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An Integrative Paper and Business Model 1

BUILDING A FAITH-BASED ADLERIAN MODEL FOR ANGER MANAGEMENT

______________________________

An Integrative Paper and Business Model

Presented to

The Faculty of the Adler Graduate School

_____________________

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for

the Degree of Master of Arts in

Adlerian Counseling and Psychotherapy

_____________________

By:

Robert Cornelius

September 29, 2007


Abstract

Anger is a normal, healthy feeling as long as it is controlled. It has been the experience of

this writer that uncontrolled anger and abuse are mainly due to a person never learning a better

way to handle situations that come up daily. There are some simple tools to help the reader make

a choice to avoid becoming too angry and most everyone would benefit from learning these

skills. Some of the comments I hear most often during anger management/domestic abuse classes

are, “why wasn't I taught this at a younger age,” and, “if I would've known these simple tools

earlier, I would not be in this situation now,” and, “it has been wonderful teaching what I have

learned to my children so they do not have to go through what I've gone through.”

The first goal of this paper is to discuss two components; the hands-on learning

experiences of this facilitator in learning to teach anger management classes at a treatment

center, and this student’s educational experience in learning Adlerian Psychology. The second

goal of the paper is to integrate the two components and build a business “model” for the

delivery of anger management services.


Part I

Integrative Experience

A Brief Description of the Graduate Internship Site

The treatment center I worked in had a primary focus of strengthening the relationships

between fathers and children of low-income families by developing a more positive, stable

relationship with their children who are frequently at high risk. The ultimate vision of the

treatment center is to provide assistance to the entire family so that the father and mother remain

active in their children’s lives as parents, and as partners in parenting. This promotes a safe,

nurturing environment for children and families by building an effective parenting model that

teaches fathers their roles and responsibilities in the family. It also provides children with strong

role models in supporting their positive development, all of which will have a lasting effect on

generations to come.

The main emphasis of the treatment center is the 25 week Anger Management/ Domestic

Abuse course that focuses on providing men with alternative ways to deal with their anger issues.

Men who attend the program are often court-ordered, but there are a lot of men who realize one

day that their anger just does not serve them well. They self-refer because their anger has too

often put them into a less than desirable situation at home. Most men, whether self-referred or

court-ordered, are dealing with trouble on the home front.

Type of Staff Members and Qualifications

The site employs six staff persons. It has an Executive Director and a receptionist who

manage the business during the day. The Executive Director mainly functions as a business

manager and the receptionist handles the telephone calls and secretarial duties. There is one

Program Director who supervises the group counseling, intakes and all interns, and also


facilitates several anger management groups. The Program Director has an MSW and is a

Licensed Alcohol and Drug Counselor as well. There are two individuals who mainly facilitate

anger management groups. Both have Bachelor’s Degrees. There is another person who

facilitates couples and family classes. This person was licensed in another state but is not

currently licensed in Minnesota. The final worker is the glue that holds the operation together.

This person is the evening receptionist who handles payroll, organizes grant timelines and is the

unofficial office manager.

The treatment philosophy of the organization is patterned after the Alcoholics

Anonymous program and the 12 suggested steps of Alcoholics Anonymous which are as follows

(AA Publishing, Inc. 1955):

1. We admitted we were powerless over alcohol--that our lives had become unmanageable.

2. Came to believe that a Power greater than ourselves could restore us to sanity.

3. Made a decision to turn our will and our lives over to the care of God as we understood

Him.

4. Made a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves.

5. Admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our

wrongs.

6. Were entirely ready to have God remove all these defects of character.

7. Humbly asked Him to remove our shortcomings.

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them

all.


9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure

them or others.

10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

11. Sought through prayer and meditation to improve our conscious contact with God, as we

understood Him, praying only for knowledge of His will for us and the power to carry

that out.

12. Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this

message to alcoholics, and to practice these principles in all our affairs.

Of these 12 steps, the treatment center's main focus would be on steps 1,3,4,5,8,9, and 10.

The Program Director of the treatment center has worked many years within the AA system. He

also focuses a lot on Family of Origin issues.

