Anger, parenting & growth · delivered in schools & the community
A two-hour workshop for parents and carers on an emotion most of us find hard to deal with. Led by a psychotherapist, the workshop is delivered without shame, judgement, or advice about counting to ten.
If you are never angry, then you are unborn.
Bassa proverb · West Africa
The two-year-old’s meltdown in the supermarket is parenting folklore — everyone has a story and everyone laughs. But if we have a parental meltdown, we tend to keep quiet about it.
That silence is the problem. Anger in family life is not only normal, it is inevitable, and children learn far more from watching what adults do than listening to what adults say. But shame keeps parents from examining their own anger, which leaves them unequipped to model anything better.
This workshop opens the subject up. It doesn’t teach anger management or ask anyone to suppress anything. It treats anger as an intelligent early warning system that has become over-sensitive, and it offers parents a way to find out what their anger is actually protecting them from.
Built around the Anger Therapy Unpacked cards, the workshop is structured so no one is asked to disclose anything they don’t want to.
We begin by establishing that anger between parents and children is commonplace, inevitable, and not a sign that anything has gone wrong. For many participants this will be the first time they have heard this.
The distinction between clear-sighted and distorted anger is fundamental to our understanding of anger. Clear-sighted anger is rooted in the present and proportionate to the situation, whereas distorted anger is not just a reaction to the here and now — it is rooted in the past.
Anger is felt before it is thought. The body is our early warning system. Noticing signals from our body offers us the opportunity to step away before our brain is flooded by anger.
We identify the common triggers of anger and together we explore them in greater detail. We invite participants to work with the cards and identify which triggers resonate the most.
How to begin a difficult conversation after an outburst, and why owning our own part in a rupture is what makes repair work. Everyone leaves with the practical language to embark on repair.
Open workshops · Central London
As well as running workshops in schools, from time to time we run workshops open to the general public in Central London. If you would like to know when the next one is taking place, send us an email and we’ll be in touch.
£90 per person
Each participant receives a free deck of Anger Therapy Unpacked cards, worth £24.
Tell me about the next workshopGenuinely the most informative workshop I have ever attended.
Jessica · Parent
I’ve been ashamed and afraid of this topic and suffering alone — so great to bring it into the open.
Kristie · Parent
Great workshop, lots to try to change our approach at home.
Jennifer · Parent
“The glowing feedback from the parents who attended [the Anger Workshop] was testament to the vital work you are doing on this emotion. It was wonderful to be able to offer parents the chance to explore this further and know that anger is a normal emotion for children and adults — and can also be a force for good.”
Claire Burns · Head Teacher
If you are considering a parent workshop, a staff session, or delivery across a trust, we would be glad to discuss what would work. There is no pitch — just a conversation about what your families are dealing with.
DCounsPsych, MUKCP · Lead psychotherapist
Sara has thirteen years’ experience as a practising psychotherapist, including five years within the NHS and ten years with Mind, alongside a private psychotherapy practice. Anger is one of her principal areas of expertise, and she wrote her dissertation on parental anger. She is the co-author of Anger the Ancient Warrior, published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers in 2020.Book a one-to-one session with Sara →
Founder
Twenty-five years’ experience as a marketing creative has given Sarah the expertise to communicate complex subjects clearly and visually. As well as being the founder and creator of Therapy Unpacked, she holds a Postgraduate Certificate in the Therapeutic Arts, is the co-author of Anger the Ancient Warrior, and is a trainee Integrative Child and Adolescent Psychotherapist with IATE.
Online, about ten minutes each. Completely free, no strings attached. You don’t have to sign up for anything. You don’t even have to give us your email address.
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24 cards · £24 including UK P&P
No time to attend a workshop? This pack of cards delivers the workshop straight to you. It’s designed for use alone, with a partner, or in a therapy room.
Interested in ordering a pack? Email us → or enquire about bulk orders →Ages 8–12 · JKP, 2020
An illustrated story and workbook helping children understand anger as a feeling everyone has, rather than something to be ashamed of. Published by JKP, with interactive activities throughout.
Find it at JKP →