Whether it is anger in yourself or anger in others, meeting anger is an essential skill. If you are ready to learn more about anger, how to relate to it in yourself and others join us for this one day workshop. Read more about Wise Heart's approach to anger here: http://www.wiseheartpdx.org/post/837
Is this for you?
There are likely one of three ways you want to focus your practice with anger.
- You may have a fear or block around anger and want to find access anger along with other emotions.
- You find yourself getting angry, staying angry, and/or behaving from anger and would like some skills for transforming this pattern of reactivity.
- Your fear of anger in others inhibits your ability to feel safe, set boundaries, and express what's really true for you.
What's it all about?
Anger is an important signaling system letting you know that you perceive a threat. It is meant to draw your attention to something so that you can take care of yourself or others.
In the context of recovering from an abusive relationship, anger can indicate progress. It signals that the receiver of the abuse is beginning to recognize that their needs have been unmet and hopefully is roused to take care of those needs.
When you are mindful enough to recognize anger as a signal, you can take your time and meet it as such by following the same steps outlined in meeting anxiety (http://wiseheartpdx.org/blog/?p=401). Basically, by naming it, accepting that it's okay to have it, feeling it in your body, and looking for the feelings and needs underneath it.
Anger becomes a hindrance, when you fan the flames of it with your thoughts and behavior:
- Thought: things should be different than they are or
- Thought: someone should act different than they are
- Behavior: yelling, blaming, judging, stomping about, etc.
Unfortunately, anger is often associated with violent behavior of one sort of another so meeting someone in anger while experiencing a sense of safety can be very challenging. Tragically, for those who are often angry there is cycle of not being heard again and again which leaves in its wake lonliness and more reactivity. A part of accessing a sense of safety while another is angry is learning how to meet that person and learning how to set a boundary based on a connection to your needs rather than fear.
Lastly, anger can also be habitual. Understanding anger as a habit opens access to a wide array of strategies for working with it. These include body awareness, replacement strategies, obtaining a critical mass of clarity, and identifying an underlying need for healing.
What to expect?
Concepts and skills will be presented and then you will work individually, in pairs, and in small groups to learn and practice. The focus of the training is experiential learning, thus content and pratice is balanced to give you a felt sense of a new way forward.
After each exercise, you will have an opportunity for debrief and questions. You will engage in 5-7 practice exerices in all. You will be working in a group of about 20-40 participants.
Do you need to know more before deciding whether to join us or not? Please give me a call or send an email with any questions you have. I am happy to talk with you. 503-544-7583, info@wiseheartpdx.com.
CANCELLATION POLICY: to meet needs for inclusion, security, and predictability refunds are only given if requested 72 hours before the start of the course, so please discern carefully.
LaShelle Lowe-Chardé is passionate about helping people express their deepest values in their relationships and creating clarity and connection with self and others.
She began her professional career with a master’s degree in school psychology. In addition to nine years in public schools, she spent several years facilitating group healing work for adolescent youth labeled “at-risk”. During that same time she led leadership and teamwork trainings for businesses and organizations around Portland, Oregon.
Along the way she found Compassionate/Nonviolent Communication (NVC) and began training with Marshall Rosenberg and other internationally known NVC trainers. She immediately knew that Compassionate Communication was the missing piece. It offers a deep and broad yet simple understanding of human nature along with a concrete set of tools to help us act and live from a place of clarity and compassion. For LaShelle, Compassionate Communication is the hands and feet of spirituality. In 2006, she was certified as a NVC trainer.
In addition to certification in Nonviolent Communication, she has completed a three year training in Hakomi - Body Centered Therapy and introductory trainings in Emotionally Focused Therapy and with the Gottman Institute.
In 2004, she founded her business, Wise Heart (www.wiseheartpdx.org). Since that time she has served as a trainer, private coach, and mentor for the learning and practice of Compassionate Communication and mindfulness. LaShelle teaches locally as well as through video conferencing online. She has offerings for couples, women, and the general public in addition to trainings for local nonprofit organizations. Her offerings focus on combining NVC with mindfulness and a subtle understanding of reactivity and relationship skills.