Anger only ends in regret. You may be overwhelmed in the moment and do or say something that you don’t want to. Whatever the cause, things never end well after an angry outburst or a shouting match. And no, you cannot push it back just by counting to ten every time. You must know exactly why you get angry and get professional help to manage it.

You might think no one can help you curb it. However, that is not the case. There is totally great hope for you. You can change it into a positive channel if you get the right direction and tools to manage it.

One of my clients, Mark, used to tell stories from his childhood in Melbourne. He remembered his father’s violent temper very clearly. He used to explain in detail how even the slightest mishap could send him into a fit of rage. It cast a dark shadow over their home. 

He told me that these disturbing memories got him to look for anger management. He didn’t want to follow his father’s path. Several Australians like him have anger issues, too. Many are aware, want to get rid of it, and look for suitable treatment methods to control their anger.

This blog post tells you about five therapy methods that have always been very effective. From the cognitive restructuring of CBT to the subconscious calm of hypnosis, the solutions might surprise you. 

So, whether you are looking for personal strategies or simply want to understand the therapeutic landscape of Australia in 2023, you are in the right place.

Understanding Anger: A Brief Overview

Anger is a basic instinct just like happiness. You can get angry whenever you feel you are being threatened in some way. It is also a survival instinct that can trigger your fight or flight response. 

However, too much anger is not a good sign. And getting too angry too many times is definitely a bad sign. It can destroy your relationships with your family, friends, and workplace colleagues. 

You might “see red” more than you should. You might shout or curse more than you should… and you might lose your loved ones sooner than you should.

However, the silver lining here is that anger, when recognized and channeled correctly, can be transformative. It can serve as a motivational force, driving individuals to address injustices, challenge norms, and even advocate for change. The goal isn’t to eliminate anger but to harness its energy constructively.

The Role of Professional Therapy in Managing Anger

Therapy strengthens your subconscious so you can cope with overwhelming emotions. 

It helps you realise and resolve childhood or past traumas that you don’t know about… and which can be the reason for your uncontrolled aggression. 

As a result, your mind jumps straight to practical solutions whenever you face an anger-triggering situation. 

The 5 Anger Management Therapy Techniques Australians Rely On

1. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a very popular therapy that focuses on recognising and resolving your negative thoughts and behaviours. It gives wonderful results for treating your anger. 

Why? Because it helps you find out exactly where your thinking gets negative… and how you can change it into positive. You can change your body’s reactions to triggering situations once you succeed in changing your POV.

Let’s break it down:

Thought Patterns: You may be always angry if you keep thinking, “People always take advantage of me.” Anger is a logical response to anything you don’t like very much. Once you get angry, you can see everyone and everything through the “red” lens.

Emotional Responses: These negative thoughts can increase your emotional reactions. You might feel undervalued or disrespected… even when it is not true.

Behavioural Outcomes: As a result, you might lash out at people without any apparent reason. You can also become passive-aggressive, or downright abusive.

CBT helps you regulate emotions by increasing your emotional intelligence. It changes your perspective of a negative situation. In short, it gives you more options to deal with a distressing event other than anger only. For example, you can choose to walk away rather than yell and curse.

 When my client Ben, who was always considered the “calm” one in his family, started experiencing uncharacteristic outbursts, it was clear that underlying thoughts were at play. 

Through CBT, he recognized distorted patterns, challenged these thoughts, and progressively replaced them with healthier alternatives, regaining his known composure.

You learn to control aggressive behaviour by increasing your problem-solving skills. An important feature of CBT is take-home assignments. Your therapist gives you suggestions for effective emotional regulation, and you try to apply them afterwards.

2. Hypnosis

Hypnosis opens your mind to adopt useful suggestions. Your therapist uses a variety of methods to take you “inside your mind” and replace disturbing thoughts with optimistic alternatives. Some techniques are:

Parts Therapy: Or arm-drop technique. Once you let go of your conscious mind, you might see your arm rising without your intention. Then, your therapist can guide you in navigating through your feelings.

Imagery: It works best to change your POV for traumatic scenarios in your past. You imagine scenes, events, and places where you felt vulnerable or hurt. Then, you learn to visually change how you perceive and respond to those triggering conditions.

Direct Suggestion: It is the most standard method to allow your subconscious to accept suggestions. Your hypnotherapist gives you auditory cues to get you into a trance-like state. Your brain becomes more receptive to recognize buried traumas and resolve them in this state.

My close friend Sarah always believed her temper was just “part of who she was”. But after a particularly heated argument led to regrettable consequences, she turned to hypnosis. 

Guided into a relaxed trance, Sarah confronted past traumas she’d long buried, which were now manifesting as anger. Through multiple sessions, she learned to dissociate past experiences from present reactions, reshaping her emotional landscape.

It’s essential, however, to seek qualified professionals when exploring hypnotherapy. The power of the subconscious mind is vast, and navigating it requires skill, empathy, and expertise.

3. Havening Techniques

The Havening Techniques present a novel approach to therapeutic intervention, drawing upon the power of sensory input to heal and transform. 

Primarily using touch as a conduit, Havening is anchored in the understanding that certain tactile experiences can alter thought processes, emotions, and memories.

