Photo of Paul E Ruffer, Clinical Social Work/Therapist in Washington, DC
Paul E Ruffer
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LCSW-C, LICSW
Verified Verified
Washington, DC 20006
I work with individuals, couples, and families, focusing on relationship building, conflict and anger management, and coping with grief and loss. I help couples create a safe and nurturing bond that allows them to become close again and heal. No matter the issue that brings a couple, individual, or family into my office, they will all be learning a new way to look at relationship and be introduced to a toolkit of skills essential to staying in conversation and connection.
I work with individuals, couples, and families, focusing on relationship building, conflict and anger management, and coping with grief and loss. I help couples create a safe and nurturing bond that allows them to become close again and heal. No matter the issue that brings a couple, individual, or family into my office, they will all be learning a new way to look at relationship and be introduced to a toolkit of skills essential to staying in conversation and connection.
(202) 759-2307 View (202) 759-2307
Photo of Renana Brooks, Psychologist in Washington, DC
Renana Brooks
Psychologist, PhD
Verified Verified
Washington, DC 20008  (Online Only)
Clients with a strong desire to fix their relationships in the most profound ways fit well with my practice .This is true even if you don’t know what is wrong or your partner disagrees about what the problem is. The change is not just communication patterns but also underlying intense emotional distress or explosive patterns of expression. We address complaints such as lack of sex or affection or emotional withdrawal.We stop couples from divorce and fix communication problems by training partners how to best be supportive and to understand underlying psychological messages unwittingly communicated between partners.
Clients with a strong desire to fix their relationships in the most profound ways fit well with my practice .This is true even if you don’t know what is wrong or your partner disagrees about what the problem is. The change is not just communication patterns but also underlying intense emotional distress or explosive patterns of expression. We address complaints such as lack of sex or affection or emotional withdrawal.We stop couples from divorce and fix communication problems by training partners how to best be supportive and to understand underlying psychological messages unwittingly communicated between partners.
(703) 420-7312 View (703) 420-7312
Anger Management Therapists

How long does therapy take for anger management?

Treatment duration depends on the person’s specific challenges and circumstances. There are treatments for anger problems that are shorter and more goal-oriented, like Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), which can last weeks to months. Others, like Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) may last between six months and a year, while a more intensive treatment, like psychodynamic therapy, is open-ended, and clients may see their therapist for a year or longer.

How do you know if you need therapy for anger management?

Everyone gets mad from time to time. But when angry outbursts become frequent and cause damage to relationships, whether at home or in the office, it may be a good time to look into therapy. A therapist can assess where a client’s anger may be coming from, suggest strategies for averting angry outbursts, and help a client create a plan to become a calmer version of themselves.

Is there medication for anger management?

Medications do exist that help people mitigate the feeling of anger, but these are reserved for people with anger-related psychiatric disorders, such as intermittent explosive disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, or in some cases borderline personality disorder. In these cases, antidepressant medications may be prescribed to help with the client’s symptoms. In most cases of anger management, however, talk therapy is the recommended treatment, along with lifestyle changes where relevant.

What’s the best way to encourage someone to seek help for anger issues?

It’s helpful to express your concern and love for the person while framing therapy as a tool for improving their life. Offering specific examples of how an individual’s behavior affected either themselves or others should be done with compassion and with empathy. It may be useful to devise a game plan—breaking the process down into parts, such as finding a therapist, making appointments, and looking into insurance coverage.