|
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: October 2, 2006
October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month
- Six Tips for Anger Management Success from Family & Children Services -
[Palo Alto/San Jose, CA] Family & Children Services, a nonprofit health and human services agency serving San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, offers tips in honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month.
Anger is an emotion. It is not good or bad. What matters is what we do with the emotion. We can use anger in positive ways to give us the courage to stand up for something we believe. We can also use it in negative ways that cause pain and distress to family, friends, and coworkers. In each instance, individuals choose how to react.
We all can learn to take responsibility for our anger and the choices we make. Having tools to manage anger, a better understanding of what causes anger, and learning positive ways to communicate increase individuals’ success and the quality of their relationships.
Here are six tips to promote anger management and to help build better relationships:
1) Take a deep breath and count to ten. Often taking this short pause allows us to see more clearly and calm down. Sometimes physically leaving the situation is needed in order to obtain the needed distance from the source of anger or frustration.
2) Find people with whom you can talk about your feelings. Being able to talk about your stress, worries, and frustrations can go a long way toward relieving their force. If you do not have a friend or family member you feel comfortable speaking with, counselors specialize in this.
3) Step back and take responsibility for what you say or do. Acknowledge that you have a choice in the way you respond. When you find yourself ready to yell, stop and ask yourself whether this will achieve your real goal and if this is the type of person you choose to be.
4) Look for solutions rather than problems. Address “what” is wrong, rather than looking for “who” to blame. Ask: what am I needing right now? How would I get that?
5) Think creatively. If you notice certain situations tend to lead to trouble, think of alternatives to avoiding those situations. This can be difficult if you live or work in a violent or contentious environment. Seek out someone who will listen and help you develop a list of options.
6) Remember that you cannot control the actions and decisions of others. Focus on what you can control, yourself, and make the choices that are best for you and your well-being.
If you know someone who needs more help to learn to manage his or her anger, refer him or her to a counselor or anger management group. Family & Children Services’ Positive Solutions Program offers Anger Management & Accountability Groups, as well as more intensive programs to help adults build healthy relationships with their partners and children. For information, call 408-292-9353 or 650-326-6576.
Family & Children Services has served San Mateo and Santa Clara counties for nearly 60 years. Its programs and services build strong, safe, and self-sufficient individuals, families, and communities. Approximately 8,000 children, teens, and adults participate in its counseling, family support, substance abuse treatment, and violence intervention, prevention, and treatment programs each year. To learn more about the agency, please visit www.fcservices.org, or call 650-326-6576 or 408-292-9353.
***
About Family & Children Services
Family & Children Services has worked for more than sixty years to build strong, safe, and self-sufficient individuals, families, and communities in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. We are a non-profit agency providing innovative and integrated health and human services to approximately 8,000 individuals every year. Through our counseling, education, and prevention programs, we address issues ranging from domestic violence to child neglect, substance abuse to depression, and parenting to life skills for foster youth. We strive to make care as accessible as possible for clients, providing our services in seven languages and in more than 100 locations. For more information, call 650-326-6576, or visit www.fcservices.org.
# #
Media Contact:
Maryanne McGlothlin, Marketing Manager
650-326-6576 x 5423, mmcglothlin (at) fcservices (dot) org
|
