72: EMDR for Anger [Why EMDR Works Series]

We all know someone who has anger “problems,” but I believe that there’s a different conversation we need to have about anger. Anger is a feeling, not a problem, and it’s not bad unless expressed in a way that’s disproportionate to what’s happening. But not expressing enough anger is an even bigger problem than too much anger. Let me convince you why.

Anger is a biologically-programmed survival response. However, society’s curriculum often tells us to repress it, specifically telling women that we can’t express our anger because it’s not ladylike or proper. The reality is that we can’t remove an emotion that’s attached to a survival response. Instead, we need to learn how to work with it.

This week on the podcast, we’re talking about anger and why we need to change our thinking about its value in our lives. I’m sharing how we’re missing the point of anger, how repressing it in our children directly impacts their safety, and how the #MeToo movement has helped to shine a light on the need for appropriate anger responses attached to justice and protection.

We’ve done such a disservice to everyone who feels anger as a trauma response, and it’s time that anger gets rebranded as something that helps support our wellbeing.

Listen in to this important conversation about something we all experience in our lives.

When something traumatic happens to us, it can be healing to have a therapist listen to and/or validate our horrible experience, especially if no one else has before. However, rehashing the details of that traumatic event can be retraumatizing. Brain-based therapies like EMDR teach us that we don't have to talk about the trauma or the details if we don't want to because the real healing doesn't focus on the traumatic event itself.

The Zero Disturbance podcast is for educational purposes and is not a replacement for a therapeutic relationship or individualized mental health or medical care.

Come learn with us at Zero Disturbance

Get on the waiting list for our client workbook, coming soon! 

Want to learn more about empowering yourself to experience therapy on your terms? Get access to our free client resource library for the most up-to-date tools and resources for your own journey. 

Therapists, access our favorite free resources in The Zero Disturbance Welcome Bundle, full of free videos and downloads to help you develop your clinical reasoning skills, as well as ways to feel like an intentional designer of high-value offerings like intensives and passive income. Use these free resources to make the seemingly impossible feel absolutely accessible!

With a Masters in Education from Vanderbilt, Kambria has been creating trainings and teaching adult learners for over 20 years. As the Director of Education and Quality Improvement at Stanford Medical School, she created ease in complex systems, thereby giving medical trainees successful learning experiences. Now, as a dedicated mom, therapist, and EMDR Consultant, Kambria knows what it means to do things efficiently, effectively, and in a learner-centered way. When she isn't podcasting or creating online courses, you can find Kambria playing with her twins on a beach in California.

Need help with bilateral stimulation? I use TouchPoint for myself, my kids, and in my practice. They’re both affordable and discreet! Shop here and use the coupon code ZERODISTURBANCE for 12% off.

Disclosure: Some of the links provided are affiliate links. If you choose to make a purchase through these links, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you. This helps support my work. Thank you for your understanding and support!