However, when this emotion stays unprocessed, for example:

• is internalised and buried (bottled up, stifled or denied) or
• is turned outward destructively (lashing out or the all-consuming need to blame or take revenge) or
• is disavowed (passive-aggressive behaviour, manipulation, avoidance)

it transforms into something far more corrosive. In the therapeutic space, clinicians often face clients who are trapped in cycles of unprocessed anger, unable to understand or manage the underlying emotions driving their distress.

Unprocessed anger is more than just an emotion. It is anger that is not expressed, and there’s almost always a reason: it is a response shaped by our earliest relationships, our environment, and our coping mechanisms. In many cases, it has roots in traumatic childhood experiences. For example, clients who grew up in households where they were criticised or shamed for expression emotions, especially strong emotions like anger, internalise beliefs that it isn’t right or safe to express their feelings. People who grow up in families with an abusive parent might associate anger with fear, danger, or damaged relationships.

Unprocessed anger can manifest in various forms, from passive-aggressive behaviour to violent rage, often trapping our clients in cycles of pain, helplessness, or self-destruction. But anger is rarely what it seems on the surface.

How do we break this cycle? How can we help clients move beyond their unconscious defences—repression, disavowal, and the relentless pursuit of revenge and blame?

This webinar is not just about recognising anger – it is about unlocking its deeper, often hidden, roots. Dr Jan McGregor Hepburn will lead us into a profound exploration of how anger – in its various forms – takes hold in the psyche, and how we, as therapists, can turn it into a force for healing rather than destruction.

Key Clinical Questions:

• How does repressed anger fuel depression and self-sabotage, and how can we help clients access and express these buried emotions?
• What are the subtle signs of disavowed anger, and how can therapists skilfully draw out these hidden dynamics in session?
• How can we safely work with clients who are consumed by revenge, ensuring containment without extinguishing their need for justice?
• When blame becomes the primary narrative, how can we guide clients away from destructive cycles and toward accountability and healing?

This training will explore four core manifestations of anger and how they interrelate:

• Repression: Anger that is pushed beneath the surface doesn’t disappear – it turns inward, manifesting as depression, self-hatred, or helplessness. Clinically, repressed anger can show up in clients who appear disengaged, passive, or in a constant state of shutting down. But beneath their silence lies a storm of unacknowledged rage, which, if left unprocessed, can fuel profound psychic pain. Example: Consider a client who struggles with chronic self-doubt and fatigue. Beneath the surface, unexpressed anger is directed inward, leading to a cycle of self-sabotage and isolation.
• Disavowal: When anger is denied, it often shows up in indirect ways—passive-aggressive behaviours, manipulation, or avoidance. These clients may not even recognise their own anger, but their relational dynamics are deeply affected. Disavowed anger is a defence mechanism that protects the self from feeling overwhelmed, but it can lead to toxic interactions with others. Example: A high-functioning professional who consistently undermines colleagues while maintaining a veneer of politeness. The anger is there, lurking, but they can’t acknowledge it directly.
• Revenge: In some clients, anger breaks through in its rawest form – rage and a desire for retribution. This is particularly common in forensic work, or with individuals who feel wronged and seek to ‘balance the scales’ by any means necessary. Example: A client who, after a series of perceived betrayals, becomes increasingly consumed with thoughts of revenge, unable to let go of their need for justice. Their aggressive outbursts become a way to channel unresolved pain, leaving them isolated and feared by those around them.
• Blame: Whether directed outwardly or inwardly, blame is often the manifestation of unresolved anger. Clients stuck in cycles of blame may find themselves fixated on finding someone to hold accountable for their distress – whether that’s a parent, partner, or themselves. Example: A client who blames everyone around them for their misfortunes, unable to take responsibility for their own emotional state, while simultaneously feeling like a victim of circumstances.

We will explore real life clinical vignettes and case studies to understand the layered nuances of unprocessed anger and to learn practical tools that help our clients address their anger and channel it constructively for self-empowerment and growth.

Case vignette 1:

Anna, a successful lawyer, comes to therapy feeling burned out and disconnected. On the surface, she presents as calm, even complacent. But as the sessions unfold, subtle signs of resentment emerge. Her passive comments about feeling overlooked at work, and her strained relationships with colleagues, reveal a deeper disavowal of anger. As her therapist, you notice these cracks in her facade and sense that something unspoken is bubbling beneath. But how do you help Anna move beyond polite indifference and into confronting her true feelings? What are the stakes if she doesn’t?

Case vignette 2:

Leo, a young man involved in a legal dispute, has become consumed by the need for revenge against those he feels have wronged him. His rage is palpable, erupting in aggressive language and physical tension. As his therapist, you are faced with the challenge of helping him channel this intense emotion constructively—without reinforcing his desire for retribution. How do you help Leo reframe his experience in a way that allows him to let go of his need for revenge? What might happen if he remains trapped in this cycle of aggression?

By the end of this training, participants will:

• Develop a nuanced understanding of anger’s roots: Learn how perceived threats, early relational failures, and unconscious defences like repression and disavowal shape anger.
• Identify and work with repressed anger: Gain tools to recognize when anger is masked by depression, paranoia, or passive disengagement, and learn how to help clients safely express these emotions.
• Address disavowed anger in relationships: Learn how passive-aggression and indirect expressions of anger erode trust and develop strategies to guide clients toward acknowledging their hidden feelings.
• Contain and work through revenge dynamics: Develop techniques to help clients process feelings of rage and retribution without escalating destructive behaviour, focusing on transformation rather than suppression.
• Manage blame and accountability: Learn how to shift clients away from cycles of self-blame or outward blame, guiding them toward a more integrated and accountable emotional experience.
• Integrate psychodynamic and cognitive frameworks: Explore how to combine these therapeutic approaches to address anger holistically in individual and relational contexts.

Many of us are familiar with anger in its various forms, but how often do we really understand its origins, its intricate defences, and its hidden motivations? This training goes beyond the typical exploration of anger and delves into the deep psychodynamic structures that keep clients trapped in cycles of repression, disavowal, and revenge.

By attending, you will not only learn to recognise these dynamics, but you will also leave with practical, actionable tools to intervene and transform anger from a corrosive force into a source of growth, healing, and even empowerment.

Learning Objectives:

• Explain how perceived threats, early relational failures, and unconscious defences like repression and disavowal shape anger.
• Apply tools to recognize when anger is masked by depression, paranoia, or passive disengagement, and discuss how to help clients safely express these emotions.
• Apply techniques to help clients process feelings of rage and retribution without escalating destructive behaviour, focusing on transformation rather than suppression.

© nscience 2024 / 25