Another philosophical principle is that each client, by learning and understanding his

physical and mental anger cues, as well as red flag situations (hot buttons) that might cause him

to become angry, can then make a choice to disengage from the situation and take a personally

defined time out. Clients develop a safety plan that addresses how a person might deal with a

potentially volatile situation, what their preferred time out activities are, who they might contact

to talk over their situation, and the names and phone numbers of places they would plan to stay if

they needed to get away for an evening. The safety plan relies heavily on an established support

network to assist a person in deescalating volatile situations.

Work Done at the Graduate Internship Site

When I contemplated working with men with anger/domestic abuse issues, I was quite

concerned. I was intimidated by the idea of challenging men with anger issues. But my first


instructor always said, “give it a whack,” so I did and have not looked back since. I started by

sitting in on a group facilitated by the intern supervisor. He encouraged me to jump in when I felt

compelled to add something and that seemed to be almost immediate and continuous. I recall that

he started to leave me alone in the group after about 4-5 classes and, soon after, he felt

comfortable enough to let me start interjecting some of my knowledge (and utter fascination)

about Individual Psychology and some of the applicable teachings I was versed enough in to

offer. My supervisor had told me that he was also intrigued with Adlerian Psychology and

wanted to learn more about it– especially from an intern who was somewhat proficient at it. I

was, at that time, feeling pretty good about understanding and finding useful applications for

some of the concepts of Individual Psychology.

I did a fair amount of teaching and came to the realization that I thoroughly enjoyed

working with this clientele. After about three months of more or less facilitating this group that I

was supposedly co-facilitating, I decided that I would rather be getting paid for my efforts (to at

least cover the cost of my student loans) and submitted a proposal to start a group on my own.

After the Executive Director and my intern supervisor discussed the proposal, they agreed to

give me the opportunity, so I started a group in October 2005, in New Hope, Minnesota. I

continued to facilitate that group until April of 2007.

I had an intern for about three or four months who assisted with preparation, but have not

had one since. I took responsibility for preparation time, course content, teaching topics and

progress reports, and other documentation for probation officers. This usually consisted of 1-2

hours of extra time per week and 3-4 hours once a month to process and fax progress reports to

the probation officers. It is an open-ended group, which means that the material is recycled about

every 8-12 weeks, depending on the size of the group. This actually works very well because


each member is able to hear each topic at least twice while going through the program. This

gives each person a better foundation as whatever was learned the first time is reinforced the

second time. I may not teach it exactly the same way each time either. I often hear that the first

time a person hears a topic, they are too new to the group and do not understand the concept

nearly as well as the second time.

Each person entering the program must attend an intake interview. At this time, they

receive a packet of information which includes all the information that will be covered in the

class. The first thing a client will do is sign a data privacy form which explains the federal

HIPAA standards. There are two release of information forms that must be signed, giving us

permission to gather information from probation officers, court services and spouses if need be.

Each person is given a list of rules they must follow during the group session. They are

also given a complete list of all the assignments that will be due during the 25 week course. They

must sign a contract that states they will complete all assignments, attend class regularly, pay

their fees on time and participate regularly in the group. Each person takes a Domestic Violence

Inventory (DVI) test that measures their specific level of need.

The final piece that each person has to complete is a detailed written description of why

they decided to come to the group, whether court-ordered or voluntarily. It is commonly referred

to as their Most Violent Incident. This piece of information will go a long way in a revealing

where the person is as far as accepting responsibility. If the person does not take some

responsibility right from the beginning, this is a problem. Members are advised that the group is

predicated on the idea that each person must be ready and willing to accept responsibility to be a

contributing member of the group. It is also conveyed to them that, for the safety of the group,

they need to be accountable for their actions and be able to discuss their situation without


minimizing or blaming others. The reason this is so important is because each member feels

more of a sense of safety within the group when each person is contributing equally. It is very

disruptive to have one member who does not participate on an equal level. The other members

are usually hesitant to accept such a member.

