Anger Management
Navigate rage & intense emotions with a therapist at Melanated Women’s Health.
Offering In-Person & Virtual Services. Serving Philadelphia & New Jersey.
What is Anger Management?
A Space Just for You
Anger management is a way to better understand your anger, what brings it up, and how you respond when it hits.
Anger itself isn’t bad, and the goal isn’t to make you quieter, easier to deal with, or less angry about things that genuinely matter.
At Melanated Women’s Health, we help you recognize what your anger may actually be communicating, catch it before it takes over, and express what you’re feeling without hurting yourself, your relationships, or the people around you.
How Do I Know If I Need Anger Management?
When Life Starts to Feel Too Intense
You may need anger management if anger feels difficult to control or is starting to affect your relationships, work, well-being, or the way you feel about yourself. Anger is a normal emotion, and sometimes it’s an important signal that you’ve been hurt, disrespected, overwhelmed, or pushed too far. The issue isn’t that you get angry; it’s what happens when anger takes over.
If you regularly regret what you say or do, feel like you go from calm to furious in seconds, or spend a lot of time trying to hold your anger inside, our therapists can help you find a healthier way to work with it.
Sound familiar?
Frequent irritability
You may feel impatient, frustrated, or annoyed much of the time, even when seemingly small things happen.
Angry outbursts
Anger may come out through yelling, arguing, harsh words, impulsive reactions, or other behaviors that feel difficult to stop in the moment.
Physical tension
A racing heart, clenched jaw or fists, tight muscles, or feeling hot can be signs that your body is moving into an anger response.
Holding onto anger
You might replay situations in your head, carry resentment long after something happens, or struggle to let go of feeling wronged.
You Deserve Healthy Responses & Relationships
How Does Anger Management Help?
Holding Space for What Feels Enraging
Anger management helps you understand what’s underneath your anger and learn how to respond to it without letting the emotion take control. The goal isn’t to stop getting angry or convince yourself that you shouldn’t feel the way you do.
We can help you recognize your triggers, notice when anger is building, and choose how you want to respond rather than reacting in ways you may regret later.
Understand your triggers
You can start recognizing the situations, experiences, and patterns that tend to bring your anger to the surface.
Respond instead of react
Anger management can give you practical tools to slow things down, regulate intense emotions, and make more intentional choices in heated moments.
Build healthier relationships
Learning to express anger more clearly and constructively can make it easier to communicate, work through conflict, and protect the relationships that matter to you.
Does Anger Management Really Work?
Anger management can work, and research shows that psychological treatment can meaningfully change the way people experience and respond to anger. A meta-analysis of 96 studies examining nine different types of psychological treatment found an overall effect size of 0.76, indicating a moderate-to-large improvement in anger-related difficulties. Importantly, the research wasn’t limited to one therapy approach, and improvements were generally maintained at follow-ups ranging from several weeks to one year.
Another meta-analysis examining 92 treatment interventions with 1,841 adults found that people who received treatment experienced significant improvements compared with those who did not, including less anger, fewer aggressive behaviors, and more positive behaviors. Follow-up results also suggested that these gains lasted beyond the end of treatment.
Anger management isn’t about never getting angry again. It’s about getting to a place where you can feel your anger, understand what it’s telling you, and decide what happens next instead of letting anger make that decision for you.
SOURCES:
- Saini, M. (2009). A Meta-analysis of the Psychological Treatment of Anger: Developing Guidelines for Evidence-Based Practice. Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 37(4), 473–488. (Read more.)
- DiGiuseppe, R., & Tafrate, R. C. (2003). Anger Treatment for Adults: A Meta-Analytic Review. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10(1), 70–84. (Read more.)
Frequently Asked Questions:
Does needing anger management mean I have an anger problem?
Not necessarily. You might simply recognize that anger is showing up in ways that don’t feel good to you or are creating problems in parts of your life.
What if I have a good reason to be angry?
You probably do sometimes. Anger management isn’t about convincing you that your anger is unjustified; it’s about helping you decide what you want to do with it.
Can anger management help if I tend to hold my anger in?
Yes. Struggling with anger can look like shutting down, avoiding conflict, or quietly building resentment just as much as yelling or losing your temper.
How long does anger management take?
There’s no set timeline, and the work can depend on what’s driving your anger, how it shows up, and what you want to change.
Do you offer in-person therapy appointments?
We offer in-person therapy appointments, weekdays and weekends, at our conveniently located office in Center City Philadelphia. Our office is accessible by SEPTA, and close to several parking garages.
You are not in-network with my insurance. Can I still use my out of network benefits with one of your Therapists?
Absolutely! If requested, we can provide you with a Superbill at the end of the appointment for you to submit to your insurance provider for reimbursements of any out of network benefits you have on the plan.
If you are unsure about your exact out of network benefits, you can contact the Member Services, Customer Service, or Behavioral/Mental Health number on the back of your insurance card, and ask the following questions:
- Does my health insurance plan include out of network benefits for mental health – office visit?
- Do I have a deductible? If so, what is it, and how much has been accumulated so far?
- Does the deductible apply to mental health- office visits?
- Does my plan limit how many sessions per calendar year I can have? If so, what is the limit?
- Do I need written approval from my primary care physician in order for services to be covered?
- What would be covered if I worked with an out-of-network provider?
- What is the process for me to be reimbursed for out of network benefits?
If you do not have insurance or have financial hardship, Openpath Psychotherapy Collective offers an option for therapy at a sliding scale fee. You can also contact the Loveland Foundation and the National Queer and Trans Therapists of Color Network for mental health funding opportunities.
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Improve Your Mental Wellbeing and Find Peace in Everyday Life With Help From Qualified Black Therapists & Therapists of Color
