This manual was designed for use by clinicians who work with clients who have substance
use and mental health problems co-occurring with anger management problems. The
manual describes a 12-week cognitive–behavioral anger management group treatment
model. Each of the 12, 90-minute weekly sessions is described in detail with specific
instructions for group leaders, tables and exhibits that illustrate the key conceptual
components of the treatment, and between-session challenges for group members.
Cognitive–behavioral therapy (CBT) has been found to be an effective, time-limited
treatment for anger problems. Four types of CBT interventions, theoretically unified by
principles of social learning theory, are most often used when treating anger management
problems:
• Relaxation training targets emotional and physiological components of anger.
• Cognitive interventions target cognitive processes such as building awareness of
cues and triggers, hostile appraisals and attributions, maladaptive beliefs, and inflammatory
thinking. (The manual uses the term “trigger” because it will be a familiar concept to group
members who have gone through substance use disorder treatment. The term “trigger” is
not meant to convey that anger is an automatic response that cannot be controlled.)
• Communication skills interventions target strengthening assertiveness and
conflict resolution skills.
• Combined interventions integrate two or more CBT interventions and target
multiple response domains.
This combined approach presents group members with options that draw on these different
interventions and then encourages them to develop an individualized anger control plan
using as many techniques as possible.