Overview
The Importance of Understanding Anger in Therapeutic Practice
Anger is a natural and often protective emotion that can signal injustice, unmet needs, boundary violations, or unresolved emotional pain. However, when anger has been suppressed, feared, or expressed destructively, it can lead to relational difficulties, emotional distress, and psychological fragmentation.
For counsellors and psychotherapists, developing confidence in working with anger is essential. Therapeutic work may involve helping clients recognise, tolerate, and express anger in ways that promote awareness, self-regulation, and healthier relational patterns. At the same time, therapists must also be able to reflect on their own responses to anger, including discomfort, avoidance, or countertransference reactions.
Through experiential learning and reflective practice, this workshop invites participants to deepen their understanding of anger, explore their own relationship to this emotion, and develop skills for working with anger safely and effectively in therapy.
Course details
Our CPD workshops are facilitated by experienced practicing specialists in their fields. We have a range of courses that are aimed at qualified counsellors who wish to develop their practice, as well as students of counselling. This course is Heartwood certified with 11 hours of CPD*.
Timings:
Saturday 10am – 5:00pm
Sunday 10am – 5:00pm
*students must attend all scheduled sessions in full to receive certification
Delivery method: In-person. This intensive weekend will utilise a combination of:
- Experiential group exercises exploring the expression and containment of anger.
- Facilitated discussions integrating theoretical understanding with personal and professional reflection.
- Demonstrations and guided activities to support practical learning for therapeutic practice
Open to: Qualified therapists, Heartwood diploma students and students from other counselling training colleges.
It will provide an opportunity to deepen understanding of emotional processes in therapy while developing practical strategies for working with anger in clinical practice.
Participants should be willing to engage in reflective and experiential learning, recognising that awareness of one’s own emotional responses can be an important part of professional development.
The workshop will take a process-oriented approach, allowing participants to explore emotional dynamics in a supportive and professionally held environment while developing practical therapeutic insight.
Cost for the weekend: £190 (Current Heartwood students or Heartwood Alumni receive special rate of £140).
Learning Objectives:
- Develop a deeper understanding of the psychological and relational functions of anger.
- Explore personal attitudes, beliefs, and experiences relating to anger.
- Increase confidence in recognising and responding to anger within therapeutic relationships.
- Learn strategies for helping clients safely express and process anger.
- Integrate perspectives from Person-Centred, Gestalt, and Psychodynamic approaches when working with anger in therapy.
Venue
Nestled in the corner of Regent’s Park, our London Venue is a little oasis just minutes away from the hustle and bustle of the city.
Regent’s University London, Inner Circle, Regents Park, London NW1 4NS
Tutor
Matt Martys HCPC, BACP (Accredited), BAAT
Matt Martys is a psychotherapist, art psychotherapist, supervisor, and trainer with over three decades of clinical and teaching experience. His work integrates talking therapy with creative and experiential approaches, drawing on psychodynamic, humanistic, Jungian, and Gestalt perspectives.
Matt began his career in the NHS in East London in 1992, working with people facing life-limiting illness from diagnosis through to end of life. This early experience shaped his understanding of the emotional depth and complexity of therapeutic work. Since then, he has worked across settings including the NHS, charities, and education, supporting people with diverse psychological and relational challenges.
He holds qualifications in counselling (Dip), psychotherapy (PG Dip), and supervision (Dip), and is an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP). Matt also holds an MA in Art Psychotherapy and is registered with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) and the British Association of Art Therapists (BAAT).
Alongside his clinical work, Matt has extensive experience as a trainer and educator, teaching on counselling and psychotherapy training programmes in London. His workshops combine theoretical understanding with experiential learning, creating a reflective and supportive environment for professional development
Fees
Cost for the weekend course: £190 (Current Heartwood students or Heartwood Alumni receive special rate of £140).
Register your interest
To register your interest in this course without obligation, please click here
Book now
Places are limited to 12 participants to ensure an intimate and focused group experience. Early booking is recommended.
To book on this course, please select your payment method below and then select ‘Buy now’ to proceed.
