements for the court-ordered anger management, a memorandum to the effect of you meeting the requirements for the court order and giving approval as a clinician that you can effectively manage your anger.

Contact Our Overland Park, Kansas City KS Clinic Today 

Our entire team is here to support you during your anger management therapy. Please call Armstrong Family Counseling at (913) 204-0582 or schedule your anger management appointment online today. 

Ready to find out more?

Counselor Services for Individual Therapy

Individual counseling can help uncover past trauma, current triggers and build a foundation for healthy, happy relationships with a life you can enjoy.

Therapy you can Trust

Knowing and understanding how powerful therapy is can help you overcome situations that may be spiraling out of control. Being in a situation where you feel there is no outlet is normal, but we are here to help. Our therapists work with individuals seeking help in some of these areas of difficulty:

• Depression

• For eating disorders

• Mental health

• Drug counseling

• Individual depression counseling

• Anger management

• Infidelity

Trust may be one of the challenges you face, and that’s understandable. In fact, talking to someone you don’t know about your personal life and struggles may make you feel uncomfortable. Our counselors work at your pace to remove those feelings while building trust and confidence every step of the way. We specialize in therapy for adults who are having challenges they cannot cope with tools and resources to help you through any crisis.

Family and Individual Counseling

Our counselors are qualified to work with you or the entire family to tackle past or present challenges head-on. Everyday life can feel like a burden, but we help set healthy boundaries and teach communication strategies to get everyone on the same page, paving the way to relationships that have meaning.

Marriage and Individual Counseling

If you are considering marriage or are already married, it can be challenging. Many people feel as if their relationships are in jeopardy due to past hurt or trauma, feelings of inadequacy, or being afraid of the unknown. Everyone can benefit from marriage counseling, whether individual or with your spouse. Learning how to communicate effectively to get through tough times and situations is a positive step toward a healthy marriage.

An Experienced Couples and Individual Counseling Center

Individual and family counseling can restore areas of conflict in your life and home. Our counselors make you the priority each session to provide the resources and tools you need to move forward. Our sessions are designed to provide the best use of time, helping you understand why you may be having certain feelings of helplessness, going through challenges or trauma.

We have helped countless individuals and their families in Overland Park overcome challenges they face to function as healthy, happy adults through increased awareness of self, healing from past trauma, restoration of confidence, resolution of conflicts, and improved communication.

Having access to quality therapy is key in facing and getting through challenges. We offer flexible payment options to ensure no one is suffering in silence due to therapy they cannot afford. Contact our office to discuss affordable options that meet your budget and needs.

PLAY THERAPY IN OVERLAND PARK KANSAS CITY, KS

It can be difficult for some children and adults to process their emotions or communicate effectively. For children, play therapy is typically used with children between the ages of 3 and 12. It helps therapists gain insight into problems and unresolved trauma. Play therapy can be administered by psychologists, psychiatrists, behavioral and occupational therapists, physical therapists, and social workers.

How will play therapy benefit your child?

Play therapy is one of the top choices in the therapy of children. It helps children dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder and other situations where the child is showing acts of suppression, anger, or regression. This treatment is highly recommended for children of all ages and is a recommended practice in schools, agencies, hospitals, recreational and residential settings.

Benefits of play therapy

Children who go through play therapy learn how to take responsibility for their actions and display more positive behaviors; develop new ways to identify and solve problems; learn how to effectively express their emotions; learn new social skills for dealing with their families; develop empathy and respect while displaying acceptable behavior; development of respect and acceptance for themselves and the people they interact with.

In fact, up to 71% of children referred to play therapy experience positive changes according to Play Therapy International. Play therapy is beneficial in that it can be used with other therapies, can improve gross motor skills, and improve the way they communicate.

Premarital Counseling: How it Works & What to Expect

Premarital counseling happens prior to a couple getting married. It helps the couple better understand one another, their pasts, expectations, and provides tools to work through issues that may come up after they walk down the aisle. While it may seem as if marriage is a fairytale, it is a lot of work. Couples going through premarital counseling should expect to find out things they didn’t know about each other, things they may not agree with, and some secrets that may make them feel differently. This can be a very humbling process.

Premarital counseling happens prior to a couple getting married. It helps the couple better understand one another, their pasts, expectations, and provides tools to work through issues that may come up after they walk down the aisle. While it may seem as if marriage is a fairytale, it is a lot of work. Couples going through premarital counseling should expect to find out things they didn’t know about each other, things they may not agree with, and some secrets that may make them feel differently. This can be a very humbling process.

We are dedicated to helping couples with Premarital Counseling in Overland Park, KS

Everyone has hopes and expectations of what their marriage should look like. At Armstrong Family Counseling, we help couples and individuals look at the hard truths of marriage because it takes work and a commitment to stay together. We help couples learn how to effectively communicate with each other and develop patterns that will help keep their marriage strong. This is a lesson in listening, hearing, and in some cases, healing. We focus on helping become aware of your partner’s thoughts, feelings, and needs.

Are you getting married soon and need premarital counseling? Our team of therapists provides high-quality, impactful sessions that help improve relationships. For more information on our pre-marriage services in the Overland Park, KS area, contact our office for an appointment today.