Office Hours with the Anger Professor

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit angerprofessor.substack.com

In this episode, I talk with oncologist and cancer survivorship expert Dr. Stacy Wentworth (author of Cancer Culture) about an emotion that doesn’t get nearly enough attention in cancer care: anger. We discuss why anger can emerge during and after treatment, the pressure patients feel to be strong or grateful, and why caregivers may struggle with anger of their own. We also talk about Stacy’s powerful HuffPost essay about losing a close friend to cancer while navigating the complicated boundary between being an oncologist and being a friend.

Also, check out my new series, How to Deal with Angry People, now. Learn ten strategies for effectively navigating some else’s anger in a way that protects your relationships and your boundaries.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit angerprofessor.substack.com

In this conversation, therapist and writer Jeremy Moeller and I explore the growing discussion around male loneliness and what men can do to build deeper, more meaningful relationships. We discuss why loneliness is about more than simply being alone, why friendships require intentional effort, and how vulnerability and healthy conflict help create the kinds of relationships that protect our emotional well-being.

I’m offering a free 30-day pass through the end of August so you can check out my latest series, How to Deal with Angry People. With this pass, you’ll be able to explore the full Emotion Hacks archive.

Here are three takeaways:

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit angerprofessor.substack.com

In this episode, I talk with David, a listener who volunteered to have an honest conversation about his own anger. We discuss how childhood experiences shaped his emotional reactions, why certain situations still trigger him today, and what he’s learned through therapy, stoicism, and a relationship that has challenged many of his assumptions about conflict and communication.

Here are three takeaways from our conversation.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit angerprofessor.substack.com

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Alison Jane Martingano, Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin–Green Bay and director of the Social Research Lab, to explore what empathy really is, and why it is far more complicated than most of us realize.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit angerprofessor.substack.com

In this episode, I sit down with Dr. Jason Cowell, Chair of Psychology at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay and director of the Social Cognitive Neuroscience Lab, to talk about what actually happens in the brain when we get angry. We explore the difference between the brain's immediate threat response and the slower process of emotional regulation, why anger and anxiety may have more in common than people realize, how childhood experiences shape our sense of fairness, and what modern neuroscience can tell us about rumination, memory, and emotional control.

Here are three quick takeaways from that conversation.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit angerprofessor.substack.com

In this conversation, therapist and writer Jeremy Moeller and I explore the complicated relationship many men have with their emotions. We discuss how men learn to relate to anger, why anger is often accompanied by shame and self-criticism, and what happens when boys grow up believing that only certain emotions are acceptable to express.

Here are three takeaways:

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit angerprofessor.substack.com

In this episode of Office Hours with the Anger Professor, I explore five common ways people use anger to gain control, avoid accountability, or influence others in relationships and everyday interactions. While anger itself is a normal emotion, these patterns often damage relationships and can quickly become abusive.

Five Ways People Use Anger to Get What They Want

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit angerprofessor.substack.com

The Catharsis Myth and Why Venting Doesn’t Work

In this episode of Office Hours with the Anger Professor, I break down the catharsis myth, the idea that you need to “get your anger out” in order to feel better. It’s a belief that’s been around for a long time, and it shows up everywhere right now, from rage rooms to “smash therapy” to all kinds of advice about venting.

See this article from Business Insider, that inspired this episode: Smash Therapy.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit angerprofessor.substack.com

In this Office Hours session, Dr. Ryan Martin breaks down findings from the International Women’s Day 2026 Global Attitudes Toward Gender Equality Survey and explores what the results reveal about expectations men hold in relationships and society.

We talk not just about the one headline-making result, that roughly one in four Gen Z men globally agree that “a wife should always obey her husband,” but also hat the broader survey reveals about gender roles, expectations, and entitlement.

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit angerprofessor.substack.com

In this episode of Office Hours with the Anger Professor (recorded live on February 4, 2026), I break down two research studies that show how the emotions we experience are shaped not just by our own personality, but by the people we interact with, and how the way we give feedback shapes the emotional climate around us over time.