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Anger Management Treatment
The problem with Anger Management is often the "Management" part of it and not necessarily the "Anger" part of it. Thus in my regular work with those dealing with anger management, I focus on how one works through a situation when one gets angry, and am often quite pedantic in saying to someone that there is nothing "wrong" with them or their emotions. Sometimes we discuss feelings, other times we can highlight certain attitudes, preconceptions or behaviours that may cause someone to not properly manage their anger. For example, we may examine all the details around one's compulsion to fly off the handle. Often I will investigate one's attitude towards being angry, and how one views people who make them angry. With a keen focus on all these areas, an individual learns how to fully feel anger and respond to situations accordingly.
Of course, asking individuals who face anger management issues to "feel their anger" in the therapy room brings up a number of issues and defences that need to be managed and treated very carefully in the therapeutic situation. Moreover, many cannot experience their anger in the therapy session, so recalling episodes of anger must also be done with a lot of skill. In the end, those wishing to control their anger need to engage in a therapy that validates their all their feelings, and the situations into which their misdirected anger puts them. When this kind of trust is developed, the therapist and client can go on to explore other key issues such as awareness of anger, and the mechanics involved in managing it. Discussing these with someone whom the client really, really trusts will help resolve many anger management issues.
