EXPOSURE-BASED TREATMENT FOR ANGER PROBLEMS - FOCUS ON THE FEELING

Excessive anger can foster health problems and damage relationships. T raditional methods for treating individuals with anger-related problem s have employed skills training and relaxation methods. This paper pro poses that anger and anxiety share many clinical features, and that in tervention models that have been effectively employed in the treatment of anxiety disorders can also be used safely in the treatment of ange r-related difficulties. Specifically, exposure and response prevention can be effectively integrated with other cognitive behavioral approac hes in the treatment of anger problems. Procedures for conducting thes e treatments are described. Examples are drawn from clinical work with New York City traffic agents, dysfunctional couples, aggressive child ren, and outpatients self-referred for anger problems.