An analysis of Schools of Psychotherapy as they relate to Anger Management

In the counseling world today understanding psychodynamic approaches is more crucial than ever in the assessment and treatment of any psychological issue. Psychodynamic approaches such as Individual therapy, analytical therapy and psychoanalysis are similar in many ways but also differ based on the individuals own perception and circumstances. I will discuss the similarities as well difference’s and why these forms of therapy are critical in the assessment and treatment of clients.

Psychoanalysis is a therapy of psychological theory that aims to treat mental illnesses based on the concepts of Sigmund Freud, who emphasized the importance of free association and dream analysis. The model of psychoanalysis aim is to release repressed emotion and experiences, by making unconscious thoughts, conscious. The fundamental principles of psychoanalysis are practiced by putting an emphasis on the patient to gain insight into the origins of their respective problems like a patient presenting symptoms of anxiety would be encouraged by a licensed professional to explore their past, in hopes of discovering problems that manifested the anxiety. The anxiety created may be a defense mechanism directed towards displacement in their world.

To begin, the psychodynamic theory is based on Freud’s psychoanalytic theory and primarily focuses on the role of the unconscious mind in the development of personality. The psychodynamic theory includes the idea that people have defense mechanisms. Psychological defense mechanisms are ways of dealing with anxiety through unconsciously distorting one’s perception of reality, such as denial and repression. In addition, sexual impulses play a large role in the psychodynamic theory. According to Freud, part of personality is outside of awareness, unconscious. The unconscious has difficulty retrieving material and is well below the surface of awareness. Also, the past is important in the psychodynamic theory. There are some advantages and disadvantages to this theory. For instance, the advantages are: psychodynamic theory recognizes the importance of childhood; other theorists after Freud have revised the approach to be less controversial, and this theory has been

The psychodynamic approach founded by Sigmund Freud was a lot of our behavior, is determined by unconscious thoughts, memories. Freud developed the first complete theory of mind and is the founder of a series of techniques called psychoanalysis. This aims to explore the unconscious mind by using techniques, such as free association, dream interpretation etc. and then and be used treat abnormal behavior. Psychodynamic psychology ignores the aspects of science and instead focuses on trying to get inside the head of individuals to make logic of their relationships, experiences and how they see the world. (McLeod, 2007). Freud’s theories

Intervention: MHP taught Ty’Kevinyon strategies for anger management skills. MHP used a motivational interviewing approach involving active listening, clarifying questions, and the examination of the consequences toward his acceptance of responsibility and willingness to change anger control problems. MHP taught Ty’Kevinyon efficient communication and assertiveness skills to convey anger in a controlled fashion and to meet his needs through more practical actions. MHP taught Ty’Kevinyon to use progressive relaxation or guided imagery techniques to stimulate a sense of calmness and decrease the intensity of his angry feelings. MHP taught Ty’Kevinyon anger, problem-solving, and communication skills to reduce anger. MHP provided positive reinforcements.

During our lifetime every one of us feels anger and aggression occasionally, some more than others, maybe as a child in the play ground or later as an adult when somebody cuts you up when you are driving along. But what causes anger and aggression and why do we all suffer from it? Well there are lots of different theories to what causes aggression and where aggressive behaviour comes from. So throughout this essay I will examine the different concepts and theories from different psychologist and develop and show an understanding of Aggression

Utilizing strategies and techniques to effectively manage anger can be difficult, the lack of anger management can result in serious consequences. The literature suggest that problems related to anger and aggression can cause difficulty in many areas of life. In addition, it can cause impaired functionality for

Although, psychodynamic therapy seems legitimate when it states in depth that a person’s actions are based off his or her subconscious mind, a person’s free will or attitude towards change is always a factor. The psychodynamic therapy focuses on the patient’s past childhood experiences to discover the cause; yet, ultimately, the therapy will not discover the solution. Next, according to Scott M. Bea, PsyD, a Clinical associate, the biggest disadvantage of psychodynamic therapy is it “may be misapplied to patients whose symptoms are not based in unconscious conflict. It relies on hypothetical constructs that have not been evaluated empirically in systematic and controlled studies” (121). In addition, is it likely to even be able to scientifically and logically study conceptions such as the unconscious mind? As has been noted, Freud's theories are subjective and arbitrary; therefore, a clear disadvantage to psychodynamic therapy is the unscientific data and it’s impossible to test in the approach to human behavior through the unconscious mind. Clearly, in the midst of research, Freud grabbed hold of a genius idea which, in turn, created other therapies, but, unfortunately, lacked the diverse evidence for full proof.

