Anger Management CBT Worksheets
Grounding Techniques Menu
Cognitive Distortions – Unhelpful Thinking Styles (Extended)
Fight Or Flight Response
Window Of Tolerance
Assertive Communication
Therapy Blueprint (Universal)
Audio Collection: Psychology Tools For Developing Self-Compassion
Thought Record (Evidence For And Against)
Grounding Techniques
Unhelpful Thinking Styles (Archived)
Responses To Threat: Freeze, Appease, Flight, Fight
Assertive Responses
Emotions Motivate Actions
Abandonment
Fair Fighting Rules For Resolving Conflict
Progressive Muscle Relaxation
Behavioral Experiment (Portrait Format)
Behavioral Experiment
Audio Collection: Psychology Tools For Relaxation
Relaxed Breathing
Evaluating Unhelpful Automatic Thoughts
Compassionate Thought Challenging Record
How Breathing Affects Feelings
Insufficient Self-Control
Social Isolation
Emotional Deprivation
Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (Second Edition): Client Workbook
Subjugation
Mistrust/Abuse
Audio Collection: Psychology Tools For Mindfulness
Unified Protocol for Transdiagnostic Treatment of Emotional Disorders (Second Edition): Therapist Guide
Approval-/Admiration-Seeking
Failure To Achieve
Thought Record – Courtroom Trial
"Should" Statements
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (Audio)
Interpersonal Beliefs And Styles
Autonomic Nervous System
Fight or Flight (CYP)
How Your Body Responds To Stress
Learning To Relax (CYP)
Punitiveness
Intrusive Memory Record
Entitlement
Motivation and Ambivalence
A Guide To Emotions (Psychology Tools For Living Well)
Functional Analysis With Intervention Planning
Unforgiveness – The Hook
Anger Decision Sheet
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (Archived)
Forgiveness Methods
Combined Relaxation Exercise (Audio)
Forgiveness
Relaxed Breathing Exercise 1 (Audio)
Anger Thought Challenging Record
Anger - Self-Monitoring Record
Unforgiveness
Body Scan (Audio)
Challenging Your Negative Thinking (Archived)
Externalizing
Being With Difficulty (Audio)
What Forgiveness Is Not
Mindfulness Of Breath (Short Version) (Audio)
What Does The Brain Do? (Lobes and Regions)
Court Trial Thought Challenging Record (Archived)
Sensory Grounding Using Your Five Senses (Audio)
What Does The Brain Do? (Lobes)
Anger Diary (Archived)
Grounding Statements (Audio)
Magnification And Minimization
Peaceful Place (Audio)
Mindfulness Of Breath (Long Version) (Audio)
Forgiveness Quotes
Relaxed Breathing Exercise 2 (Audio)
Mindfulness In Everyday Life (Audio)
Overgeneralization
Relaxed Breathing Record Form
Arbitrary Inference
Mindfulness Of Sounds And Thoughts (Audio)
Relaxed Breathing Exercise 3 (Audio)
Relaxed Breathing Exercise 4 (Audio)
Mindful Attention (Audio)
Thinking Versus Sensing (Audio)
Raisin Exercise (Audio)
Sensory Grounding Using Smells (Audio)
VAS Scale
Anger Self-Monitoring Record (Archived)
Links to external resources
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Assessment
-
Aggression Questionnaire
| Buss, Perry | 1992
- Buss, A.H., & Perry, M. (1992). The Aggression Questionnaire. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 63, 452-459.
- Scale
- Measuring Violence-Related Attitudes, Behaviors, and Influences Among Youths: A Compendium of Assessment Tools, 2nd ed. | National Center for Injury Prevention and Control of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Dahlberg, Toal, Swahn, Behrens | 2005
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Clinical Anger Scale
| Snell, Gum, Shuck, Mosley, Hite | 1995
- Snell, W. E., Jr., Gum, S., Shuck, R. L., Mosley, J. A., & Hite, T. L.. (1995). The Clinical Anger Scale: Preliminary reliability and validity. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 51, 215-226
- Scale
Guides and workbooks
- Anger management workbook
- The Path to Patience: Six Practical Sections for Becoming a More Patient Person | Caroline Lavelock, Everett Worthington, Sarah Schnitker | 2013
- The Path to Forgiveness: Six Practical Sections for Becoming a More Forgiving Person | Everett Worthington | 2011
- Anger And Irritability Self-Help Booklet | Wellbeing Services South Glasgow
- A guide to controlling anger | S Black, R Donald, M Henderson | 2005
Information Handouts
- Anger coping strategies | Centre For Clinical Interventions
- Dealing with anger and impulsivity | Black Dog Institute
Presentations
- Anger, Compassion, and What It Means To Be Strong | Russell Kolts
- Anger management and coping skills | Eastridge | 2013
Self-Help Programmes
-
Anger Management Course Workbook
| NHS Newcastle And North Tyneside Community Health
- 1: About Anger
- 2. Quick Control
- 3. Strategies To Manage Your Anger
- 4. Relationships
- 5. Challenging Angry Thoughts And Beliefs
- 6. Challenges To Managing Anger
Treatment Guide
- Understanding and reducing angry feelings | Bartholomew, Simpson | 2005
- Anger management instructor guide | VA | 2008
- Working with anger – some powerful practical tips | Russ Harris
- Anger management for substance use and mental health clients: A cognitive behavioral therapy manual | SAMHSA | 2019
- Getting along & keeping cool: A group programme for aggression control | Center For Clinical Interventions | 2001
- True strength: a compassion-focused therapy approach for working with anger | Russel Kolts | 2016
Video
- Compassion, anger, strength, and moral indignation | Russel Kolts | 2020
Worksheets
- Cognitive Interpersonal Cycle Worksheet | Stirling Moorey | 2007
Recommended Reading
- Novaco, R. W. (1977). Stress inoculation: A cognitive therapy for anger and its application to a case of depression.Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology,45(4), 600.
