Based on our award winning book, ANGER MANAGEMENT FOR EVERYONE (Tafrate and Kassinove), we introduce you to the basic elements of anger. We note that while some anger is normal, since it is part of our evolutionary history, it becomes maladaptive when it occurs too often, too intensely, and lasts for an extended period of time.
We describe our ANGER EPISODE MODEL to show exactly what happens when you become angry and help you understand that episodes of anger begin, develop, and end in a predictable pattern.
10 SPECIFIC, RESEARCH SUPPORTED TECHNIQUES are presented that you can use to reduce your anger. Some are quick and easy to implement while others require some work on your part. The techniques or strategies are (1) managing your unhelpful lifestyle behaviors, (2) knowing how and when to sidestep provocations, (3) finding new and previously unthought of solutions to social and interpersonal problems, (4) improving the way you think about challenges and conflicts perceived to be nasty, (5) learning to let anger go by committing to your fundamental life values, (6) forgiving perpetrators of nasty actions against you, (7) calming your angry urges with relaxation and mindful meditation, (8) learning to develop better reactions to adversity by exposing yourself to problem triggers, (9) improving your social and interpersonal skills, and (10) expressing your anger in an assertive but not aggressive way.
Beyond the lectures, quizzes and exercises are used to help you understand and practice each technique. Fundamental to the program is our respect for your ability to choose the techniques you think are most likely to be helpful to you. You can consider the 10 strategies to be like a menu of opportunities for personal growth. We call the program SMART ANGER MANAGMENT. SMART stands for Selection Menu for Anger Reduction Treatment.