FAQ About Anger Management in General

1. Q: I've been court ordered to do anger management, but they didn't specify how many anger management classes to take. What does this mean?

A: When a court orders you to do anger management, and does not specify the number of classes, this usually means for you to take 26 weeks, which is a full course of an anger management program. It is advisable to verify this information with your attorney.

2. Q: Will anger management classes help me to never be angry again?

A: Anger is a basic human emotion and it is unrealistic to expect to never feel anger. Anger management classes are not designed to eliminate anger, however, they teach you effective skills to help manage your anger in both healthy and appropriate ways.

3. Q: How do I know if I need Anger Management?

A: Anger Management is helpful if you are having difficulty controlling your temper, or are having angry outbursts that lead to significant problems with the law, at work, at school, or in public situations such as driving. Of course there are different levels of anger. If someone has complained to you about your anger, then that’s an indicator that you may need to look into receiving anger management help.

4. Q: What is the difference between Anger Management and Batterer’s Treatment Program?

A: Anger management programs are sometimes utilized in place of Batterer’s Intervention Program. While excellent at what they are designed to do, anger management programs do not generally meet the needs of most batterers.

Anger management programs assess at intake for participant competence in four areas: emotional intelligence, stress management, anger management, and communication skills. Anger management classes are designed to teach skills in these areas only.

Anger management is extremely inappropriate for domestic abusers if it is the only treatment/counseling the abuser will be receiving. Anger management is appropriate for perpetrators of stranger or non-intimate partner violence, road rage, simple battery, and workplace violence.

5. Q: Is anger management a form of therapy?

A: Our anger management programs are not used for therapy, rather it is used for coaching and learning different tools and techniques to manage and prevent aggressive behavior.

6. Q: Can cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) or acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) help with anger management?

A: Many of the methods used in anger management therapy lean on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). Cognitive therapy teaches people to evaluate the underlying thoughts creating strong emotions, and help to retrain people to avoid needless and untrue thoughts that have predicted behavior in the past. Moving away from black and white thinking to a stance of considering a multiple range of interpretations may prove useful in helping to quell anger or learning to express it in different ways.

7. Q: How do I know whether I have a problem with anger or substance use?

A: It is an indicator of a substance problem if you find yourself only getting angry when under the influence. Though some participants will say that using helps to relax, when the substance wears off, the emotions begin to surface. Sometimes the emotions become too overwhelming, especially if one does not have the necessary coping skills to help them through the vulnerable emotions.

8. Q: Would it be more beneficial for me to be part of an anger management class or executive coaching?

A: In a class setting, participants learn from other’s experiences and feedback, however, the material being reviewed is kept more general. When receiving executive coaching, the anger management program becomes tailored to participant’s needs. Anger Management tools will be reviewed in both settings.