Here’s a snapshot of its magic:

Sensory Activation: Havening involves specific touch patterns, often on the arms, face, and hands. This touch generates a wave of delta brainwaves, known for their calming effect on the mind.

Dissolving Traumatic Memories: At its core, much of our anger stems from past traumatic or distressing events. Havening Techniques work to ‘de-link’ the emotional charge from these memories, rendering them neutral or even positive.

Positive Affirmations and Visualisation: While in this soothed state, therapists integrate positive affirmations and guided visualisations. This reinforces the mind’s positive pathways, overshadowing triggers that might lead to anger outbursts.

When one of my clients returned from a challenging overseas assignment, he was not the same. Shadows of past incidents haunted him, often culminating in unexpected outbursts. Traditional therapy methods seemed ineffective until he discovered Havening. 

It helped him process and release negative memories. This method involves specific touch patterns, like rubbing the arms or face, while focusing on distressing events. He recovered quickly during his sessions.

Neuroscientifically, Havening is believed to create delta waves in the brain, which help de-link the emotional angry response from the traumatic memory.

This process calms the amygdala, the brain’s fear centre, effectively diminishing the power of the triggering thoughts and reducing anger.

4. Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)

Neuro-Linguistic Programming, or NLP, is made of three things: neurological events (neuro), language (linguistic), and behavioural patterns learned through years of practice (programming).

Actually, it is psychological planning that helps you find and change how you think, feel, and behave. Richard Bandler and John Grinder developed it in the 1970s. Since then, NLP combines cognitive and behavioural psychology, linguistics, and neuroscience.

Here’s the magic unravelled:

NLP uses these methods:

Anchoring: Teaming up a physical feeling or gesture with a positive emotion.

Reframing: Changing the POV of a hurtful situation to change its meaning.

Swish Pattern: Replacing negative ideas with positive reactions.

Meta Model: Clarifying vague or limiting beliefs.

Mirroring and Matching: Copying other peoples’ positive behaviour and language to build a good rapport.

I’ll never forget the transformation of Emma, a friend with a sharp intellect but an equally sharp temper. After a pivotal feedback session at work, she turned to NLP. Understanding her internal ‘maps’ and reframing challenging situations, she underwent a profound transformation. 

Instead of seeing criticism as a personal attack, Emma began viewing it as an avenue for growth, altering her entire professional trajectory.

These techniques can help you jump over your mental barriers. You can develop healthier habits to achieve long-term success. Basically, NLP taps into your brain’s natural ability to form new associations.

5. Integrated Techniques: The Holistic Approach to Anger Management

For some individuals, the path to managing anger isn’t about a singular technique but a tapestry of methods woven together. Integrated Techniques cater to this very need, amalgamating the strengths of various therapeutic interventions to provide a holistic healing experience.

The essence of Integrated Techniques:

Diverse Toolkit: Drawing from a reservoir of strategies, ranging from breathwork and meditation to more structured techniques like CBT or NLP, Integrated Techniques ensure that individuals have a multi-faceted approach to managing anger.

Personalised Approach: Recognizing that every individual is unique, this method emphasises creating a tailored therapeutic plan. It’s about aligning the tools with the individual’s unique triggers, responses, and healing journey.

Resilience Building: Beyond just managing anger, Integrated Techniques often focus on building resilience. This involves equipping individuals with coping mechanisms, emotional agility, and skills to navigate future challenges with grace.

Anna, a neighbour from my childhood days in Brisbane, always had a fiery spirit. When traditional methods fell short, she weaved together a blend of techniques. 

From breathwork to meditation and structured methods like CBT, Anna’s journey was an amalgamation that led her to a state of balance and understanding. Today, she mentors others, sharing her story of transformation.

While the versatility of Integrated Techniques is its strength, guidance is crucial. Whether it’s a wellness coach, a therapist, or a counsellor, seeking professional guidance ensures that the techniques employed are not only effective but also synergize seamlessly.

In a Nutshell

As we navigate the ever-evolving landscape of 2023, anger management remains a paramount concern for many Australians. Whether it’s the stressors of modern living, unresolved past traumas, or the intricacies of our personal narratives, anger, if left unchecked, can overshadow our lives, relationships, and well-being.

The therapy techniques highlighted—CBT, Hypnosis, Havening, NLP, and Integrated Techniques—each offer unique pathways to healing. All of these methods can take you towards living a better life.

We believe we can help you control your anger at Make it Happen Hypnotherapy. If you want to discuss further or have any questions… Contact us today. 

Resources/References:

1. Mayo Clinic – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/cognitive-behavioral-therapy/about/pac-20384610

2. Psychology Today – Hypnosis: https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/therapy-types/hypnotherapy

3. Harvard Health Publishing – Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/cognitive-behavioral-therapy-offers-a-drug-free-method-for-managing-insomnia-2017060711842

4. The American Psychological Association (APA) – Anger and Anger Management: https://www.apa.org/topics/anger/control

5. Australian Psychological Society – Neuro-Linguistic Programming:

6. https://www.psychology.org.au/for-the-public/Psychology-topics/Neuro-linguistic-programming