Dealing with Angry Therapy Clients - My go-to Approach

Dealing with Angry Therapy Clients - My go-to Approach

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I'll release a podcast version of this episode in a few days. Once it's live, you'll find it here:

I've found it challenging to find resources on how to navigate angry outbursts from clients in therapy, so I thought I would share a list of tools I've compiled from various resources over the years into a general routine I utilize to help clients through angry outbursts.

Of course, if you are concerned you may be in danger, or if your client's behavior is escalating, I encourage you to seek consultation straight away to make sure you're safe and also to support the best care for your client(s).

Links Mentioned:

Gottman Institute Article: "Manage Conflict – Part 4"

Article: "The Science of Fight or Flight"

Office "fire drill" cold open (watch it you won't regret it!)

Headspace mindfulness practice for Panic:

LINKS
*Some links are affiliate links. A percentage of purchases come back to me and help my channel immensely!

This video is geared toward therapists of all kinds, including psychologists, MFTs, LPCCs, social workers, and others in the clinical counseling field.

Welcome to Private Practice Skills! I’m Dr. Marie Fang, psychologist in private practice. I post videos offering tools I learned the hard way about starting and growing private practice so that you don’t have to.

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This video is not intended as professional or legal advice. Be sure to seek the services of a professional if you are in need of them.

[clairekorte]

Thanks Marie - you are thoroughly wonderful and topic choice is spot on for early career therapists 🤗

[KingRevvi]

Had a meltdown last session & my therapist… showed his “associate” status as an LMHCA. He kept pushing me basically saying I was wrong in a past social situation. I was just yelling “I did not know” then I nearly hung up on him.

>.>

I mean. I’m sure most would say find a new one but I think he’s been helpful otherwise.
(Except when he asked multiple times in a row what feeling I liked from the high of CRACK. I refused to answer each time cuz that is a suuuuper dangerous thing for a recovering addict to recall.)

So.

Watching this to see what he should have done.

[Twinkletink]

I love the bloopers! 😂 You're so relatable. Thanks for these videos!!

[lbattle]

I like these tutorials that focus on the therapeutic side a lot.

[katieestelle]

This was really helpful to someone like me who has recently gone solo <3 <3 <3 THANK YOU

[notdefining]

Thank you so much for your videos. They are so helpful.

[collettehonsowetz]

Yay, I love hearing what fellow therapists use, thanks for sharing!

[CASSICF]

Really enjoyed this, and seeing different ways to put into action all the stuff we learned in grad school and during practicum

[hannahmadeline]

How can we address this if clients ever become so dysregulated and frustrated that they refuse to engage in mindfulness or other calming activities? I have seen this in clients in an elevated, irritable state, like mania.

[mangal]

Empty chair therapy techniques tell us about this

[donh]

Does your course address how to repair relationships damaged between dad's and daughter's when the daughter was groomed against the father by another person who SA'd her?. The adult daughter has no sense of anything being "wrong". But she avoids the dad now even though he had nothing to do with her SA and they had a great relationship while he was raising her until the SA. She feels anxiety towards the dad due to grooming but does not want to hear that. Her response is to avoid/ghost/deny anything is wrong. And gets upset if its suggested her past is still influencing her. She is 19 and does not live with the dad so it is similar to estrangement without a "reason".