Each group session starts out with a check-in exercise. Each group member takes a turn,

explaining whether they are court ordered or voluntary, what week of the course they are in,

what the incident was that led them to the group and where they are on the anger curve. This

gives each member an opportunity to talk about how their week went, some of the struggles they

faced and some of the successes they experienced. It gives them an opportunity to explain some

of the tools they used during the week that helped them work through a given situation, resulting

in a positive outcome. It also provides the other members an opportunity to give feedback on

tools they may have used, or experiences they went through that might help the person speaking

work through something differently next time. The final thing it does is gives each person an

opportunity to voice where they are on the anger scale; to identify a rating between 1 and 10,

with one being comatose and 10 being in the blowup stage. If one of the members presents high

on the anger scale, it gives the group an opportunity to help the member de-escalate.

A Critical Evaluation of the Internship Site

I will begin my critical evaluation by stating that the treatment center has been a very

positive experience and offered very few negative experiences. I believe the program is strong

and has three specific benefits that stand out for fathers willing to use the program. The first

benefit is that it offers a 9-to-5 crisis hotline; an extension of “First Call for Help,” designed to

give direction to a caller concerning services they may need. The second benefit is the Law

Clinic, which is a service that provides legal advice and direction to fathers who may not be able


to afford an attorney. The clinics are held on weeknights at different locations. The client pays a

small fee and has one-to-one time with an attorney who is providing pro bono legal services.

This service has proven to be very popular.

The third benefit, which I have been exclusively involved with, is the anger management

course. It takes 25 weeks to complete, therefore giving the user an opportunity to learn how to

control their anger over a six-month period, versus the two to three month period that other

programs offer. It is my belief that people who have anger issues usually spend a lifetime

learning ineffective ways to deal with anger and need a longer period of time to reframe and

reconstruct more effective strategies. I have seen the positive effects that simple, fundamental

skills have on persons who really want to change the way they deal with anger and abuse.

The first step to dealing with an anger problem is being able to take responsibility for

one's actions and behaviors, without minimizing the effects their behavior has on themselves and

others. If a person is not able to take responsibility for their actions, they will not truly believe

that they have a problem and will quite often blame somebody else for their situation.

The first area of concern at the intern site was that I saw inconsistent levels of

accountability by facilitators throughout the treatment center. I have substituted for other groups

and found that the level of teaching was structurally sound, although lacking this fundamental

component. In one specific group I facilitated, there were several clients who had been attending

the group for a long period of time and were still blaming others for their troubles. The reason it

was acceptable in this group was that nobody seemed to mind the lack of responsibility in the

group because it had never been established that taking responsibility was one of the first steps in

building another way to deal with anger. I personally do not believe it does any good to allow


participants who cannot take responsibility to remain in the group; it disrupts the safety and

integrity of the group.

It is expected that each person be able to bring their most violent incident to the group as

a means of using each participant's story as a point of discussion to help others who may be

going through the same thing. It is actually painful to sit and listen to somebody go through their

whole story and blame it on somebody else. Most group members are quick to recognize this

type of behavior and often challenge the person to take responsibility. As an effective group

facilitator, I believe it is my role to not allow this to happen beyond week two or three. I must

think of the safety of the other members of the group when I see someone who does not want to

take responsibility for their actions. I do not see this type of consistent group leadership

throughout the facility.

Another area of concern to me personally was that I felt the Executive Director was

comfortable with limited movement toward growth. I believe the program has much more

potential than has been realized. It seemed to me that the business was stagnated, and most

seemed okay with it. I, being fresh out of school and blessed with all the answers in the world,

made two or three proposals for services I thought would reach more people and bring in more

business. The proposals were well received and implementation was discussed, although there

was no follow through. There was no money to implement some of the projects and no real

desire to secure funds. I was told that the facility was interested in implementing the proposals

but I needed to go out and secure grant money to cover the cost of implementation.

This was one of the main reasons why I decided to start a business providing anger

management/domestic abuse classes. I felt that if I had to secure grant money without being

compensated, I wanted to do it for my own cause. The best of both worlds came when my


treatment center and I came to an agreement, allowing me to open up a satellite branch in Elbow

Lake, Minnesota. It would allow me to manage a facility and its direction, semi-autonomously. It

would also allow me to start a nonprofit business without re-creating the wheel. The second half

of my paper will become my blueprint for operating this business, with the long range intent to

go into business for myself.

