Emotional Intelligence Coaching For Anger Management Expands

Traditional intervention/treatment programs for problem anger are rapidly becoming obsolete. The Group For The Advancement Of Psychiatry has played a major role in officially denying that anger is an illness. The most recent edition of The Diagnostic And Statistical Manual of Nervous And Mental Disorders does not define anger as an illness.

http://www.dsm5.org/about/pages/default.aspx

The American Psychiatric Association maintains that anger is a normal human emotion. Anger is considered a problem when it is too intense, occurs too frequently, lasts too long, impacts health, destroys work or school relationships or damages interpersonal relationships. In contrast, The American Psychological Association has fought unsuccessfully for over forty years to have anger defined as a DSM diagnosable illness requiring counseling, psychotherapy or psychotropic medication treatment.

Since anger is not an illness, it is not responsive to formal mental health treatment. Interventions that can improve a clients’ over all competence in emotional intelligence are becoming the most sort after interventions for impulse control in the U.S., Canada and the U.K.

The Joint Commission On The Accreditation Of Healthcare Organizations in its’ Sentinel Alert (2008), announced that all health care organizations in the U.S. must have written policy regarding intervention for “disruptive physicians” whose anger risks patient safety.

http://www.amednews.com/article/20080818/profession/308189974/2/

The most popular and most successful intervention model for “disruptive physicians” is a non- psychiatric model developed by Anderson & Anderson, APC. This intervention uses Emotional Intelligence Pre and Post Assessments as well as client workbooks to teach a wide range of emotional intelligence concepts such as self-awareness, self-control, social awareness, empathy, problem solving and emotional expression, along with relationship management.

Emotional Intelligence Coaching for Impulse Control is a non-psychopathological intervention that does not have the stigma that is associated with mental health treatment.

http://andersonservices.com/services/eqi/how-it-works/

Anger management has always been a problem in substance abuse treatment as well as sobriety for clients who are struggling to maintain sobriety. The California Department of Rehabilitation has approved this training for clients who wish a career in providing this service for others. In addition, the U.S. Department of Veterans’ Affairs has approved this training for Clinical Social Workers.

http://andersonservices.blogspot.com

The collaboration between Substance Abuse Organizations and Anderson & Anderson, APC will likely hastened the recognition of emotional intelligence/impulse control in all substance abuse programs.

George Anderson, MSW, BCD, CAMF