- Novaco, R. W. (1976). The functions and regulation of the arousal of anger.American Journal of Psychiatry,133(10), 1124-1128.
- Mackintosh, M. A., Morland, L. A., Frueh, B. C., Greene, C. J., & Rosen, C. S. (2014). Peeking into the black box: mechanisms of action for anger management treatment.Journal of anxiety disorders,28(7), 687-695.
- Henwood, K. S., Chou, S., & Browne, K. D. (2015). A systematic review and meta-analysis on the effectiveness of CBT informed anger management.Aggression and violent behavior,25, 280-292.
- Deffenbacher, J. L. (2011). Cognitive-behavioral conceptualization and treatment of anger. Cognitive and Behavioral Practice, 18(2), 212-221.
- Day, A., Howells, K., Mohr, P., Schall, E., & Gerace, A. (2008). The development of CBT programmes for anger: The role of interventions to promote perspective-taking skills.Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy,36(3), 299-312.
- How to trick ‘angry’: Narrative therapy for people with an intellectual disability | Hoole, Morgan | 2008
What Is Anger?
Signs and Symptoms of Anger
Anger is an emotional response that is associated with a spectrum of other physiological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral reactions. Physical signs associated with anger include muscle tension, including a clenched jaw, increased heart rate, sweating, headache, or dizziness. Emotions associated with anger may include frustration, irritation, anxiety, guilt, or shame. Behaviors associated with anger can span a spectrum from expressive (e.g., raising your voice, being sarcastic or abrasive) to inhibitory (e.g., withdrawing, focusing internally).
Psychological Models and Theory of Anger
In 1975 Raymond Novaco published an influential analysis of the functions and regulation of anger. He described anger as having the following functions:
- an energizing function which increases the vigor with which we act;
- allowing for the expression of frustrations;
- a self-promotional function;
- a defense against feelings of vulnerability, whereby an anger response appears as secondary to a situation that has aroused anxiety.
Evidence-Based Psychological Approaches for Working with Anger
Cognitive behavioral interventions are the most studied treatments of anger (Lee & DiGiuseppe, 2018).
Anger Management
Anger management is a structured treatment designed to foster the self-regulation of anger and aggressive behavior. Anger management teaches clients to become aware of signs and symptoms associated with their anger. Anger management is intended to reduce the frequency, intensity, duration, and specific modes of expression of anger. Intervention techniques include:
- cognitive restructuring of an individual’s ways of perceiving aversive events, unhelpful thinking styles, attentional focus, and rumination;
- the use of breathing, muscle relaxation, and imagery exercises to reduce tension and arousal to provocation;
- behavioral coping training including assertiveness, diplomacy, and strategic withdrawal.
Forgiveness Therapy
Forgiveness therapy is an evidence-based treatment for anger (Enright & Fitzgibbons, 2000, 2015). Enright and Fitzgibbons have published extensively regarding forgiveness therapy. Their approach views forgiveness as a process involving stages of uncovering, decision, work, and deepening.
Resources for Working with Anger
Psychology Tools resources available for working therapeutically with anger may include:
- psychological models of anger
- information handouts for anger management
- exercises for anger management
- CBT worksheets for anger management
- self-help programs for anger management
References
- Enright, R. D., & Fitzgibbons, R. P. (2000). Helping clients forgive: An empirical guide for resolving anger and restoring hope. American Psychological Association.
- Enright, R. D., & Fitzgibbons, R. P. (2015). Forgiveness therapy: An empirical guide for resolving anger and restoring hope. American Psychological Association.
- Lee, A. H., & DiGiuseppe, R. (2018). Anger and aggression treatments: A review of meta-analyses. Current Opinion in Psychology, 19, 65–74.
- Novaco, R. W. (1975). Anger control: The development and evaluation of an experimental treatment. Lexington.
- Novaco, R. W., & Renwick, S. J. (2019). Anger management. Common Language for Psychotherapy (CLP) Procedures Retrieved from: https://www.commonlanguagepsychotherapy.org/assets/accepted_procedures/anger.pdf