Melanie F. Webb, PsyD, Licensed Psychologist

08/17/2025

Many people are uncomfortable with anger. We don’t like it! It doesn’t feel good! Some people even think that anger is wrong/sinful.

It might be helpful to know that anger is a secondary emotion. That means that there is always a primary emotion underlying the anger. For instance, what is an outward expression of anger might be fear underlying it. Oftentimes, the emotion that underlies anger is hurt.

There are legitimate reasons for this. One is that people are conditioned to believe that the expression of emotion is not socially allowed and it is uncomfortable, at least in western society. As uncomfortable as anger is, many find it more acceptable than sadness, especially crying in others’ presence.

A second reason is that anger is easier to manage in many cases. Think about depression leading to not being able to get out of bed. Think about how debilitating fear can be. If these emotions manifest themselves in anger instead, it motivates and enables one to take action.

Also, to address the idea that anger is wrong or sinful, consider two things. First, there are clear examples in the Bible that anger served a useful purpose. Jesus himself had times when he felt emotions, even anger, and Jesus was without sin. He was the perfect man. However, even if this were not true, consider that emotion is neither good nor bad. Emotions can be either pleasant or unpleasant, but either way, they serves a purpose. What is potentially wrong is the action that is taken in response to the emotion. In other words, if a person is driven by anger to hurt someone, then the act of harming another person is wrong. The emotion itself is not wrong.

So, the point here is that most people are uncomfortable with anger. However, like all emotions, anger serves a useful purpose. It motivates and drives people to take action. Sometimes action is needed to make useful change.

The next time that you are uncomfortable with another person’s expression of anger, ask yourself, “What emotion might be underlying that anger?” If the anger is directed at you, ask yourself, “Could I have done something to hurt that person?”

Either way, I hope this helps when dealing with anger, whether you feel it yourself or you are the target of it.

08/06/2024

For those of you who might be suffering from depression, did you know that depression is connected to Vitamin D?

Exposure to sunlight will result in the body producing Vitamin D naturally. So, reasonable amounts of exposure to the sun will increase energy and lift a depressed mood.

Because of the natural sun protectant, melanin, individuals with darker skin tones require more exposure than those with fair skin tones. I find that for very light skin, 10-20 minutes in the sun (without sunscreen) is enough to get results.

Of course, everything in moderation as you want to get enough sun to benefit while not getting burned.

WARNING!!! If you are already taking an antidepressant or any other psychotropic medications, you need to check with your prescriber before going out in the sun as some of these medications do not mix well with sun exposure.

Otherwise, it can be a powerful tool in fighting depression naturally!

04/09/2023

For anyone needing mental health services!

I'm a licensed psychological associate (LPA) who practices clinical psychology in Southeast Texas.

02/03/2023

01/23/2023

"The primary cause of unhappiness is never the situation but your thoughts about it." ~ Eckhart Tolle
Book: https://amzn.to/3WoNnyN
The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

01/20/2023

Arthur is one of my former students who is now in private practice. Check out his page.

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089633550782&mibextid=LQQJ4d

I'm a licensed psychological associate (LPA) who practices clinical psychology in Southeast Texas.

07/09/2022

🛑🛑🛑ANNOUNCEMENT🛑🛑🛑

Hi, Everyone!

I hope that this post finds everyone doing well! I wanted to let everyone know that the Lamar University Psychology Clinic is open full-time during the second summer session and will continue the full schedule into the Fall semester. We have a new cohort of graduate students eager to get started working with individuals throughout the Southeast Texas area who might need some extra support.

The Psychology Clinic offers mental health services free of charge to all Lamar University students and members of Southeast Texas communities. These services are provided by third year graduate students working toward their master’s degrees in clinical psychology. These students work under my supervision and are looking forward to working with anybody who has questions and/or would like to improve their mental health.

Clinic hours are Monday-Friday, 9:00-5:00. We are located on campus in the Carl Parker Building, Room 101. Our phone number is 409-880-7783. Please feel free to give us a call if you would like to make an appointment to speak with one of our student therapists.

05/14/2022

05/02/2022

Depression is serious and can affect anybody. 😪

The late Grammy-winning legend had been open about her struggles with mental Illness and severe depression, even writing a book on the topic in 2017.

02/09/2022

🛑🛑🛑ANNOUNCEMENT🛑🛑🛑

Hi, Everyone!

I hope that this post finds everyone doing well! I wanted to let everyone know that I have accepted a position with Lamar University Psychology Department as a faculty member and as the Psychology Clinic Director.

The Psychology Clinic offers mental health services free of charge to all Lamar University students and members of Southeast Texas communities. These services are provided by third year graduate students working toward their master’s degrees in clinical psychology. These students work under my supervision and are looking forward to working with anybody who has questions and/or would like to improve their mental health.

Clinic hours are Monday-Friday, 8:00-5:00. We are located on campus in the Social and Behavioral Sciences Building, Room 200. Our phone number is 409-880-7783. Please feel free to give us a call if you would like to make an appointment to speak with one of our student therapists.