Bushman has been studying the causes, consequences, and answers to human aggression is and how to deal with such aggression. McRaney details Bushman’s 1990s studies regarding catharsis and if effects truly manage one’s emotion. During the time of Bushman’s study, self-help books regarding personal aggression all advised to vent anger as catharsis seemingly helps reduce it. As part of Bushman’s experiment, he grouped 180 students into three parts. “One group read a neutral article. One read an article about a fake study that said venting anger was effective. The third group read about a fake study that said venting was pointless,” (McRaney 122). Bushman’s entire process had followed the scientific method, where hypotheses are proven through experimentation, and the notion of dividing students into groups is the first step. Every student was then required to write an essay about abortion, a subject which can be touchy and contain strong feelings. The students were then told that their essays were graded by the other students, where half of the group received an exceptionally high score, making them happy and satisfied, and the other half receiving a terrible score, leaving them passionately angry. After receiving their grade, the students were given a choice of activities: reading a story, punching a punching bag, or watching comedy (McRaney 122). Those who read the article about how venting anger is effective and became angry over their bad essay feedback chose the punching bag, where those who received positive feedback chose the nonaggressive activities. Bushman had proved that through his study, catharsis is only influenced after being exposed to the concept of venting anger. Revenge and closure is the second part of Bushman’s study where students who received bad scores were told either to punch a punching bag again or wait a small amount of time. They were put up against people who had graded their essay to press a button

Anger experience is a basic emotion which predisposes sense of threat and negative appraisal (Oatley, 1992). These experiences and cognitive appraisals activate or increases anger rumination (Rusting & Nolen-Hoeksema, 1998). Repetitively unavoidable thinking about anger-provoking experiences has been considered as the main characteristic of anger rumination (Sukhodolosky et al., 2001; Watkins, 2004) affects mental health indicators. Thus, it can be said that anger decreases psychological well-being and on the other hand increases psychological distress through activating and increasing anger rumination.

Group activities included learning cues to anger, identifying events that trigger anger, and practicing “DEAL” method to solve problems. Mr. Decker appeared to be at his baseline. He participated well at the group work. He pointed out that “work” would be his most trigger for anger. Stated that he is doing better now as he is showing people how to do their work “step by step”. Mr. Decker expressed “Life is great today”.

According to Kirby Deater and Deckard in their article “Anger”, anger is a complex psychological behaviour which has its own structure. Some researchers believe in that anger is an overwhelming emotion that has effects on man's personality, as well as it indicates the different

"Theoretically, different CBT interventions target different aspects of the trigger appraisal, anger, behavior expression, outcome sequence. For example, although rarely sufficient in itself, many interventions involve self-awareness enhancement so clients become more aware of triggers, experience, expression, and consequences of anger. As clients become more aware, they can implement existing coping skills and initiate strategies developed in therapy." ( Deffenbacher. J 2009)

Personal problem is a guaranteed factor that affects the emotion and mentality of a person. Personal problems approach on many ways that can possibly cause anger. According to Dr. Ronald Potter-Efron, there are following factors that can give rise to an angry brain and these are frustration, excessive stress overtime, physical and emotional trauma, alcohol and drug abuse, excessive hormone release, problems with neurotransmitters, and brain malfunctions that promote anger and aggression. Most people are able to

Anger when an individual has a response that comes from being hurt, annoyed, frustration, disappointment or fear. Anger can be from irritation to strong rage. It is a powerful emotion. It can be a positive and useful emotion. Individuals that are stressed are more likely to experience anger. (Better Health, 2014 Department and Human Services) Two major ingredients to a person’s anger are fear and a perception of being mistreated, or abused. Anger is a natural fight or flight survival response to a real threat or abuse. (Pathways to happiness) Anger has been linked to causing health issues like high blood pressure, heart problems, headaches, skin disorder, and digestive problems (Return, Thompson, 2012, Journal of Counseling and Development. Poorly managed anger can also be linked to problems such as alcohol and drug abuse, crime, emotional and physical abuse and other violent behavior.