How do you “be” angry in session?

I am very interested in sorting these things out to understand what they are in me.

I am really feeling them as separate now.

Helpless anger - powerless and silent rage

Rage - fear

Anger - now that I understand, productive

This makes a big difference in how we can see these as “separate” and not just an umbrella of anger.

This is a fascinating thread for me. I also have major fears of (and deep needs to express) anger, but traditionally even a sliver of irritation felt about or from another person can make me dissociate.

It has helped for T to help me parse out that my fear of anger is because I associate it with out of control behavior. Being able to tolerate my own anger has been slow going but I recently realized I got mad about something at work and didn’t dissolve in tears or disappear into a dissociative void.

What has worked for me is doing very small, tiny contacts with anger in session with him, Talking about minor frustrations with family, or work, or even him (the absolute scariest). Being able to feel that frustration is scary but it is helping to immunize me a bit to the terror.

Yes!

The slightest tone, look or feeling of impending disapproval sends me away and I’m not there to deal with the issue at hand.

Reading your post, I was thinking that I could ask my counselor to practice with me; calling my name with an authority tone and see what I can do with it.

I don’t know how to be there and present.