"Anyone can become angry---that is easy.
But to be angry with the right person, to the right degree,
at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way
...that is not easy." (Aristotle)

Using Anger Well:
An Anger Therapy Group

Using Anger Well is an anger therapy group for adults.  It is for anyone who must repair a seriously troubled relationship or reduce the risk of job loss due to poorly managed anger.  Aware that their chronic irritability, volatile temper and belittling criticism, or their suppressed rage and passive-hostility, is harmful to themselves, their loved ones and their employability, our group members focus on the constructive handling of rage, hostility and conflict.

The goal of the group is to learn healthy ways of experiencing and expressing anger.  We do this with the help of three key ideas---first, your anger contains valuable emotional information when it is fully understood; second, your anger supplies vital behavioral energy when it is skillfully harnessed; and finally, your response to your anger (and the anger of others) is a choice you learn to make.  By applying these guiding principles in the group and in your daily life, you will develop better solutions to the problems that anger presents.

In the group we ask you to become curious about your anger and the anger that others have toward you.  We explore how anger has functioned in your important relationships both past and present. We learn about your pattern of anger-arousal and emotion-regulation (your "anger-style").  And we come to know first-hand how you manage and mis-manage your own anger and the anger of others.

We help you identify the situational triggers, relationship needs and personal beliefs that influence your judgment and behavior. We help you spot the circumstances that generate your destructive aggressive and/or passive anger; and we help you cultivate the conditions that produce your effective anger (when your anger is used well).

Finally, we challenge you to become proactive when possible (defusing your anger before it erupts), assertive when needed (speaking up firmly and respectfully about the things that matter most to you), and responsive to the anger of others (accepting valid criticism without blaming, withdrawing or shutting down).

To support your individual progress---your search for solutions that work best in the context of your life---the group promotes safe therapeutic interaction. The group accepts you as you are and challenges you to see new possibilities, plan fresh strategies and test your skills at resolving your difficulties with negativity and conflict.

In the end what you get from the group depends on what you give to the group.  It is your participation that puts you on the path of change.  When you take responsibility---for learning from your interactions with each member, for practicing what you learn, and for applying your learning outside the group---you will find yourself using anger well.

What You Should Know
The group meets weekly on Monday nights (from 8:30-10:00) in Hastings-on-Hudson, NY.  The fee is $65 per person, per session. (Please note: there is a one-time fee of $135 for a comprehensive intake assessment prior to joining the group).  

What You Can Do
To make an appointment, a referral or simply to get more information, please contact me by email (see above link) or by phone at (914) 478-7952.  I look forward to speaking to you.