How To Find An Anger Management Therapist For Improved Mental Health

Anger is a natural human emotion that most people will experience from time to time. However, frequent or uncontrollable anger may create challenges for a person and those around them. In order to address this kind of intense anger, it may be necessary to see a mental healthcare provider who specializes in anger management or anger control. Here, we’ll cover how to find an anger management therapist, plus what anger management counseling is and how anger can relate to mental health and emotional management. 

What is anger management therapy? 

According to the American Psychological Association (APA), anger management is a form of therapy designed to “reduce both your emotional feelings and the physiological arousal that anger causes.” While anger management therapy can’t eliminate the situations that may lead to anger, it can often help individuals learn to control how they react to negative feelings that specific situations may elicit. This can include strategies like watching for the signs that anger is rising, identifying situations that are likely to cause anger, and learning how to reframe negative thoughts. 

How effective is anger management at addressing anger issues? 

Although each individual is unique, research suggests that anger management may be effective at addressing struggles with anger. In a 2024 meta-analysis, for example, researchers compared data from 154 studies involving 10,189 participants focusing on the use of various anger management techniques, such as deep breathing, meditation, and mindfulness. The findings suggest that these anger management skills produced robust results, decreasing aggression and anger in participants. The effects of these techniques were reported to be stable for participants of a variety of demographics. 

How to recognize when you may be struggling with anger

Healthy anger and problematic anger tend to differ in several ways. For example, people experiencing healthy anger normally remain in control of their actions and are able to communicate respectfully despite their difficult feelings. Their anger typically dissipates quickly once the situation has been resolved. 

Meanwhile, those with problematic anger often sense that they are out of control when angry, and their anger can be chronic and long-lasting. Problematic anger can hurt you, your relationships, and other aspects of your daily life.

While it can look different for each individual, there are some warning signs that could indicate you may be struggling with anger issues:

• Frequent irritation
• Getting easily frustrated
• Experiencing angry outbursts 
• Reacting with a level of emotion that’s out of proportion to the situation
• People feeling nervous to be around you for fear of setting off an outburst
• Physical signs of stress due to chronic angry feelings, such as muscle tension, grinding teeth, or headaches

If you suspect you may have trouble with anger issues, you might benefit from reaching out for mental health support. As anger can dysregulate the nervous system, learning effective anger control strategies and how to soothe emotional responses can be beneficial.

How can anger affect your physical and mental health? 

Anger can have numerous physical health effects because it typically prompts the fight-or-flight response, or the stress response. Some of these physical effects can include the following:

Anger can also affect one’s mind, leading a person to feel easily irritated, overwhelmed, or out of control. Over time, chronic anger could also lead to health problems like heart disease and stroke. Finally, angry outbursts can harm relationships as well, which could lead to social isolation, loneliness, and the health challenges that can result.

When anger issues may be a sign of a mental health condition

Problematic anger can have several underlying causes, from chronic stress to past trauma to a lack of healthy coping skills. In some cases, it may also be linked to an underlying mental health condition. In these cases, getting treatment for the underlying illness is often key to getting the anger problems under control.

If you are experiencing trauma, support is available. Please see our Get Help Now page for more resources.

Which mental health conditions can manifest as anger?

A variety of mental health conditions can involve anger as a clinical symptom. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5), five mental health disorders include anger as a key criterion. These are:

• Intermittent explosive disorder (IED)
• Oppositional defiant disorder (ODD)
• Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMMD)
• Bipolar disorder
• Borderline personality disorder (BPD)

Other mental health conditions can also involve feelings of anger in some individuals, though anger is not a key criterion for diagnosing these disorders. For example, anxiety disorders can involve a chronically engaged fight-or-flight response, which can sometimes lead a person to lash out angrily. Depression can also manifest as irritability in some cases.

Anger management therapist: Treating anger issues with cognitive behavioral therapy 

Signs that a person could benefit from anger therapy include difficulty controlling their emotional reactions, ongoing conflict in their personal and/or professional lives, and physical symptoms. Learning emotional management techniques can foster self-control and reduce anger over time.

Talk therapy is usually the first-line approach to treating anger issues on their own or as part of a mental health condition. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is one of the most widely practiced types. It’s often used to treat mental health conditions like anxiety disorders, depression, and eating disorders. Research suggests that CBT can improve quality of life and functioning in many cases, helping individuals gain control over harmful thought patterns and leading to improvements in emotions and behaviors.

How can anger management therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy address anger issues? 

CBT and related techniques may be used in an anger management class or individual anger management therapy. This approach can help individuals learn to recognize and shift distorted thought patterns that can lead to difficult emotions or problematic behaviors. CBT can also involve helping the individual develop coping skills, which may include deep breathing, muscle relaxation techniques, and cognitive restructuring. 

What does anger management counseling involve?

