Accepting Others With Limitations is a Challenge For Some
“I worked hard for my knowledge,” Bob said in a session, but “others want to drain me of my knowledge and skill so they won’t have to do the hard work themselves to learn it.” “Besides, they are so stupid and they are unmotivated to improve themselves.” Bob was very much into self-development and self-improvement and thought…
Do Anger Professionals Get Angry?
This is a common question that my clients either ask me, or want to ask me as they sit either in anger management class or in private consultation. The short answer is that yes, of course, anger management professionals get angry, like everyone else. But, hopefully the anger management professional uses his own teachings to manage his…
Who Attends Our Anger Management Classes?
What is your vision of who comes to anger management classes or takes anger management courses online? People often wrongly envision that our classes are filled with people who physically abuse their spouses, are court ordered, and are generally the type of people you wouldn’t necessarily invite into your home. That got me to thinking…
Control Your Anger – Self-Talk in Action
In our Anger Management Local Classes, as well as in our online programs, we teach participants the value of changing your “self-talk” in order to dial down those angry feelings triggered by any number of events in our world. The following story about a grandfather and his  spoiled out-of-control 3 year-old grandson illustrates this beautifully – and…
AngerCoach Show – Episode #15 – Peace at any price?
This month we discuss the whether the concept of “Peace at any price” is really valid when dealing with issues that come up in marriage. When dealing with problems in any relationship, assertive communication will often yield better results because it communicates feelings better than simply “clamming up”.
“Peace At Any Price” is Often The Wrong Strategy
Jeffrey was a beleaguered husband. Married for 15 years, he reported that his wife criticized him for nearly everything without giving him any recognition or credit for the good things he did for her and the family. He felt he could do nothing right, despite the fact that he was a very good provider, he was…
How Important is Emotional Intelligence (EQ)?
In a recent session, 65 year old Dan, a retired insurance manager, was reflecting on mistakes he had made in his life. At the top of his list was an incident twenty years earlier when he received a home visit from a corporate V.P. who was vetting him for a large promotion as a district manager of a…
Anger At Home is Contagious
Have you noticed that in some homes anger spreads like wildfire. Sometimes it starts with a spark and slowly spreads. Other times it starts with an explosion and spreads quickly like an out of control forest fire. Either way, family anger often creates an uncomfortable, oppressive atmosphere in the home, like storm clouds suddenly spoiling a perfectly…
AngerCoach Show – Episode #14 – How to Tank Your Relationship: part 3
In this months episode we provide couples with suggestions on how to tank your relationship, an exciting new series offered by Dr. Tony Fiore. In part 3, we highlight a habit that can start eager couples down that path to divorce: Never ask your partner to meet you half way on an issue of disagreement….
Is Forgiveness Manly?
The following article is reprinted with permission from The Art of Manliness. Of course, forgiveness is tool #7 in our toolkit of anger management tools in both our local classes and in our online programs. Click here to watch our video of forgiveness as well as our other anger management videos, then read the following article which deals with…
Is Your Child Being Bullied?
Hardly a day goes by without a news story about the consequences of bullying in our country, especially among school children. In a national study of bullying, the researchers found that nearly 30% of sixth through tenth grade students reported moderate to frequent involvement in bullying, either as a bully themselves, the victim of bullying,…
Can’t change your partner? Try Looking in The Mirror!
Anger is an emotion. But, angry emotions often trigger a specific behavior (like yelling, throwing things, hitting, insulting someone, etc) which causes problems for you either at home, at work, on the road, or in your family. Most people in our anger classes tell us that one of the reasons they exhibit the angry behavior is because they want to change someone or…
AngerCoach Show – Episode #13 – How to Tank Your Relationship: part 2
In this months episode we provide couples with suggestions on how to tank your relationship, an exciting new series offered by Dr. Tony Fiore. In part 2, we highlight communication styles that can start eager couples down that path to divorce. The way you choose to handle arguments can sway your relationship towards or away…
Is Marriage like a Rorschach Test?
Have you ever noticed that you and your partner sometimes see things very differently? The very same things. Reminds me of the classic Woody Allen film “Annie Hall” with Woody himself (“Alvy Singer”) and Diane Keaton (“Annie Hall”), in which we see a split screen with both of them talking to their separate therapists about…
Financial Infidelity: Are you dishonest about money?
As the economy tightens, handling of finances in families is increasingly at the core of family fights and conflicts presented to therapists. Financial strain may greatly increase family stress which in turn affects all aspects of the relationship and family life. Even worse, is the introduction of what therapists are now calling “financial infidelity” –…
Is Empathy Declining?
Empathy is defined as the ability to put oneself in another’s shoes, to understand their feelings and feel them yourself, and to see the world as they do. Theodore Roosevelt said: “A very large share of the rancor of political and social strife arises from sheer misunderstanding by one section, or by one class, of another, or…
AngerCoach Show – Episode #12 – How to Tank Your Relationship: part 1
In this months episode we provide couples with suggestions on how to tank your relationship, an exciting new series offered by Dr. Tony Fiore. In part 1, we highlight three ways couples often start down that path to divorce. This podcast centers around a typical argument that couples often have and how what you say…
Dealing With Life Stress: Should We Use a Scale or a Broom?
This cartoon illustrates how stressful life can be, even in normal situations like family life. (By the way, if you enjoy mental health humor, visit (http://blogs.psychcentral.com/humor) for more.) In our anger management programs, we teach specific methods to handle stress as one of our anger control tools, because stress and anger are very much connected…
Anger Coach Online Now has 16-Hour Class
Our New 16-Hour distance learning program is now available. This should be great news for persons who are unable to attend live classes and need up to 16 hours credit for court, the workplace, or personal growth. The sixteen hour class contains all the content of the 10-hour core program (including videos) but adds six…
Single Because of Anger?
We often get calls from single people who request help with anger management because they have just lost another relationship due both to their anger AND the inability of their boyfriend or girlfriend to deal with their criticisms, angry outbursts, or sarcastic ways of communicating. Fact is, if you are used to communicating in an…
Anger in your relationship? Guys: Before Trying To Fix, Just Listen
In our local anger management classes, we regularly hear from clients as to what causes anger in their relationships. Recently a young woman revealed that “99% of our fights occur because my husband tried to fix what is bothering me.” At this point, the males in the class were astounded that this woman could be…