The blowups you regret. The slow burn that never quite goes away.
Anger Management Therapy in Berkeley
The problem usually isn't just the anger. It's what happens next.
Anger itself isn't the enemy. It's information, it tells you something's wrong, a line got crossed, you're hurt or disrespected or scared. Sometimes you're completely justified in feeling it.
The trouble is what happens in the moment between feeling it and acting on it. That's where the damage gets done, the thing you say, the thing you throw, the email you send, the line you cross yourself. That's the part we can change first. And for a lot of people, once the behavior isn't running the show, we can also work on turning down the intensity of the anger itself, so it shows up less often and burns less hot.
You're ready to feel in control of your anger, instead of it being in control of you.
How therapy works
How to break the chain reaction before it becomes a blowup.
Anger usually isn't one big switch, it's a chain reaction. Something sets it off, your body reacts, certain thoughts pour fuel on it, and somewhere along the way it tips into something you do and later regret. Most of that happens fast, often before you feel like you had any say in it.
A lot of the work is slowing that chain down and mapping how it actually unfolds for you, the first spark, the early body signals, the thoughts that escalate it, the moment it tips. Once you can see the links, you can catch it earlier, where you still have choices, and we build in the coping strategies and skills that work for you at each point. A moment that used to end in a blowup starts to go a different way.
From there, we can look at what's feeding the intensity underneath: the stress, the old hurts, the pressure you're carrying. Often, this means the anger itself starts showing up less frequently and burning less hot. I draw on CBT and DBT skills for the in-the-moment work, and I won't shame you for being angry. I've spent years leading anger management and emotion-regulation groups in community mental health, at a veterans' nonprofit, and in private practice. The goal isn't to make you a different person. It's to put you back in control of what you do.
Therapy for anger can help you…
Catch the anger early, before it runs away from you
Respond the way you actually want to, not the way you'll regret
Stop the blowups that are costing you
Repair the trust your temper has strained
COMMON QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions about anger management therapy
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No. A lot of the people I work with feel their anger is justified, and often it is. You can be completely right to be angry and still not like what it's costing you. We don't have to agree on whether the anger makes sense; we work on what happens next. Learn more.
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No, and "just calm down" rarely works anyway. The goal isn't to erase your anger or turn you into someone else. Your anger can be completely valid. The work is about what happens next, the moment between feeling it and acting on it, so it stops leading to things you regret or that land you in trouble. Learn more.
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I can write a letter confirming the facts of our work together, the number of sessions we've had and over what period, and the changes you yourself report. What I can't do is certify completion of a formal "anger management program" or offer a prediction about future behavior, since I provide individual therapy rather than a court-certified program. If your court or attorney requires a specific certified program, it's worth confirming what they'll accept before we begin. Learn more.
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No, I work with anyone whose anger is getting in their way. That said, a lot of men find it easier to start this kind of work with a male therapist, and I'm comfortable with the stuff that's hard to say out loud. Learn more.
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That counts, and it's just as worth working on. Anger doesn't have to be explosive to be a problem. For a lot of people it's a slow burn: simmering resentment, irritability that colors the whole day, a short fuse with the people closest to them. The same work applies, noticing it earlier and changing what you do with it, whether it erupts or just quietly wears you and your relationships down. Learn more.
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Yes. I see clients in person at my office in Berkeley and online anywhere in California. Many people actually prefer a mix, coming in when they can and meeting online when life gets busy, and we can do whatever fits you best. Learn more.
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I've led anger and emotion-regulation groups in person and online, across community mental health, veterans' services, and private practice. I find groups can be a powerful complement to individual work, the peer connection, the shared experience, and the affordability all add something one-on-one therapy can't. For any groups I'm currently running or recruiting for, see my groups page.