Anger Management: The Complete Treatment Guidebook for Practitioners

Anger Management by Howard Kassinove and Raymond Tafrate is by far the most complete and up to date text for therapists. It is a must read resource for all environments, children, adults and families, as well as the workplace. The authors break down anger episodes into understandable segments in order to assess the client's anger intensity and frequency.Then they rebuild with techniques that include life skills, problem solving snd step by step ways to change thinking. Among the communication skills the motivated client will learn is how to give and receive criticism without becoming defensive. There is also emphasis on non-verbal communication, including body language and direct eye contact.The model presented for problem solving skills is very important, because it encourages the client to seek alternative solutions, thus reducing anger and frustration.Ultimately, Kassinove and Tafrate examine forgiveness as part of anger management. By forgiving, eith within or outside of a religious conviction, a person gains the ability to move on. Anger Management is a MUST have for every practitioner's bookshelf--only after a thorough reading!

Anger Management: The Complete Treatment Guidebook for Practitioners proved to be an excellent resource for teaching veterans anger management skills. The authors'Anger Episode Model clearly explains that anger does not "come out of the blue" but follows a clear sequence of cognitive appraisal, experience, and emotional expression. The inclusion of both short-term and long-term outcomes of anger expression highlight the notion that anger has long-term consequences on physical and emotional health as well as obvious short-term consequences. The sections on Fostering Cognitive Change and Forgiveness make this book unique and particularly helpful with this population. The inability to forgive self or others and an inflexible view of the world, if not addressed as part of an anger management model, can be a major obstacle in learning and applying anger management skills.

Collaboratively written by Howard Kassinove (Chairperson of the Psychology Department at Hofstra University) and Raymond Chip Tafrate (Associate Professor in the Criminology and Criminal Justice Department at Central Connecticut State University), Anger Management: The Complete Treatment Guidebook For Practitioners is a straightforward and thoroughly practical guide designed to substantially assist professional psychologists and caseworkers of all fields to help their patients and clients deal with a condition of unhealthy, counter-productive anger. Individual chapters address a model and plan to help people increase their awareness of anger and change their responses, and to police themselves to in order to maintain an emotionally healthier way of life. Anger Management is highly recommended reading for anyone charged with a professional responsibility to deal with and assist angry clients whether the setting is in private practice, an outpatient clinic, a hospital setting, or within the criminal justice system.

Even though I have been working with various clients in my practice and have good clinical training, I felt that I was not effectively treating the many who are angry. This book was incredibly helpful. It is a fantastic book, which clearly explains the "how to's" of anger management. I have others books on treating anger but when this one came out I snatched it up. I use many of the handouts in my practice and I have seen significant improvements with my angry clients. If there is any book to buy on anger it is this one! FYI- I also bought the other book by Dr. Kassinove--it gave me excellent insight into the research on anger and the anger episode.