What is anger management?

Anger management is the art of controlling your temper.

On our anger management courses, we teach

The psychology behind anger, so you understand your feelings and actions then feel more confident working on them.

‘Anger first aid’ tips to help you make better decisions in the moment and clam down quicker.

Long-term strategies to help you become less frustrated.

Communication and assertiveness skills so you can express dissatisfaction healthily and effectively.

Emotional intelligence skills to put you more in harmony with those around you.

Self-knowledge and improvement tools to dig into the roots of your anger and help the real you grow.

It’s intended for both ‘exploders’ who make their angry feelings obvious, and ‘imploders’ who keep their anger bottled in but eventually express it in a roundabout way.

Anger management is the fastest growing field in psycho-education today – an inevitable consequence of our busy, often stressful lives modern lives where we’re exposed to more uncertainty than ever before.

Managing anger can decrease stress, leading to better mental and physical health. Managed effectively anger is a positive force that increases productivity, drives independence, and protects you from harm.

BAAM’s anger management classes are currently all taught by Mike Fisher, author of Beating Anger, considered the most influential text in the field. Mike makes regular appearances in the UK newspapers, including this Sunday Times Magazine article published in 2021.

Anger management can be taught one-on-one, to families and couples, and in group sessions of people all seeking help together.

How do I know if I need anger management?

Here’s some classic signs suggesting your anger could be problematic, and it’s worth seeking professional help.

It is far from a comprehensive list. Take our Anger Test now to get more insight.

Being physically threatening and verbally abusive towards family members and others

Realising you often need to suck your anger in… then getting to the point where you explode without warning

Regular irritability, short temper, venting, and defensive behaviour

Getting into arguments and conflicts with others that increase your levels of frustration

Road rage (plus trolley rage, desk rage and ‘swimming pool lane rage’)

A realisation that you overthink matters, usually focusing on the negative

Often feeling critical and judgemental of others

Thinking too much about frustrating situations and individuals with no release, becoming habitually resentful

Becoming fearful of your outbursts and their destructive effect on work and family. This can trigger anxiety and possibly depression

Others telling you to stop being angry even if you don’t think you are

Feeling constantly overwhelmed by financial, professional, family and social responsibilities

Disrupted sleep patterns, hot flushes, rapid heartbeat, skin conditions, over-eating, self-medicating and other physical symptoms of mental trouble

You don’t need to be at rock bottom to learn anger management. Some people and organisations are taking anger management classes without their tempers or company culture having reached a crisis point.

How can anger management help me?

How anger management works

Anger management aims to obtain real results over a period of time. It shouldn’t be confused with open-ended ‘talk therapy’. The classes use a blend of both established psychology and modern approaches from experts such as Brené Brown and Dr Gabor Maté.

You are taught to express your feelings assertively, rather than becoming ‘active aggressive’ (by for instance shouting or issuing threats) or ‘passive aggressive’ (examples of this behaviour include manipulation, gossip and wilful un-cooperation). Sure, this takes practice – but it’s replacing a lifetime of habitual thinking.

Anger management doesn’t only help you address your irritability issues. It can transform your attitude to other people, the world at large and perhaps most importantly, yourself. Our clients often find they enjoy much better relationships both at home and at work. Many describe the process as ‘life changing’.

The vast majority of people undertaking anger management haven’t done anything like it before. So if that applies to you, you’re in good company.

Group sessions can be daunting at first. But participants tell us that learning alongside others with a similar experience of anger is highly rewarding – and the statistics show it’s very effective.

More about what happens in anger management classes

Here at BAAM we offer a range of classes both online via Zoom or in person, one-on-one with a coach or in a group.

Whatever class you choose, you’ll first be taught how to identify the classic symptoms of anger so your temper has less chance of taking over. We’ll teach you a number of techniques for calming down and staying mindful, and you can choose the ones that work best for you.

You’ll be taught how to express yourself clearly and healthily. This will help you feel calmer and more in control during challenging conversation and encounters.

During the course you’ll discover a great deal about communication skills, emotional intelligence, and healthy thinking patterns. This knowledge won’t only improve any anger issues. It can have a tremendously positive effect on your life in general.

You’ll also delve into the possible causes of your anger, and begin treating the problem at its root. Conditions you may’ve heard of like shame, trauma, and complex PTSD – likewise, addiction – can both inspire anger and compound its effects.

BAAM offers one-off workshops and follow-up courses for anyone wanting to develop their self-knowledge and life skills even further.

In any course like this you’ll be encouraged to find out as much as you can about the subject. Anger management is no different. BAAM provides all participants with a wealth of additional resources. Members of our group courses support and encourage each other, through both personal correspondence and private social media groups.

You can find out more about anger management in our News section and within our Frequently Asked Questions.

Beating Anger by Mike Fisher and other helpful books are available in our shop.