What Is Anger Management Therapy?

Most people experience anger now and then. However, if you feel angry often or intensely, anger management therapy can help. “Anger management is an approach designed to help you manage the emotional and physiological arousal that accompanies anger," explains Erin Engle, PsyD, a psychologist at Columbia University Medical Center.

Engle goes on to say, "As it's often not possible to change the circumstances or people that elicit anger, anger management can help you recognize your triggers for anger and learn to cope with them more effectively.” Here's what you need to know about this therapy type and how it can help you live a happier, healthier life.

Types of Anger Management Therapy

Anger is a universal emotion that often arises in response to threat, loss of power, or injustice, says Engle. Additionally, this emotion is not necessarily negative, though it can be detrimental at uncontrollable levels given the behaviors likely to follow, such as throwing things, walking out, attacking others, saying things you later regret, or acting passive-aggressively.

Anger management therapy can help reduce these types of responses or outbursts. Several different approaches can be used during therapy sessions, some of which include:

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT is often the treatment of choice for anger management. Engle says that it can help you understand your triggers for anger, develop and practice coping skills, and think, feel, and behave differently in response to anger, so you are calmer and more in control.
• Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT): DBT is a form of CBT that can help individuals with intense or frequent anger regain emotional control. It works by helping the individual develop emotional regulation and distress tolerance skills, mindfulness, and effective communication in relationships says Engle.
• Family therapy: This form of therapy can be helpful in situations where anger is often directed at family members, such as when a young adult has unresolved anger toward a parent. It can help you work together to improve communication and resolve issues.
• Psychodynamic therapy: Psychodynamic therapy can help you examine the psychological roots of your anger and your response to it so you can identify and correct unhealthy patterns.

Your mental healthcare provider will evaluate your circumstances and specific behaviors to determine the overall approach to treatment and whether you require medication in addition to therapy, says Engle. 

Anger Management Therapy Techniques

Anger management therapy techniques can involve understanding your triggers and responses to anger, learning strategies to manage or diffuse it, and changing thoughts and attitudes related to anger. Engle outlines some of these techniques below.

Identifying Triggers and Responses

Therapy can help you develop a better understanding of the factors that contribute to your expressions of anger, such as current and past triggers. You also begin to better understand your responses to anger and the consequences or aftereffects on you and your relationships. 

For instance, through anger management therapy, you may realize that yelling at your spouse is related to observing your parents yell when growing up. Or, you may learn that you engage in this behavior because you believe you'll only get what you want if you yell.

Learning Strategies to Diffuse Anger

Anger management therapy can equip you with strategies to disrupt your anger or manage your response to it through avoidance or distraction. A therapist can help you problem-solve how to respond when you’re angry.

Therapy can also teach you coping strategies and relaxation techniques. You can learn about deep breathing, leaving the room and returning when you're collected, or using a relaxing image to alleviate the intensity of anger.

Changing Attitudes and Thought Patterns

Therapy can also involve restructuring thinking and changing attitudes related to anger, particularly if a CBT approach is used. The therapist will help you examine your attitudes and ways of thinking to identify patterns that might exacerbate anger, such as ruminating, catastrophizing, judging, fortune-telling, or magnifying. 

Your therapist will also work with you to practice changing your response patterns. They can encourage forgiveness and compassion, offer ways to let go of hurt and disappointment, and help you repair and accept ruptured relationships.

Assessing Anger Management Issues

Unsure whether you might benefit from anger management therapy? This short, free 21-item test measures a variety of symptoms and feelings associated with anger, such as anger about the present and future, anger toward oneself, and hostile feelings toward others.

This anger quiz was medically reviewed by Rachel Goldman, PhD, FTOS.

What Anger Management Therapy Can Help With

While anger management is a form of treatment designed to help you manage anger, anger is not officially a condition that is diagnosed or defined, like depression or anxiety, for instance. However, intense, destructive, or uncontrollable anger may cause significant distress and impairment and impact safety, says Engle.

Anger management therapy can help anyone who experiences rage or has angry outbursts. It can help improve your:

• Mental health: Anger can consume your focus, cloud your judgment, and deplete your energy. It is also associated with other mental health conditions, such as depression and substance use disorders.
• Physical health: Anger manifests physically in the body with a surge of adrenaline, a rapid rise in heartbeat, higher blood pressure, and increased muscle tension in the form of a clenched jaw or fisted hands, says Engle. Over time, this can take a toll on your health and lead to physical health conditions.
• Career: Anger can make it hard to focus on school or work and affects performance. It can also harm relationships with peers. While creative differences, constructive criticism, and healthy debates can be productive, lashing out or having angry outbursts can alienate peers and lead to negative consequences.
• Relationships: Anger often harms loved ones the most and can take a toll on your relationships with them. It can make it difficult for others to be comfortable around you, erode their trust and respect, and be especially damaging to children.

Benefits of Anger Management Therapy

Anger management therapy can be beneficial for a variety of reasons. It can help you:

• Identify triggers: Knowing what situations trigger your anger can help you avoid them or manage your reaction to them.
• Change your thinking: Anger management can help you identify and change unhealthy thought patterns that fuel your anger.
• Develop coping skills: Therapy can help you regulate your emotions, control your actions, and develop skills to help you cope with situations that trigger your anger.
• Learn relaxation techniques: Your therapist may teach you relaxation techniques to help you calm down and relax your body and mind.
• Solve problems: If certain situations trigger your anger repeatedly, your therapist may encourage you to look for solutions or alternatives. 
• Improve communication: Anger management therapy can help you express your feelings in a healthy, respectful, or assertive manner, without being aggressive.

Effectiveness of Anger Management Therapy

Engle shares that CBT, which is often used to treat anger, is a very effective approach. CBT is an empirically-supported treatment that takes a skills-based approach to anger management with emphasis on awareness of thoughts, behavioral patterns, and skill development with respect to physical and emotional reactions to anger.

A 2017 study found that CBT was helpful to table tennis players with anger management issues. Even one year after completing treatment, participants were less likely to negatively express anger or react angrily. A 2020 study added that anger management therapy was beneficial to patients with HIV.

Co-Occurring Mental Health Issues

Some mental health issues commonly co-occur with anger. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one. Anger is also so common with a few other mental disorders that it is one of the criteria for diagnosis. These disorders include:

• Bipolar disorder
• Borderline personality disorder
• Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
• Intermittent explosive disorder
• Oppositional defiant disorder

“As with any form of treatment, it can be beneficial to seek out the support and experience of a trained mental health professional," says Engle. "Professional evaluation and consultation can help identify any co-occurring mental health issues like trauma or substance use.”

A mental healthcare provider can determine if co-occurring disorders play a predominant role or how they can best be addressed in combination with anger management, says Engle. They can also help determine an appropriate treatment plan.

How to Get Started With Anger Management Therapy

To begin anger management therapy, look for a trained mental health professional who specializes in this form of treatment. By specializing in anger, the professional knows what strategies are most effective for reducing these feelings.

Depending on your preferences, you can choose to opt for individual treatment or group therapy. Individual therapy sessions offer more privacy and one-on-one interaction whereas group therapy sessions can help you recognize that you don't have to go through this alone.

Summary

Anger can take a toll on your health, relationships, and career. Anger management therapy can help you regulate your emotions, maintain self-control, develop coping strategies, and communicate effectively.