ABSTRACT
When reviewing the literature on anger management it is easy to be struck by the wide range of proposed interventions. While certain methods, in particular cathartic ventilation techniques, have lost favor because research fails to support their utility (Tavris, 1989; Bushman, Baumeister, and Stack, 1999), many others have been shown to be effective at least with some clients in some situations. These include cognitive therapies such as those proposed by the rational-emotive techniques of Beck (1976, 1999) and Ellis (Ellis and Tafrate, 1997; see also Kassinove and Tafrate, 2002); assertiveness training (Alberti and Emmons, 2001); social skills training (Kassinove and Tafrate, 2002); relaxation training (Smith, 1999); meditation and mindfulness (Hanson, 2009; Eifert, McKay, and Forsythe, 2006), and systematic desensitization (Evans, Hearn, and Saklofske, 1973). Tafrate (1995) concluded that several techniques were effective, in particular strategies that targeted self-statements, physiological arousal, and behavioral skills. Multi-component programs, such as Novaco’s (1975) stress inoculation program, were also found to be effective, although not necessarily more effective than single-component programs. The overall effectiveness of anger management programs is appraised later in this chapter.
