In a recent edition of Cognitive Therapy Today (the Beck Institute's newsletter), Norman Cotterell presents a seven-step approach to improving anger management. This is my attempt to summarize his suggestions:

1. Address Shoulds - Often anger results from violations of the individual's rules and expectations for his own behavior, his rules and expectations for other's behavior, or the rules and expectations he believes others have for him. Identify the "shoulds" which are relevant to episodes of anger and work to replace them with acceptance of a ralistic view of the situation and constructive steps to deal with the situation.


2. Examine what really hurt when the rules are broken - This may identify beliefs and assumptions which need to be addressed.


3. Respond to hot, anger driven thoughts with cooler, more level-headed thoughts - i.e. pinpoint the dysfunctional thoughts which elicit anger and help the client generate effective rational responses.


4. Help the client cope with the anger arousal itself - Relaxation exercizes, visualization, music, etc. can be used as ways to decrease arousal or the client can try to channel the arousal into positive activity.


5. Examine beliefs that turn anger into dysfunctional action - Permission-giving beliefs that justify destructive action need to be identified and addressed.


6. Help the client to develop an understanding of the other person's perspective, thoughts, and feelings - This can decrease the intensity of the anger and increase the client's chances of dealing effectively with the situation.


7. Reduce resentment and guilt - Guilt over angry episodes can inadvertantly perpetuate anger problems. Help the client view each episode of anger as an opportunity to identify the "should" statements, angering beliefs, automatic thoughts, anger arousal, permission-giving beliefs, and strategies he engages in and to find more adaptive alternatives.