Anger in Therapy

For Therapists Who Want to Increase Competency and Comfort with Anger

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The experience and expression of anger presents frequently in therapy in a variety of ways, yet clinicians can be left feeling limited in their competency and comfort with anger in therapy, even after completing professional course work and supervised practice.
This is not surprising as anger has unique challenges. It can draw out discomfort in therapists who are confronted with anger events in therapy. Clinicians often worry about if, when, and how a client’s anger is linked to aggression and violence, and all the associated ethical and legal considerations related to this. To top it off, there is considerable variability of training for clinicians in this area from basic review as part of general therapeutic training to specific course work and supervised experience with anger (including extensive exposure to anger events in therapy and assessment and management of violence risk).
I made this course because I am often approached by colleagues who do not have expertise in anger to consult on matters of anger with their own clients and requests for a course to help them increase their competency and comfort with anger. This work can be intimidating if you have not had the opportunity to explore issues relevant for anger in therapy.
This course walks providers through why anger in therapy is hard and dives into the “big questions” (or common questions), like “how do I even talk about anger with a client…or violence?”, “when do I have a duty to report?”, “how do I handle intense anger in the room?”. We finish the course with a review of evidence-based anger and aggression treatments, assessment measures, and common features of interventions from a variety of therapeutic orientations to apply to the treatment of anger in different contexts. At the end of the course participants will have an individual plan for how they can continue to increase their confidence and comfort for treating clients with anger.

This course offers beginner to intermediate knowledge for therapists who want to gain competency and comfort with clients struggling with anger. This course is optimal for providers who have not had exposure to course work or practical experience for anger in therapy or who have had a past negative experience with anger that is impacting their competency and comfort currently.

The course offers 2.0 hours of CE credit, with a certificate emailed upon submission of a feedback form and 70% or greater score on a short quiz.

INTENDED AUDIENCE
Therapists looking to obtain competence and increase comfort treating anger as a primary presenting concern or when extreme forms of anger present as a secondary concern for an existing client.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
By the end of this course, trained and qualified mental health clinicians will:
  1. Be able to describe one way of how anger is conceptualized and how anger can be problematic.
  2. Complete a self-assessment on their training and support, confidence, and comfort for the treatment of anger.
  3. Develop a plan for increasing confidence and comfort for treating clients with anger.
  4. Learn how to use common interview techniques to talk about anger with clients.
  5. Be able to identify when to assess for risk for violence, including how to determine the need to break confidentiality to protect others.
  6. Practice skills to respond to anger events in therapy.
  7. Be able to broadly describe different evidence-based interventions and assessment tools for the treatment of anger.
A Note Regarding CPA Approval: The Canadian Psychological Association's approval of an individual, group, or organization as a CE Sponsor or Provider is restricted to the activities described in the approved application or annual report form. The CPA’s approval does not extend to any other CE activity the Sponsor or Provider might offer. In granting its approval, the CPA assumes no legal or financial obligations to Sponsors, Providers, or to those individuals who might participate in a Sponsor or Provider’s CE activities or programs. Further, responsibility for the content, provision, and delivery of any CE activity approved by the CPA remains that of the CE Sponsor or Provider. The CPA disclaims all legal liability associated with the content, provision, and delivery of the approved CE activity. This program adheres to the ethical standards of the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists.


Your Instructor


Dr Alana Cook
Dr Alana Cook
Dr. Alana Cook is a Registered Psychologist in British Columbia, Canada. Her work involves clinical services, teaching, and research related to psychology and psychology-law.

She presents workshops for mental health and threat assessment professionals across Canada and internationally and is an active contributor to the scientific and professional literature on on mental health, law and policy, and professional development of psychologists.


Course Curriculum


  Part One: Getting Started
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days after you enroll
  Part Two: Anger In Therapy
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  Part Three: Wrapping It Up
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Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
How does lifetime access sound? After enrolling, you have unlimited access to this course for as long as you like - across any and all devices you own.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.

Get started now!