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Affiliated COUNSELING
AND REFERRAL SERVICES (ACRS)
DR. Michael Shery, clinical psychology
2615
Three Oaks Rd, Ste. 2A,
Cary, IL 60013
Phone:
1 847 516 0899 (24 Hrs); drmike@carypsychology.com
| “Since 1976, state-of-the-art counseling which treats the problem, not just the symptom…” |
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FREE Taped Messages: Call
847 516 0899 (24 Hrs). To hear: How to Select a Counselor-Push 1; Emotional Stress Caused by an Accident or Injury-Press 2
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Presented
by:
Dr. Mike Shery is the director of
ACRS and is a licensed clinical psychologist. He has practiced clinical psychology for approximately 24 years and is affiliated with almost all health plans, including:
ValueOptions, Medicare, Cigna, Cigna Behavioral Health, United Health Care, Aetna, First Health, Healthstar, Blue Cross Blue Shield of
Illinois, ComPsych, Magellan Health, HFN, Tricare, Humana, most union local plans, most school district plans, Unicare, ChoiceCare, CAPP,
Multiplan, Mental Health Network, Managed Health Network, United Behavioral Health and Beech Street.
He is board certified as a specialist in professional counseling by the International
Academy of Behavioral Medicine, Counseling and
Psychotherapy. He a member of the American Counseling Association. The office is located in
Cary, IL, near Crystal Lake and Algonquin, in southern McHenry County. In select cases, phone
consultations are available for those who don’t live locally>Telephone
Counseling
To make an appointment, schedule
yourself now; Click here: Make appointment for Cary Office: Therapy and Counseling Or,
if you prefer, call Dr. Shery at 1-847-516-0899 and he'll schedule one for you on the spot.
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Published by the American Psychological Assn Consumer Help
Desk
Anger Counseling and Therapy
We all know what anger is, and we've all felt it: whether as a fleeting annoyance or
as full-fledged rage. Anger is a completely normal, usually healthy, human emotion. But when it gets out
of control and turns destructive, it can lead to problems—problems at work, in your personal
relationships, and in the overall quality of your life. And it can make you feel as though you're at the mercy of an unpredictable and powerful emotion. This article is meant to
help you understand the principles behind anger counseling and help you control your own anger.
What is Anger?
The Nature of Anger
Anger is "an emotional state that varies in intensity from mild irritation to intense fury and rage," according
to Charles Spielberger, PhD, a psychologist who specializes in the study of anger. Like other emotions, it is
accompanied by physiological and biological changes; when you get angry, your heart rate and blood pressure
go up, as do the levels of your energy hormones, adrenaline, and noradrenaline.
Anger therapy deals with the rage caused by both external and internal events. You could be angry at a
specific person (such as a coworker or supervisor) or event (a traffic jam, a canceled flight), or your anger
could be caused by worrying or brooding about your personal problems. Memories of traumatic or enraging events can also trigger angry feelings.
Expressing Anger
The instinctive, natural way to express anger is to respond aggressively. Anger is a natural, adaptive response
to threats; it inspires powerful, often aggressive, feelings and behaviors, which allow us to fight and to
defend ourselves when we are attacked. A certain amount of anger, therefore, is necessary to our survival.
On the other hand, we can't physically lash out at every person or object that irritates or annoys us; laws,
social norms, and common sense place limits on how far our anger can take us. People use a variety of both conscious and unconscious processes to deal with their angry feelings. The three main approaches
taught in anger counseling are expressing, suppressing, and calming.
Expressing your angry feelings in an assertive—not aggressive—manner is the healthiest way to express anger. To
do this, you have to learn how to make clear what your needs are, and how to get them met, without hurting
others. Being assertive doesn't mean being pushy or demanding; it means being respectful of yourself and others.
Anger can be suppressed, and then converted or redirected. This happens when you hold in your anger, stop
thinking about it, and focus on something positive.
The aim is to inhibit or suppress your anger and convert it into more constructive behavior. The danger in this
type of response is that if it isn't allowed outward expression, your anger can turn inward—on yourself.
Anger turned inward may cause hypertension, high blood pressure, or depression.
Unexpressed anger can create other problems. It can lead to pathological expressions of anger, such as
passive-aggressive behavior (getting back at people indirectly, without telling them why, rather than
confronting them head-on) or a personality that seems perpetually cynical and hostile. People who are constantly putting others down,
criticizing everything, and making cynical comments haven't learned how to constructively express their anger. Not
surprisingly, they aren't likely to have many successful relationships.
Finally, you can calm down inside. This means not just controlling your outward behavior, but also controlling
your internal responses, taking steps to lower your heart rate, calm yourself down, and let the feelings
subside.
As Dr. Spielberger notes, "when none of these three techniques work, that's when someone—or something—is going to
get hurt."
The goal of anger management is to reduce both your emotional feelings and the physiological arousal that anger
causes. You can't get rid of, or avoid, the things or the people that enrage you, nor can you change them,
but you can learn to control your reactions.
Are You Too Angry?
There are psychological tests that measure the intensity of angry feelings, how prone to anger you are, and how
well you handle it. But chances are good that if you do have a
problem with anger, you already know it. If you find yourself acting in ways that seem out of control and frightening, you might need help
finding better ways to deal with this emotion.
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