Ethical and Professional Issues

The ethical and professional issues that I was bound by at the treatment center were not

clearly written or distributed, but assumed to be clearly understood by each worker. As anger

management classes are not considered therapy or counseling, the ethical guidelines are

different. They are considered pseudo-educational but, nevertheless, have ethical guidelines as

well. There are four ethical issues that routinely come up and are verbally discussed quite often.

The first ethical issue is to not become too close to the people who are served. A

facilitator needs to maintain a distance and be objective. During a 25 week course there is a

natural tendency to become close with the group members. The facilitator spends half a year with

each person in the group and boundaries can become unclear. I have found that the group

members often tend to look up to or, in some way, idolize the facilitator and will want to be your

friend.

The second ethical issue to be very aware of and never violate is to not accept something

from a group member. The members will often offer treats or services to each other, and it would

be easy for a facilitator to take part in this and become entangled in the group members’ lives.

This will cause a conflict of interest, because most of the participants are court-ordered and it

may lead to a situation where there are unmentioned expectations by one or the other party. It

may appear to be very innocent, but it can turn into a slippery slope in a hurry. As stated earlier,


the group members often look up to the facilitator, and if the facilitator discloses a need, group

members are often quick to offer their help, with best intentions, as they have developed a

relationship with, and want to please the facilitator. Unfortunately, a wayward facilitator can

quite easily coerce, manipulate or gently guide a group member into an unhealthy, self-serving

relationship.

The third ethical issue is to be careful to not disclose too much information to the group.

It is important to maintain professionalism between the facilitator and the client so as to not ruin

your credibility. At times, it is good to disclose some personal information to help build a trust

level and to be able to empathize. However, one must use caution. You can lose the group in a

hurry by disclosing too much information.

The fourth ethical issue is that the facilitator should maintain a high level of trust and

safety for the class by following established group rules. It is very important to consistently treat

all members of the group similarly by enforcing each rule violation in a timely fashion. Some of

the rules are enforced by the group in a friendly, peer-level way. This type of self-policing by the

group should also be monitored to be sure there are no members targeting other members. By

establishing firm, consistent rules, you will not lose control or have animosity, and the group will

be able to understand the expectations.

Application of Current Research and Theory to the Internship Experience

There are three different models that I would like to briefly discuss as each model has

contributed to how I conduct my groups. The first model was taken from a production by FMS

Productions. It is called “Anger: Creating New Choices” (2002). This is very similar to the

model I use, in that it relies on early recognition of physical and mental cues to attempt to control

anger. Once an individual is able to recognize how their specific body reacts to the ramping up of


anger, they are better able to take evasive measures and implement alternative plans. I also like

this production because it devotes one whole segment to role-playing and practicing how to

communicate better without becoming angry. I typically will show the video at some point

during a group because it is so well done.

The second model is cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT is based on the idea that

thoughts cause feelings and behaviors; not external things, like people, situations and events. The

benefit of this type of therapy is that we can change the way we think so as to feel and behave

better, even if the situation does not change. Cognitive-behavioral therapists seek to learn what

their clients want out of life (i.e., their goals) and then help them achieve their goals by listening,

teaching and encouraging. The client's role is to express concerns and to learn and implement

that learning. One of the main tools in the class is Rational Emotive Therapy.

The third model is the Duluth Model. Many of the men who deal with anger issues and

end up being court ordered to attend anger management classes struggle with domestic abuse.

Because of this, it is appropriate to include the Duluth Model, in that it directly deals with

domestic abuse and violence, while incorporating an element of anger management. The Duluth

Model was designed in 1981 as a coordinated community response by law enforcement, the

criminal and civil courts and human service providers, working together to make communities

safer for victims and hold offenders accountable for their behavior (Duluth Model Research,

2003). Goals include:

1. Focusing intervention on stopping an offender’s use of violence, not fixing the

relationship.

2. Using the power of the state through arrest and prosecution to place controls on an

offender’s behavior.


3. Providing victims of abuse emergency housing, protection orders and information to

increase safety.

4. Tracking cases and working with law enforcement, the courts and advocacy programs to

ensure interventions conform to agreed-upon policies.

Description of the Student’s Approach to Counseling and Self-Evaluation - Areas of Competence

- Approach to Counseling and Psychotherapy

My approach to counseling will first and foremost be based on my Christian beliefs.

