Far less is known about the treatment of clinically dysfunctional anger than many other emotional disorders. Treatment research has been hindered by the absence of diagnostic criteria for disorders in which pathologic anger is a necessary or sufficient component (Deffenbacher, Oetting, & DiGiuseppe, 2000; Tafrate, 1995) and by conceptual confusion of anger with aggression (DiGiuseppe, Eckhardt, Tafrate, & Robin, 1994). The good news is that empirically supported anger management treatments are now available. The following resources are recommended to clinicians wanting to learn more about anger management:
General Information
Dahlen, E. R., & Deffenbacher, J. L. (2001). Anger management. In W. J. Lyddon & J. V. Jones (Eds.), Empirically-supported cognitive therapies: Current status and future promise (pp. 163-181). New York: Springer.
Deffenbacher, J. L. (2003). Anger disorders. In E. F. Coccaro (Ed.), Aggression: Psychiatric assessment and treatment (pp. 89-111). New York: Marcel Dekker.
DiGiuseppe, R., & Tafrate, R. C. (2007). Understanding anger disorders. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Feindler, E. L. (Ed.). (2006). Anger-related disorders: A practitioner's guide to comparative treatments. New York: Springer.
Kassinove, H., & Tafrate, R. C. (2002). Anger management: The complete treatment guidebook for practitioners. Atascadero, CA: Impact.
Manuals for Empirically Supported Treatments
Deffenbacher, J. L., & McKay, M. (2000). Overcoming situational and general anger: A protocol for the treatment of anger based on relaxation, cognitive restructuring, and coping skills training. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.
Feindler, E. L., & Ecton, R. B. (1986). Adolescent anger control: Cognitive-behavioral techniques. New York: Pergamon.
Therapeutic Alliance Issues When Working With Angry Clients
DiGiuseppe, R. (1995). Developing the therapeutic alliance with angry clients. In H. Kassinove (Ed.), Anger disorders: Definition, diagnosis, and treatment (pp. 131-149). Washington DC: Taylor & Francis.
Howells, K., & Day, A. (2003). Readiness for anger management: Clinical and theoretical issues. Clinical Psychology Review, 23, 319-337.
Client Workbooks
McKay, M., & Rogers, P. (2000). The anger control workbook. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger.
Internet Resources