Turning Anger into Action: Understanding and Managing the Fire Within
Explore the causes of anger, how it affects relationships and parenting and what steps you can take through Claris Health’s classes to find healthier emotional responses.
Anger is a natural human emotion. It alerts us to wrongs, injustice, and unmet needs. But when anger becomes frequent, intense, or out of control, it stops being a signal and starts being a barrier to connection, to healing, to healthy relationships. At Claris Health, we understand how un-managed anger can affect families, parenting and overall wellbeing. We also know there is help.
Why Does Anger Matter?
Unchecked anger can damage relationships, harm children, and ripple through families. For parents, frequent outbursts or unresolved rage can create instability in the home and undermine trust. Anger tied to past trauma, parenting stress, or unresolved conflict often means the root issue isn’t the current frustration, it’s what came before. Recognizing this matters because addressing only the behavior (the outburst) without the underlying cause means the pattern continues.
Anger also affects personal health, high blood pressure, emotional exhaustion and social isolation can follow. Being angry often is not just “a personality,” it’s a sign something inside needs attention.
What Causes Anger?
Some common causes include:
- Past trauma or loss (pregnancy loss, adoption, abandonment)
- Parenting stress, especially when caring for young children or managing major life changes
- Relationship issues: lack of boundaries, resentment, poor communication
- Substance use or mental-health struggles that amplify emotional reactions
- Feeling unheard, undervalued, or overwhelmed by multiple demands
When someone says “I just snap,” it’s often the tip of an iceberg of pain beneath the surface.
How Claris Health Helps
Claris offers a dedicated pathway to learning healthier ways to respond through the Education program including Court-Approved Anger Management Classes – an 8-session course designed to help individuals recognize, understand and control anger in positive ways.
These classes are offered both in-person and online, free of cost for those enrolled. They’re available to parents with a court-mandate or anyone choosing to address anger management issues. clarishealth.org. By participating, you learn to identify triggers, understand reactions, build healthier communication skills, and redirect anger toward growth instead of harm.
Claris also connects you with holistic support through material assistance, parenting mentorship and mental-health counseling to ensure the anger management isn’t just a short course but part of lasting change. For example, you might attend the anger management class while also receiving parenting classes, which helps the whole family environment shift. Additionally, Claris’ partner network includes services for domestic-violence support and behavioral health for those needing deeper care.
Steps You Can Take Today
- Recognize your triggers: What situations, words, or feelings lead to angry reactions?
- Choose one small switch: Instead of yelling, pause and breathe. A simple “I’m feeling upset, give me a minute” helps.
- Talk it out: Use a mentor or class setting at Claris to share the story beneath your anger.
- Enroll in the 8-session anger management class: Visit Claris Education to sign up.
- Combine with parenting or relationship education: Learning parenting skills and managing anger together strengthens the whole household.
The Impact Beyond One Person
When one person learns to manage anger, every relationship around them changes. Children feel safer. Partners feel heard. Patterns of fear or unpredictability begin to fade. Claris empowers individuals with these tools so that families move from survival into safety and from reaction into rest.
If You’re Ready to Take a Step
If you’ve wondered “where do I start?”, know this: you don’t need to wait until everything is perfect. Claris Health offers these classes and services at no cost for many, so you can begin today. Visit Claris Education Anger Management to book your class or to refer someone you care about.