Everything I do in life is based on a firm foundation I have established in my faith. I have had a

personal relationship with Jesus Christ since 1985, and it is so deeply ingrained in my private

logic that it would be easier for me to stop eating than to stop believing. I also believe that faith

is the single most influential belief system in any society and offers hope for a hurting world.

I will then add my educational experience in Adlerian psychology, along with my life

experiences and private logic. Individual psychology has had the second most profound effect on

my life, next to my faith. It has been the missing component in my mission to help others. I have

always considered myself an expert on policies and procedures, because they offer a detailed

roadmap as to how a company should operate. I have made myself quite good at writing,

understanding and teaching policies and procedures. When everyone understands them, the

operation will usually run more smoothly because people are able to understand what is expected

of them; or at least know where to access that information.

It was not until I started attending Adler Graduate School, and started to realize that all

behavior was purposeful, that I started to realize why I enjoyed policies and procedures so much.

I realized that it was important to me to understand how something worked. I had to have an

understanding of how things worked; not just how things should work. Policies and procedures


offer me that. More importantly, Individual Psychology provided me with a “blueprint” for how

the mind should work, and how the mind actually does work. It gave me an explanation for why

people act the way they do. It was so simple; the notion that behavior was purposeful. We strive

for something that is important to us, while using either constructive or neurotic behavior to get

there, or to at least move toward what is important to us.

Individual Psychology also provided me with a reason for repeated and often habitual

behavior. Each person develops his/her own private logic and their own individual psychology;

generally between birth and age six. In the process, we develop mistaken beliefs. This makes

wonderful sense to me and blends harmoniously with my faith. I feel I have been able to bridge

the gap and offer an equal balance of both faith and a working knowledge of Adlerian

psychology.

I believe the most important thing I can offer is encouragement. It is the easiest tool to

use and the most warmly received. More than anything else, I believe most people need to be

encouraged. People often do not get adequate encouragement in most or all of the five life tasks.

It has been my experience that when you offer a word of encouragement to anyone, the person

immediately seems to take on a new countenance. It is like they have never heard a word of

encouragement before, and it brings a smile to their face.

The second thing I find extremely important is to allow each person to be heard. I believe

each person needs to be encouraged, but also needs to be heard. Everyone has a story waiting to

be told. Most people, if given the opportunity in a group setting, will usually open up if a safe

environment has been created within the group.


Strengths and Weaknesses as a Counselor - Plans for Future Professional Development

In addressing my strengths and weaknesses, I feel I have several character traits that fall

into both categories. The first strength is that I have always considered myself a motivator and an

encourager. I feel it is easy for me to offer encouragement to somebody who is going through

something tough for them. I am usually quick to reframe any self-deprecating words, humor and

behaviors. I like to challenge people who say negative things about themselves and motivate

them to change that “stinking thinking.”

One possible negative side to encouragement is my use of self-deprecation. In some

cases, it sidetracks a client from their goals. I can also tend to bulldoze somebody with this type

of positive behavior when they need to truly work through something and just don't feel like

being positive or encouraged. I'm getting better at recognizing this and backing off when I sense

that it is not being taken in the manner I am offering it.

Another area of strength, and possibly a weakness as well, is when I expect movement or

social interest. It is somewhat tied to the earlier strength/weakness. That is, although I might feel

like I am motivating or encouraging somebody to display social interest or positive movement

and expect them to follow, they often do not.

The strength part of this is that I have faith that each person I am working with is

equipped with enough tools to handle my “homework assignments” and that they will also

receive my best as far as encouragement. The weakness is that when I feel I have given my all, I

mistakenly believe they should be sufficiently motivated to follow through. I have to check

myself and realize that our relationship is a two-way street; I have to let the other individual take

ownership for their lack of movement.


The third area that might be considered a strength and a weakness is my Christian faith. It

would be a strength when counseling someone like-minded. I have done much Bible study over

the years and, with my Adlerian education, I feel quite confident in providing services to most

people who don't mind at least a sprinkling of Biblical wisdom. I use a variety of verses out of

Proverbs in teaching anger management. Proverbs contains so many Biblical references to this

topic that I consider it to be sound advice for anyone. I seldom actually reveal the source but,

nevertheless, use Proverbs advantageously.

