Melissa has been wonderful to work with. They have a great understanding of autism and handle anger and emotional challenges with patience and skill. They create a safe, supportive environment and truly care about their clients’ progress. Highly recommend.
Anger Management
Understand what sets off your anger and learn skills to stay in control, in person or online.
What is anger management?
Anger is a normal emotion. It tells us something feels unfair, threatening or out of our control. It becomes a problem when it comes on fast, lasts too long, or comes out in ways that hurt your relationships, your work or your health.
Anger management therapy helps you understand what fuels your anger and gives you practical ways to respond instead of react. It is not about bottling feelings up. It is about expressing them in a way that gets you heard.
Signs anger is causing problems
- Frequent arguments, yelling or slamming doors
- Saying things you regret, then feeling guilty or ashamed
- People around you walking on eggshells
- Trouble at work or school because of your temper
- Feeling tense, irritable or on edge most of the time
- Anger that seems bigger than the situation
In children and teens, anger often shows up as meltdowns, defiance or trouble at school, and sometimes sits on top of anxiety, sadness or stress they cannot yet put into words.
When to seek help
If anger is damaging relationships you care about, or you have tried to change on your own and keep ending up in the same place, it is a good time to talk to someone. If anyone is in danger, call 911.
How GearingUP helps
At GearingUP, anger management starts with understanding your pattern: the situations that set you off, the thoughts that fuel the fire, and how anger shows up in your body. From there we build skills you can use in the moment and in the calmer times in between.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps you notice and change the thinking that escalates anger. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) skills for emotion regulation, distress tolerance and interpersonal effectiveness help you slow down, calm your body and ask for what you need without a fight. We also look at what sits underneath, such as stress, past hurts or anxiety.
We offer anger management for adults, teens and children, and for families who want to break the cycle of conflict together. Sessions are in person at our seven Dallas-Fort Worth offices or online.
Frequently asked questions
No. Most people who come to us have never been violent. They want to stop snapping, feel less irritable and communicate better with the people they love.
Yes. Children and teens learn to recognize their feelings earlier and use calming and problem-solving skills, and parents learn how to respond in ways that calm things down rather than escalate them.
Many people notice changes within a few months of regular sessions. Your therapist will set goals with you and track your progress.
Locations GearingUP Treats Issues Related To Anger Management
We’re happy to offer treatment for issues related to Anger Management at the following locations.
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Dallas (Lakewood)
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Frisco West
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McKinney
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North Richland Hills
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Plano (Mapleshade)
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Plano (Stonebriar)
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Prosper
Anger Management Reviews
My daughter has had a major improvement in handling her anger since coming to GearingUP with Melissa. We are grateful!
Very impressed with where I started and how far I've come with controlling my anger and emotions.
My daughter's therapist was wonderful. She loved going to her weekly appointments and learned several different coping mechanisms for her anxiety and anger. We were very pleased with the care our daughter received.
I have had a really great experience with Gearing Up. The testing was insightful and helped me understand where I was starting. I have been appreciating learning new skills to reduce my symptoms of anxiety, anger, and depression, and it is working so well so far. My therapist understands the road I am on and is helping me learn for long term relief and so I can do and feel better. I'm glad I found Gearing Up when I did, in a season of big changes and high stress. I feel better prepared now for what happens around me, and it's easier to find comfort and joy.
An investment & time consuming – but 100000% WORTH EVERY PENNY!!!
I have been a single Mother for the majority of my 10 year old son’s life. He was diagnosed with ADHD, anxiety, depression and the cherry on top…ODD in 2019. He was beginning to get physical with me, wouldn’t accept “no” as an answer, and if he didn’t get his way he would absolutely destroy his bedroom (including any electronics that he had). Every day I was walking on eggshells with him and I felt like I didn’t even know how to “parent” anymore. He walked all over me.
He had done play therapy for 2 years when he was younger and it wasn’t working for him and honestly a waste of money. He needed some hardcore, hands on therapy – and so did I.
After researching “youth therapists” and numerous other phrases, I came across Gearing Up. I didn’t love the reviews I read regarding billing and the office staff (which was never an issue for me), but after looking through the website and bios of the therapists, learning about DBT, and making sure that my insurance (BCBS) was accepted, I knew they would be able to help my son and I.
The DBT program that my son and I completed after a year consisted of 4 sessions per week. Yes, like I said…it’s A LOT!
For my son – 1 skills session and 1 individual session. For myself – 1 parent group session and 1 individual (parenting) session.
Dr. Sylvia Gearing led the Parent Group sessions, Omari Smith was my son’s therapist and my individual sessions were with Dr. Nathalie Raper.
Omari worked a miracle on my son, who is almost 11 now. He has blossomed into a respectful, empathic, and kind boy. Our Mom/Son relationship has never been better.
He thinks before he speaks, is able to calm himself down before his temper escalates, and he’s genuinely enjoyable to be around!
Nathalie is incredible to work with! She gives it to you straight, which is what I needed. She taught me how to handle specific situations that I encountered with my son and how important it is to not “give in.” She helped me come up with methods for a reward system and helped me figure out what the appropriate consequences should be for the things that my son wouldn’t do.
I cannot be happier with our life now after the help of Gearing Up. Thank you!