Because angry clients present unique challenges for clinicians, a uniquely tailored game plan is essential for success. In this engaging video for mental health professionals of all types, anger experts Dr. Howard Kassinove and Dr. Raymond Chip Tafrate present live case examples of their anger episode model—an empirically developed approach geared specifically to anger management. With behavioral definitions, thorough assessment strategies, and structured interventions, this comprehensive resource serves as an invaluable guide to best practices with this difficult population.
Kassinove and Tafrate break down the model via live sessions with a broad range of clients. You’ll watch Tafrate gain the trust of Carmelo, a young man who needs convincing that the volatile components of his anger warrant treatment. Lisa learns to self-soothe with progressive muscle relaxation, a widely adaptable mindfulness exercise led here by Kassinove. In a nod to Albert Ellis, Kassinove introduces the ABC method to Joan, a mother angered by her adult daughter’s continued rejection of her phone calls (or so she thinks!).
Problem-solving, the provocative “Barb technique,” and forgiveness are covered too—the latter demonstrated in a heart-rending conversation between Tafrate and Walt, a man who found healing through the long process of forgiving his son’s murderer. Differentiating forgiving from forgetting, condoning, or excusing, Tafrate validates both the sensitivity of his client’s experience and the clinical use of forgiveness as a powerfully effective intervention.
Highlighting both change and acceptance, the two experts demonstrate key concepts and take you through the various stages of the anger experience. In an empathic, methodical, and informative style, they cover assessing and increasing client motivation, recognizing and working with triggers, shifting maladaptive cognitive appraisals, and more.
Simply put, this video is a must-have in your anger management arsenal. Whatever your theoretical orientation, you’ll find a plethora of enlightening tools to help clients reduce and manage their anger.