The weakness might be that if I work with someone who does not want to hear anything

about religion and might attack the topic if it were broached, I might feel compelled to

discontinue services and refer the person to another therapist or group leader. For example, I

would not be able to work with some clients and issues reflecting moral values that are

significantly different from my own.

Another strength is that I am a people person and enjoy working with people. At some

point in time, I was given compassion for others. I can empathize with others, and know that just

about every person in the world is hurting and all people have problems. It is motivating for me

to know that if I can help them isolate some mistaken beliefs and reframe them, I can possibly

help them hurt a little bit less.

A weakness would be that I do not keep up on paperwork very well and often

procrastinate with paperwork tasks. I realize that it is an important part of most any field;

especially psychology, where I will need to take notes, write reports and summaries of sessions

and not forget an important piece of information that was given. I am notorious for not

remembering the names of wives and children of the men in my groups. I have really had to

work hard on writing information down in a timely fashion.


Some of the areas that I would like to develop further include my skills in the areas of

addiction and chemical dependency. There are so many people who need help in this area. I

would also like to continue to develop more skills in the areas of parenting, relationships and

mixed family dynamics. I attended a seminar recently, and it was stated that a majority of all

families are mixed families. It just never dawned on me that in order to work with this new

family model, I will need to be much more informed and skilled in working with mixed families.

I will also continue to pursue licensure as a Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), as

well as licensure as an Alcohol and Drug Counselor (LADC).

Educational Experience

As part of my integrative paper, I feel it is important to write about my educational

experience; what I have learned, how it fits into what I believe, how it fits with what I learned at

my treatment center, and how it will integrate with my future business plans.

Alfred Adler is credited with the idea of Individual Psychology (IP). Individual means

indivisible or whole in German, and IP posits that each person lives their life striving toward a

goal. This goal stimulates a movement from a felt minus situation to a perceived plus situation.

In other words, it is a continued movement from a perceived inferiority feeling to a superiority

feeling. It is basically a goal each person strives for (although largely unconsciously), and each

person has a very different perception of their ultimate goal. A person moves toward their own

perceived plus position based on their own private logic (i.e., hidden or unconscious reasons for

feeling, thinking and behaving the way we do). The movement does not necessarily take one

toward a perceived plus by societal norms (Ansbacher & Ansbacher 1956).

Adler also believed that the amount of social interest a person has is directly related to the

level of contribution by that person. Social Interest (which might more appropriately be


translated as “communal feeling”) embodies efforts to meet the tasks of the community and it is

also enhanced by contributing to other’s welfare. Adler said that all lifestyles are sufficient until

life or people present a problem that the individual is unprepared to deal with. One’s degree of

social interest is then displayed. The individual has been able to live a normal life until some

situation or event occurs; causing the individual to react in a dysfunctional way (Sperry &

Carlson 1996).

To tie all this together, Adler believed that starting in early childhood, a person begins to

formulate a style of life – a way of seeing or operating in the world. This style of life (which

Adlerians commonly refer to as lifestyle) is formed by all of the experiences a child has based on

the family constellation, family values, parental models, birth order, etc. A person’s lifestyle

begins to develop as early as the baby has cognitive abilities. As soon as the child can associate a

causal effect with an experience, he starts to develop his lifestyle. As each moment goes by, the

child develops assumptions about how the world operates, based on his response to the situation.

As the child continues to experience more, the previous assumptions are either changed, altered

or modified to best fit how the child worked his way through the experience. All these

components are filtered through the mind of the child, creating a private logic (belief system)

that is applied to everything and every situation. The child will continue to experience new

things that may modify or change the beliefs that are embedded in the child’s thought process.

Every experience in the future will run through this private logic filter and will supplement or

modify the private logic.

As the child grows older, the responses are similar and now more reinforced. At some

point, very little changes as to how the child responds. The child will bring this belief system to

the forefront each time the situation occurs. This pattern (life style) is brought to adulthood. An


adult will react to situations based on the building blocks started by an infant and refined by a

child/adolescent. In most cases this socially acceptable behavior is satisfactory. Adler would

consider this useful behavior in a social context.

