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National Anger Management Specialist Directory Anger Management Specialist Certification Trainings Anger Management Training for Professionals |
NAMA Newsletter #2 - June 2006 Editor: Ron Potter-Efron Welcome, everyone, to the second edition of the NAMA newsletter. Several people responded to the first newsletter, encouraging me to keep the process going. However, the case study didn’t generate much feedback so I’m dropping that aspect of the newsletter. Today’s Query: What good is anger management certification? I’m listed as one of the people who provide materials so that interested persons can become certified as NAMA approved anger management counselors. Consequently I’ve been asked the question above at least a dozen times. I have my own ideas about it, but I’d like to hear your responses. Specifically, will certification be helpful for someone’s career? If yes, how? Are we guaranteeing a certain level of skillfulness when we certify someone? Will certified counselors be more knowledgeable or better skilled than non-certified counselors? Why go to the bother of getting certified? Please share your responses with all of us. I’ll provide a summary next time of your thoughts. Newly Certified Anger Management Providers/Counselors: Congratulations to: Shunsuke Ando Bonita Ball Vernon Bray John Eckert Victor Gonzalez Marjorie Jeannot Herb Kay David McQuarrie Joanne Pearle Ralph Peralez Ghia Pearson Alexander Roseborough Louise Sutherland William Williams ThanksI am grateful to the following NAMA members who read and commented on my draft copy of my new book on rage: Charles Spielberger, Dave Macquerrie, Pat Potter-Efron, Marie McDade, Richard Pfeiffer, Rick Dowling, Vernon Bray and Alex Roseborough. Your comments have been helpful in improving the quality of the text. I’ve submitted the book to New Harbinger Publications for editing. It’s due out in spring, 2007.Book ReviewRichard Pfeiffer has kindly reviewed my professional book entitled Handbook of Anger Management: Individual, Couple, Family and Group Approaches, published in 2005 by Haworth Press. I’m pleased to add that the Handbook was selected as a featured selection by the Behavioral Sciences Book Club a few months ago. Here is the table of contents and Rich’s review.A Reliable Map of the Anger Management Territory The territory of anger management is a very interesting land. Perhaps this is because of the complex vista observed as you spend time exploring the emotion of anger and its associated problems. Ron Potter-Efron has created a very reliable map of the anger management territory with his release of the Handbook of Anger Management: Individual, Couple, Family, and Group Approaches, Haworth Press, 2005. We can learn a lot from a good map, the big picture, and various ways of traveling from place to place. A map is a representation of a portion of the landscape, as seen from above. It uses overlay, symbols, and labels to represent features found on the ground. A map provides information on the existence, the location of, and the distance between features, such as routes of travel and communication. It also indicates variations in terrain, and heights of natural features. This handbook includes a constructive description of gradations of anger levels, as well as different behaviors, textures and expressions of anger. Good maps are useful because they provide a combination of an at-a-glance overview, as well as specific information and detail to seriously negotiate the territory. This book provides valuable help for understanding, organizing, categorizing, and visualizing the complex and varying terrain of anger management. The author, describing the nature of anger defines the lay of the land providing the reader with an understanding of the degrees of anger and its problems. Assessment examples and specific curriculum for the different levels of severity are especially helpful in providing more tailored programs for specialized populations. The author cites current research to support the view that the anger management terrain can include behavioral, cognitive, affective, and spiritual/existential interventions. This map allow for both new and seasoned travelers to venture more effectively into the territory of anger management. Dr. Potter-Efron makes it clear that there is not just one route to a desired anger management destination, rather there are some reliable roads leading to a successful journey. He compares advantages and disadvantages of group and individual approaches noting the current predominance of group treatment. The author provides us with a useful review of attachment theory in explaining the effectiveness of couples counseling even for some lower levels of domestic violence cases. The handbook also includes a valuable discussion of working with the families of children and adolescents who have anger management problems. Ron Potter-Efron is uniquely suited to present this contemporary classic map of the anger management territory. His contribution to the mental health field in the area of shame has been of particular significance. Shame presents in various ways, often very subtle. Seldom will a patient speak explicitly of shame, (in part because of it’s unconscious nature) but may speak of feeling worthless, invisible, pathetic, ridiculous, or foolish. It is helpful to learn the language of shame. It is also beneficial to become familiar with defenses of shame including addiction, denial, withdrawal, rage, perfectionism, exhibitionism, and arrogance. It is almost always present in patients with impulse control issues. Dr. Potter-Efron’s experience as a clinician, his clear insight and writing ability support the call for all anger management providers to own this book. The section devoted to resentment, hate, forgiveness and the complex topic of ‘anger turned inward’ is reason alone to buy it. I personally appreciate the discussion of the Emotional Brain and look forward to seeing more anger research in this area. With anger management providers presently dispersed throughout the world, it is necessary to rely on good maps to provide effective information on research, treatment methods, and innovations. Much of the planning of anger management programs can be accomplished by using good maps. Ultimately maps change the relationship we have with a territory, a new way of seeing the territory, discovery of new places, new mountains and valleys, and a new connectedness. Richard Pfeiffer, M.Div., Ph.D., Author: Real Solution Anger Management Workbook Handbook of Anger Management: Individual, Couple, Family, and Group Approaches Contents Chapter 1 - Introduction Chapter 2 - Assessment for Anger, Aggression, and Domestic Abuse Chapter 3 - Intervention Approaches in Anger Management Chapter 4 - Group and Individual Approaches to Anger and Aggression Management Chapter 5 - Attachment Theory, Domestic Violence, Jealousy, and Couples Counseling Chapter 6 - Working with Angry Children, Adolescents, and Families Chapter 7 - Resentment, Hate, Forgiveness, and Self-Forgiveness Chapter 8 - Anger Turned Inward Chapter 9 - The Emotional Brain: Anger, Fear, and Therapy Appendix A: Anger Assessment Forms Appendix B: Anger Management Reading Assignments Appendix C: Covariances of Anger/Aggression with Substance Abuse
Please contact Ron Potter-Efron at pttrefrn@triwest.net to offer suggestions, comments, and questions.
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Distinguished Diplomates Charles Spielberger, PhD Ronald Potter-Efron, PhD Patricia Potter-Effron, MS Richard Pfeiffer, MDiv, PhD Anita Bohenksy, PhD Matthew McKay, PhD Harriet Lerner, PhD William Fleeman
Board of Directors Richard Pfeiffer, MDiv, PhD President Al Johnson, MD Past President Stephen Spiller, Esq. Rhoda Urman, LCSW Jennifer Roberts, LCSW Terrence Williams, PhD, MD
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