Photo of Richard Wai-Por Cheng, Clinical Social Work/Therapist in Boston, MA
Richard Wai-Por Cheng
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, LICSW, MSW
Verified Verified
Boston, MA 02110
Waitlist for new clients
Welcome! It takes courage, leaderships and hopes to change. Recovering from ups and downs in a competitive and changing world needs positive understanding of all aspects-information, perseverance, resolve, skills, strategies, resources and balance moving forward. I am committed to meeting where you are, working together to develop new personal life assets for wellness and health, and face challenges or recovering from personal, cultural and institutional challenges. My guest deserves the full ownership, respect and dignity for the success as s/he dreams it. I will be honored to work with you.
Welcome! It takes courage, leaderships and hopes to change. Recovering from ups and downs in a competitive and changing world needs positive understanding of all aspects-information, perseverance, resolve, skills, strategies, resources and balance moving forward. I am committed to meeting where you are, working together to develop new personal life assets for wellness and health, and face challenges or recovering from personal, cultural and institutional challenges. My guest deserves the full ownership, respect and dignity for the success as s/he dreams it. I will be honored to work with you.
(978) 965-8999 View (978) 965-8999
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.