How to Use Hypnotherapy to Address Anger

Insights through my own process with anger and holding space for others in theirs

Anger is a completely normal feeling we all experience, yet it holds immense power and can cause issues in both our personal and work lives the more we try to suppress it or try to avoid it. It's not straightforward, it can arise from different sources like past trauma, fear, ongoing tensions, feelings of inadequacy, or unhealthy ways of dealing with stress.

Hypnotherapy can be a valuable tool in exploring the root causes of anger and developing healthier ways of managing and expressing it. It’s not about not feeling anger or calming ourselves down, but recognizing it and work to understand where it’s coming from. 

Here's how hypnotherapy can help:

Identifying Triggers: Hypnotherapy can uncover the specific triggers that ignite anger. By accessing the subconscious, hypnotherapy reveals hidden emotions, memories, or beliefs that fuel outbursts of anger. 

Strengthening Self-Awareness and Emotional Regulation: Through hypnotherapy, you can deepen your self-awareness and deepen your ability to regulate emotions. This empowers you to better identify and handle anger by becoming more attuned to the inner workings of the mind and the factors that provoke it, ultimately leading to healthier responses.

Reframing Thoughts and Beliefs: Its possible to reframe negative thought patterns and beliefs that contribute to anger by subtle shifts in how we view our reality. Hypnotherapy sessions may involve suggesting new, more positive or nutral ways of interpreting situations and managing emotions. This is something you can practice doing now. Start by asking yourself “is this real or a story I’m making up?”

Relaxation Techniques: Hypnotherapy often involves relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, visualization, and progressive muscle relaxation. These techniques can help to reduce stress and cultivate a sense of calm, making it easier to recognize anger triggers before they arise. 

Developing Ways to Channel Anger: Anger is powerful, but rather then letting it consume you or shunning it away, why not learn to channel it into ways that are beneficial. Ask yourself, “What is my anger trying to tell me?” Hypnotherapy can be useful in developing effective coping strategies for dealing with anger-provoking situations so that you can take a step back before becoming reactive to anger or shutting down. When we internalizes unresolved anger it often shows up in life as depression and/or anxiety. By leaning into our anger and asking ourselves what our anger wants us to acknowledge, we are able to see a broader view of the situation and begin to give ourselves what we really need. This include learning assertiveness skills, greater communication with ourselves and others, and problem solving strategies to address underlying issues constructively.