Jason Murphy – Teen Anger: Shut Down Angered Out-Bursts, Arguing, and Out-of-Control Behaviors with Mindfulness-Based Strategies that Get Results

Outline

Address the Underlying Causes of Anger

• How anger styles inform your clinical approach
  • Masked anger
  • Explosive anger
  • Chronic anger
• Create a safe therapeutic environment
  • Exercise: common fears and threats
  • Exercises: I am safe
• The cycle of anger
• Avoidance and shame
• Trauma
• The intersection of anger and addiction

You Can Change: Must-Have Techniques to Cultivate Transformation

• Assess readiness for change
• Cost benefit analysis intervention
• Motivational techniques
• Acceptance and change
• Exercise:
  • The CALM log

Move Angry Teens past Negative Thoughts and Emotions

• Triggers
• Anger mapping
• Reduce negative self-talk
• Emotion regulation exercises
• Develop compassion for yourself and others

Stop Anger in the Moment: Calm the Body with Mindful Interventions

• Anger alarm – noticing anger in your body
• Breathe through anger
• Distraction and grounding techniques
• Self-soothing with calming words and imagery
• Techniques to release old anger
• Exercises
  • Cooling wisdom Big Sky Meditation
  • The Emotional Fire Extinguisher

Respond Instead of React: Teach Teens to Constructively Communicate Anger

• Assertiveness training techniques
• Build emotional vocabulary
• Defuse anger with humor
• Exercises:
  • Deepen the well of understanding
  • ”I” messages