Mr. Marriage Counselor - "How Long Does Anger Management Take?"

  

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Q: Hi - recently I asked my husband if he would be interested in anger management courses because he has been furious with the world since losing his job in October of 2008 and not finding a new job. He inquired today to ask how much time it would entail. Now that he has expressed interest, I would like to get him some information so that he would chose to seek help. I liked your website and so I thought I would contact you and see if you can help us.
--Jenny C.

A: How much time do anger management classes take is a good question.  Unfortunately, successful anger management is not a one size fits all process.  For your husband to successfully change his anger, he'll need more than just some anger management techniques.

"A lot of anger management is ineffective," says anger management expert W. Doyle Gentry, Ph.D., whose work was featured in the movie Anger Management.

For successful anger management treatment, Dr. Gentry recommends a program that focuses on addressing 3 areas: the biological, psychological, and social influences that are the reasons why a man gets angry.  The amount of work that your husband will need to do in these three areas will be different from other men and I can't tell you how long that may take until I've met with him.

Be careful where your husband gets help.  A lot of men look for a quick fix.  And Dr. Gentry warns that "anger management made easy" programs "don't work."  He says that his research shows that basic approaches to anger like 'just walk away' don't work for 88% of those with an anger management problem because most people simply can't walk away.

To find out more about your options for anger management help, take a look this article: Anger Management Classes - Choices in Roseville, Folsom, Sacramento.

--Kurt Smith, Marriage Counselor, Anger Management Expert

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