What You’ll Discover in this Course

• Anger systems in the brain
• The fight-flight-freeze response of anger
• Connections between the frontal and temporoparietal region
• How breathing affects the survival brain
• Why fighting/hiding anger doesn’t work

• The relationship between anger and addiction
• Intermittent Explosive Disorder
• ODD
• Bipolar Disorder
• When anxiety presents as anger
• The role of anger in depression
• Anger after trauma

• Avoidance, shame, fear and guilt
• The connection between anger and grief
• The cycle of anger
• How anger styles inform your clinical approach
  • Masked anger
  • Explosive anger
  • Chronic anger
  • Passive aggressive

• Assessment of violence potential
• Is domestic abuse an anger management problem?
• Controlling others

• Create a safe therapeutic environment
• Build emotional vocabulary
• Establish short-term and long-term goals
• Strategies for working with groups

• How to use anger logs with clients
• Monitoring physiological sensations of anger
• Identify words and actions that escalate
• Practical goals and commitment to change
• Assessing for client strengths

• Reset anger with breath work
• Progressive muscle relaxation techniques to maintain control
• Mindful anger techniques and choice awareness
• Guided imagery to put clients in charge of anger
• The Lifesaver Technique

• CBT exercises to reduce negative self-talk
• Cognitive restructuring and defusing judgmental thoughts
• Problem-solving and hypothetical situation training
• Creative thought stopping tools for emotional regulation
• Distraction and disengagement strategies

• Anger and identity
• The cost of avoidance
• Why forgiveness (and self-forgiveness) is never easy
• Prerequisites to letting go of the past
• How to conduct a cost-benefit analysis intervention
• Forgiveness interventions to “turn off” resentment

• Assertiveness training techniques
• Communicate anger effectively with “I” statements
• The active role of acceptance
• Mindfully respond to anger in interpersonal relationships
• Defuse anger with humor and other conflict resolution strategies

• How anger escalates in kids
• Normalizing anger as a healthy emotion
• Communication skills to alleviate frustration
• Coping skills for stress and anxiety
• Feelings thermometer – connect feelings to coping skills

• When mundane resentments spiral out of control
• Interventions to overcome the blame habit
• Teach clients active listening skills
• Strategies to build emotional intelligence in couples