Anger management therapy refers to therapeutic strategies that allow people with anger management issues to overcome excess feelings of anger and control the effects of such feelings.
Anger can be controlled by self-help methods. Changing the way in which you express your anger to avoid hurting or offending others is extremely effective. This can be achieved by assertiveness training. Stop and think before you act and consider if your emotions can be communicated in a better way.
When you feel those angry feelings coming on you can start to control your breathing in order to remain calm. Inhale gently through your nose, count to 3, and exhale slowly through the mouth. Yoga and meditation are other methods to help you relax. Strenuous exercise will also control your anger through diversion. Some people swear by hitting a pillow or boxing ball as a means of anger management.
Other self-help methods are to laugh (yes it really does help), changing your environment to remove the source of anger and talking to somebody about your feelings. It is also helpful to realise that getting continuously angry is not going to solve or ease the problem.
Professional anger management therapy is also available when self-help methods do not work. Professional therapy is usually based on Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT).
With CBT people participating in the therapy discuss and record moments when anger is at its peak, identify the feelings or thoughts that trigger this anger, list reasons for these feelings, and then reanalyze their anger. The goal in anger management therapy is to make people stop and think, and thus analyze their anger instead of acting in destructive ways. Therapy can be based on individual or group sessions.
Check out this effective alternative to anger management therapy and find out about hypnosis for anger management.
