Anger Management Skills and Techniques

Anger Management Skills and Techniques

The anger management skills, techniques, and strategies
that are taught in Dr. Becourtney’s anger management
program are largely based on the work of Dr. Tony Fiore
and Dr. Ari Novick. Detailed information pertaining to their
eight anger control tools can be found in their acclaimed
book, Anger Management for the 21st Century.

The following is a summary of Dr. Fiore and Dr. Novick’s
eight anger management techniques:

Anger Management Technique #1 — Recognize
Stress.
This anger control tool emphasizes the importance of
understanding how stress underlies anger and how to
reduce stress before it turns into anger.

Anger Management Technique #2 — Develop
Empathy.
This anger control skill focuses on the relationship
between empathy and anger management and how one
can reduce his/her anger by learning how to see things
from the perspective of others.

Anger Management Technique #3 — Respond
Instead of React.
This anger management technique enables one to
respond rather than automatically react to anger/stress
triggers. Human beings have the capacity to choose how
to express their anger and therefore can learn new ways
to more effectively communicate their needs, feelings or
requests.

Anger Management Technique #4 — Change That
Conversation With Yourself.
This anger control technique involves learning to
recognize and modify one’s inner conversations.
Learning to change that “self-talk” empowers you to deal
with anger more effectively in terms of how strongly you
feel the anger, how long you hold onto your anger, and
how you express your anger.

Anger Management Technique #5 — Communicate
Assertively.
This anger management skill is about being able to
honestly and effectively communicate how you feel and to
respond to things without getting angry or hostile about it.

Anger Management Technique #6 — Adjust
Expectations.
Anger is often triggered by a discrepancy between what
we expect and what we get. Learning to adjust those
expectations—sometimes upward and other times
downward—can help us cope with difficult situations or
people or even cope with ourselves.

Anger Management Technique #7 — Forgive, but
Don't Forget!
Resentment is a form of anger that does more damage to
the holder than the offender. Making a decision to “let
go” (while still protecting ourselves) is often a process of
forgiveness—or at least acceptance—and a major step
toward anger control.

Anger Management Technique #8 — Retreat and
Think Things Over!
This anger management tool consists of removing
yourself from the situation and taking a temporary “time-
out” while sticking to some basic rules that are described
in Dr. Fiore and Dr. Novick’s acclaimed book, Anger
Management for the 21st Century.