Struggling with Mom Rage and 3 Ways to Break Free: A Conversation with an Anger Management Coach

Hosted by Ellen Krause

0:00 – Elizabeth’s Personal Struggle with Mom Rage

Elizabeth opens up about her first terrifying experiences with mom rage:

• Yelling and shouting
• Hitting
• Reacting from exhaustion
• Feeling crushed by guilt and shame afterwards

She shares how this pattern deepened when her husband was traveling often, and how she finally sought help through parenting counseling and daily time with God…but soon realized there was more to learn.

8:36 – Isolation and Faith in Anger Struggles

Elizabeth discusses why anger is such a taboo topic among mothers, even (or maybe especially) Christian moms, and how she realized that anger coaching for mothers was a need in the Christian community.

Ellen and Elizabeth discuss the need to imitate Jesus as a parent.

“If we want to show Christ to our children, if we want to be loving and kind and forgiving and tender and warm and soft like Jesus, we need to spend time with him. You cannot become like him if you don’t spend time with him.”

Elizabeth, Emotionally Healthy Legacy

17:55 – Understanding Anger vs. Mom Rage

• The Brain in Rage: During intense anger or rage, the logical, decision-making part of the brain (the prefrontal cortex) shuts down. You’re operating from the survival brain, making it much harder to respond with control and calm.
• Importance of Early Intervention: Catching yourself at the frustration or irritation stage—before hitting full-blown rage—is crucial. Using tools like scripture, breathwork, and mindset shifts can help reset before losing control.

24:11 – Faith’s Role in Anger Management

Elizabeth disccuses how spiritual practices like prayer, scripture reading, and journaling not only connect moms with God but also physiologically reduce stress, helping them regulate emotions more effectively and stop mom rage before it starts. Elizabeth reminds moms that even Jesus took time away to rest and reset, modeling that self-care with God’s guidance is both necessary and biblical.

31:56 – Breaking the Cycle of Reactive Parenting

Elizabeth defines reactive parenting as:

• instinctive
• unthinking
• often leaves us feeling regret.

In contrast, responsive parenting is thoughtful and rooted in biblical values.

Elizabeth encourages proactive strategies like vision journaling to retrain the brain and prepare godly responses for common triggers.

37:30 – Biblical Perspective on Anger

Anger itself is not a sin; it’s a secondary emotion and a signal that something deeper needs attention. Elizabeth draws from scripture to highlight that God allows for anger but calls us to manage it in a non-sinful, constructive way.

41:15 – Practical Tools and Next Steps

Elizabeth and Ellen share some practical next steps for the mom dealing with rage.

1. Admit there’s a problem.
2. Spend intentional time with God. Let scripture, prayer, and journaling be both spiritual and physiological resets.
3. Determine what support you need:
   • A podcast or book
   • More quiet time and reflection
   • Counseling or trauma work
   • Coaching or mentorship for accountability and strategy
4. Ask God for clarity: What is the true root of your anger? What small step can you take today?

Resources

Want to learn more about Elizabeth’s work at Emotionally Healthy Legacy? Visit her website to listen to her podcast, see more of her story, or check out her anger coaching services.

Scripture referenced:

• Matthew 14:22-23
• Luke 5:15-16
• Genesis 3:12-13
• Galatians 5:22-23
• 2 Corinthians 10:5
• James 1:19
• Ephesians 4:26
• Ephesians 4:1-2

Elizabeth’s Faves: