How to Attend Anger Management Therapy

Anger problems can disrupt every aspect of your life, from your relationships to your career. Sometimes, anger problems lead to problems with the law and even jail time. If you suffer from anger problems, you should seek some sort of anger management so you can take control of your life back.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Choosing an Anger Management Program

1
Find an anger management specialist in your area. You should make sure to find a mental health professional who has experience in your area. Find someone who specializes in anger management. You should also look for people who have licenses and degrees from accredited programs and institutions.^{[1]XResearch source}
- Many different online sites can help you find an anger management specialist in your area. You can start by browsing the National Anger Management Association Specialist Directory for a list of anger management specialists in the United States. Other psychology websites also list specialists in your area.^{[2]XResearch source}
- You can also go to see your GP and have your doctor provide a referral to the anger management specialist.
- You may also decide to look for counseling centers in your area.
2
Decide which anger management therapy is right for you. Anger management therapy is a treatment option that uses psychotherapy to help treat your anger. The goal of anger management is to address underlying issues that cause your anger so you can move past it and control it. In anger management therapy, you go to individual anger management sessions where you undergo therapy with just your licensed mental health professional.^{[3]XResearch source}
- In anger management therapy, you can also participate in sessions with your spouse and family members.
- Psychotherapy is a treatment option where you work with a trained mental health professional to deal with your anger problem. Therapists use different therapy techniques, such as psychoanalysis or psychodynamic therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, and humanistic therapy. Many therapists use a combination of different approaches to help their patients.
- Anger management therapy is an effective, but sometimes difficult, treatment process. It is not a quick process and requires your willingness to change. It is also more costly, but many insurance providers help cover the cost of sessions.
3
Figure out if alternate anger management treatments are an option for you. Anger management therapy is only one option to deal with anger. There are multiple ways to undergo anger management treatment. You may also choose anger management classes to help with your anger. These are classes conducted for groups of people where you work on anger management skills from a workbook. The classes help you learn skills and ways to cope with the anger.^{[4]XResearch source}
- You may also choose to go to group therapy for anger management. Group sessions put you with other people dealing with the same problem so you can learn coping strategies, find support, and hear the stories of other people’s successes, failures, and struggles.^{[5]XResearch source}
- You may also have the option to take an online anger management course.
- Anger management classes and online classes require more self-directed treatment. To get the full results from them, you have to be willing to pay attention to the material and implement it yourself. This option is generally cheaper and quicker, but may not yield the same results.
- This option may not be good if you have tried to manage your anger before or you believe you need someone's help to get control of your anger.
4
Attend a designated anger management program if required. Sometimes, people are forced by the court system or their workplace to go to anger management. If this is the case for you, you need to talk to either the court or your workplace to determine if there is a specific program they want you to attend.^{[6]XResearch source}
- For example, a workplace may have an in-house anger management therapy, or the court may require you to go to one of their approved programs.
5
Find out if your insurance pays for the anger management therapy. Figuring out how you are going to pay for the anger management therapy can be stressful. Many counseling centers and certified anger management specialists accept insurance.^{[7]XResearch source} You should call and discuss insurance options with the center or mental health professional before deciding on that place.
- Some places will offer insurance options for out of network clients.
- You may have to figure out different ways to pay for the therapy. Each session generally ranges from $50 to $150. Sessions usually are once a week, so you have to figure out how to pay that each week if not covered by insurance.
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Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Preparing for Your First Anger Management Session

1
Monitor for physical symptoms that accompany your anger. One common sign that you have an anger problem is that you experience physical symptoms along with your anger. These physical signs heighten the emotional and physical effects of the anger. Some very common physical symptoms of an anger problem include rubbing your face often, rocking while you are sitting, or grinding and gnashing the teeth.^{[8]XResearch source} Other physical symptoms include:^{[9]XResearch source}
- Sweating
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Trouble breathing
2
Decide if you have any emotional symptoms that accompany your anger. You may find that you feel other emotional reactions at the same time as your anger or just after you have had an anger episode. You may feel the following emotions:^{[10]XResearch source}
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Guilt
- Shame
- Irritability
3
Identify if you feel a loss of control due to your anger. Many times, an anger problem can lead to a loss of control. You may feel this in various ways. Your anger may last longer than you want, and you feel no control over it and cannot reduce it. The anger may happen often or suddenly, even when you try to control it.^{[11]XResearch source}
- You may lose control of your words and actions when you are angry. You may do things you do not even realize you are doing because you are driven by your anger.
- You may have developed a substance abuse problem because of your anger. People use alcohol or drug to cover or control their anger. Decide if you have started using drugs or alcohol to try and contain your anger.
4
Watch for explosive outbursts. Anger problems usually accompany explosive outbursts of anger. This usually manifests as physical outbursts of anger. You may find yourself throwing or breaking things because you are angry, or feel this constant need to lash out physically.^{[12]XResearch source}
- You may get into fights with other people often, or find yourself picking fights with people.
- You may lose your temper often when driving.
5
Determine if your anger impacts your relationships. Anger problems can negatively affect your relationships with people. Due to your anger, you may get into arguments with everyone around you, including those closest to you and strangers. You may argue or lose your temper about the smallest, most insignificant things.^{[13]XResearch source}
- Because of your anger, you may have problems in the workplace or with your family. You may have lost significant others or friends due to your anger.^{[14]XResearch source}
- You may find yourself having run-ins with authorities due to your anger and your behavior.
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Undergoing Anger Management Therapy

1
Have the motivation to change. Anger management therapy is a powerful and effective process to help you deal with your anger. However, this only works if you are willing to work with your mental health professional and change. The first step is admitting you have an anger problem and that your behavior is causing problems in your life.^{[15]XResearch source}
- If you are unwilling to admit you have a problem or to change your behavior, you will not see any results. You have to be open and willing to work with your mental health professional to control and manage your anger.
2
Learn to identify your triggers. A major component of anger management therapy is helping you learn how to identify your triggers. By doing this, you can start to take control over your anger by knowing what causes you to feel explosive anger.^{[16]XResearch source}
- By identifying your triggers, you can start to develop a coping technique to deal with the triggers.
- You may remove certain triggers from your life. However, you cannot do that for everything, so your mental health professional will help you devise techniques to stop letting the triggers and anger control you.
3
Adopt anger management skills. Another pivotal part of anger management therapy is learning the skills needed to manage the anger. After identifying your triggers, you will learn how to approach situations that trigger your anger. You will learn skills to help you adjust the way you view a situation, so you can view it in a healthy, non-angry way.^{[17]XResearch source}
- You will also learn skills that help you express anger in a constructive, healthy way. This may include impulse control or self-awareness. For example, impulse control helps you acquire the skills needed to remain in control of your thoughts and actions so you don't give into your anger and yell, become violent, or do something else destructive. Self-awareness helps you learn how to become aware of your triggers, situations that lead to anger, and the way your body responds as you become angry so you can do something to control it before it escalates.
4
Address underlying feelings or beliefs about anger. You may be encouraged to explore any underlying problems you have that have led to your anger. This may be achieved through talk therapy. You may be asked to talk about what you believe about anger and how anger is managed in your family.^{[18]XResearch source}
- You may need to confront the reality of how anger is affecting you, your relationships, and your life. You may also need to confront any underlying issues that you may be holding on to that is causing anger.
5
Learn effective problem solving strategies. To help stop you from resorting to anger each time you meet a conflict, your mental health professional may help you learn problem solving strategies. These strategies allow you a chance to confront conflict and deal with a situation using words and proactive actions instead of anger or violence.^{[19]XResearch source}
- For example, you may learn ways to healthily express your frustration with another person without using anger or aggression.
6
Rate your anger. One of the things you may learn when you go to anger management therapy is how to rate your anger. This involves identifying your symptoms as they occur, and being able to decide if they are minor symptoms or major symptoms. Being able to recognize and rate your anger helps you take action before the anger builds up too much so you can start to calm down.^{[20]XResearch source}
- You will rate your anger from a one to 10. One is just minor irritation, while 10 is explosive rage.
- Since anger does not go from normal calm to explosive rage, you can learn how to identify the increasing rating of your anger so you can maintain control.
7
Develop an anger management plan. Your mental health professional will help you develop an anger management plan that you can use whenever you start to feel increased anger. Each person’s anger management plan is different. As you work through your anger, your mental health professional will help you determine the right strategies for your anger that will help you control it.^{[21]XResearch source}
- You may have an exit plan ready for when you need to remove yourself from a triggering situation. This allows you time to calm down and get your head together.
- You may learn how to change the topics of conversations so you can avoid potentially triggering topics.
- You may learn how to take a moment to step back and slow down your thoughts and feelings. This technique may be counting to ten or performing deep breathing exercises to calm yourself before you explode.
8
Write in an anger journal. Another technique you may be required to do is writing in an anger journal. The anger journal provides you an outlet where you can vent your anger in a healthy, non-destructive way. You can use the journal during an anger episode to get out your thoughts and feelings.^{[22]XResearch source}
- You can use your anger journal to help you understand your anger and the triggers.
- The anger journal can help you come up with coping techniques and learn which ones are helpful and which ones are not.
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