ABSTRACT
Anger fits the facts when someone is blocked in pursuit of a goal or threatened. It gives an energy boost to either burst through the obstacle or repel the threat. This chapter discusses the signature features of anger and presents an example scenario of anger. It highlights special considerations in regulating anger. Clients will often agree that anger is excessive when it results in harm or the urge to attack. Anger is often a secondary emotion, as people prefer it to a feeling of sadness or shame. When clients are not motivated to down-regulate anger it might be because they feel they are losing face. This is why it is imperative to focus on the valid part of the anger first. There is a myth that if someone is angry with an absent person, they can ‘get the anger out’ by punching a cushion, or hitting a punchbag. On the whole, acting violently only increases physiological arousal.