Anger management counseling is a type of talk therapy. A licensed therapist may use a variety of therapy techniques to teach clients to effectively manage their anger:

• Cognitive behavioral strategies, such as examining and adjusting unhelpful thought patterns
• Mindfulness and relaxation exercises
• Identifying situations that typically lead to anger and finding new ways to navigate them
• Learning to pause, reflect, and respond to anger-inducing situations
• Time to practice skills related to problem-solving, conflict resolution, and assertive communication

Other types of anger management therapy that can help manage anger in healthy ways

In individual therapy or anger management classes, other approaches besides CBT may also be used. Some examples include dialectical behavior therapy and psychodynamic therapy. In order to determine which type of therapy may be right for you, speak with a mental health professional. They can evaluate your symptoms, provide a diagnosis, if applicable, and establish a treatment plan that may effectively address your anger. 

Individual therapy may not always be the best or only option. Some people greatly benefit from attending couples therapy, family therapy, and/or group therapy. A person’s age may also impact the type of treatment that is appropriate for them. For example, children who struggle with anger may benefit from modalities like play therapy rather than talk therapy.

Family therapy

Family therapy may address one potential underlying cause of anger: family dynamics. Miscommunication and family conflict can contribute to frustration, which may exacerbate anger. Family therapy can teach techniques to improve communication skills and show family members how to resolve conflicts more peacefully.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)

Although dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) was originally designed to treat borderline personality disorder, it may also help those experiencing difficulties with anger. Various DBT techniques could be effective at treating anger-related challenges, including those that relate to emotional regulation and interpersonal relationships. DBT can be helpful for individuals experiencing intrusive thoughts and painful and challenging scenarios. A DBT therapist can help you learn how to control your emotions and healthily navigate confrontations with loved ones.

Psychodynamic therapy 

Psychodynamic therapy focuses on emotional reactions and the ways in which a person’s past can influence how certain situations impact them. For a person struggling with anger, this type of therapy may help them understand how their previous experiences contribute to their current struggles.

Understanding the roots of anger

The underlying causes of anger can vary from person to person. For some, past trauma and unresolved experiences are the root of anger. For others, current stress, frustration, and unmet needs lead to anger. Learned emotional responses and deeply ingrained patterns can also perpetuate the experience of anger. A therapist can help you identify the roots of your anger and understand where this feeling comes from.

Skills you may learn in anger management therapy

Below are some of the skills you may learn by participating in anger management therapy:

• Emotional regulation and emotional management
• Distress tolerance
• Assertiveness training
• Effective communication
• How to solve problems without angry outbursts
• Conflict resolution

How therapy may help you regain control over your emotions

Problematic anger often involves a sense of being out of control. Therapy can help individuals gain control over anger by first building awareness of the stimuli that typically leads to this emotion. Next, the therapist can help the client strengthen their self-control and emotional balance using various skills. The client may work to improve their relationships and daily function as well, promoting overall well-being as well as anger control. While this process often takes time and effort, it can be highly effective.

How to find an anger management therapist

How you find an anger management therapist can depend on a variety of factors, including whether you have health insurance and how you prefer to meet with a therapist. One place to start is to contact your primary care physician (PCP) and let them know you need a referral. Your PCP will likely provide a list of mental health professionals who could help you address your anger. You could also contact your health insurance company for a list of in-network mental health care providers.

BetterHelp may be covered by your insurance plan, and co-pays average about $23/week for eligible members. Coverage varies by location, plan, provider, and therapist availability. Check your in-network status on the BetterHelp site. In addition, BetterHelp's flexible subscription model remains an option for receiving quality care from a broad therapist network, with subscriptions priced around $70-$100/week.

When choosing a therapist, check their credentials and licensure. It’s recommended to look for experienced therapists who have helped others work through anger-related challenges. You might schedule an introductory session with any therapists you’re considering working with. It can be important that they cultivate a safe space where you feel comfortable opening up about your thoughts and emotions. Choosing to seek professional help can be a significant step forward, and finding the right therapist for your specific situation can promote better outcomes.

Search engines to find mental health professionals near you

Using the National Register of Health Service Psychologists may also be helpful. Their Find a Psychologist service allows you to search through a database of licensed psychologists by entering your zip code or city and state. You could also look for psychologists in your local area in other ways. For example, you could use online search engines to find mental health professionals near you who specialize in anger management and then read reviews and schedule consultations. You may also ask friends and family if they have any recommendations.

Online anger management therapy

For those who prefer online therapy, services like BetterHelp can offer a more streamlined process for finding a provider. You can simply fill out a brief questionnaire to get matched with a licensed therapist in as little as 48 hours, making it simple to seek professional support. You can then meet with them remotely from anywhere you have an internet connection, using phone calls, video calls, and/or online chat. They can offer assistance in understanding your anger and help you practice skills for emotional regulation.

In addition to added convenience, online therapy may offer similar efficacy levels to in-person therapy. In a 2022 study on the topic, for example, researchers found no significant differences in efficacy between these types of treatment when measured by a variety of outcomes. These outcomes included working alliance, client satisfaction, function, symptom severity, and overall improvement.