It is in cases where the child learns maladaptive responses to a situation that problems

occur. These responses often stem from a dysfunctional childhood, when the child learned to use

the best coping mechanisms available (often modeled from dysfunctional parents) and did what

it took to survive the situation. Whether good or bad, the child survives. Typically, this leads to

some level of neurotic behavior (i.e., personality disorder, anxiety or, in worse case, anti-social

disorders or psychotic disorders). Adler would consider this useless behavior within a social

context.

During the formulation of a lifestyle, people establish beliefs about how they think the

world should operate. For most people, the majority of these beliefs are normal. For some, the

beliefs will be mistaken. But for all people, at least some of these beliefs become mistaken

beliefs. When faced with a situation that causes discomfort, or “shakes their world,” a person

with a mistaken belief falls back to their incorrect private logic to guide them through. A person

moves through life toward their goal in an effort to strive for superiority, and once something

happens that moves the person into a situation that is not comfortable for them, they start

showing their level of social interest. If their social interest is low, they may start to exhibit

various levels of neurotic behavior.

The goal of Adlerian Psychology is to help a person identify and correct their mistaken

beliefs and move toward the more advanced decision-making capabilities and problem solving

skills of a healthy adult (as opposed to a child).


The main tool used for isolating mistaken beliefs is Life Style Analysis. Life Style

Analysis asks for four or five early memories that the therapist can analyze; specifically looking

for patterns (i.e., mistaken and faulty beliefs, values, attitudes and purposeful behaviors). The

reason early memories are so useful is answered by this question: Of all the experiences you

have had, why do you remember these specific memories? The answer is that each of these

memories (regardless of historical accuracy) are highlights of the life-shaping experiences a

person has had and tend to indicate the way life is or the way life should be according to the

filtering of their personal experiences.

I believe the applicability of Individual Psychology today has grown. The fast-paced,

global world has seen a great increase in situations that are causing discomfort for most

everyone. Social Interest is declining, leaning more and more people in a neurotic or psychotic

state of mind. The life tasks are getting harder to manage as we demand more and more out of

our jobs, relationships and each other, while giving less.

When confronted with problems in any of the life tasks, the individual will resort to

safeguarding techniques. They will focus on themselves and their perceived lack of abilities to

handle the situation rather than the task. As the problem grows, the individual will retreat further

into neurotic behaviors rather than addressing the life tasks. With that said, people have become

angry, vengeful, uncaring, self-centered and quick to dissolve relationships.

Social interest has deteriorated to the point where an increasing number of people are

using pathological behavior. It is evidenced by behaviors like domestic abuse, anger, road rage,

crime, broken homes and people generally not being very nice to each other.

I have worked in the field of mental health for close to 15 years and have definitely seen

a large upswing in people needing services. Most people who come for services have stories that


make you want to cry for them. In fact, just about anyone you talk to (who is willing to open up)

will give you a list of hurts in their life. People are hurting everywhere. Many people do not have

the family/friend support network that was common in the past.

Adler’s ideas about Individual Psychology were brilliant. I believe that IP is alive and

well and that Adler’s thoughts about psychopathology still hold true today. With this said, I

believe the best things I can do are to start helping people work toward social interest and to help

them correct the faulty logic and mistaken beliefs that have characterized them since childhood. I

will work to build a sense of encouragement, worth, efficacy and significance, thus helping my

clients to restore their self worth and feelings of adequacy, and to start moving them toward

being able to carry out the life tasks they are trying to avoid.


Part II

Planning for a Business

Planning the Business

It has been my dream for many years to be a business owner. In the late 1980’s, I

partnered with another gentleman in a business venture repairing consumer electronics. I really

enjoyed the concept of fixing things, although I was often miserable in this particular endeavor. I

was a people person fixing objects. I enjoyed working with people very much and was not

happy. The business venture lasted two years before it finally folded.

I have always dreamed of becoming a psychologist. Unfortunately, I was told by loved

ones for many years that becoming a psychologist (pursuing a degree) was a waste of time. I

guess, in a way, I agreed with them, or at least went along with that mistaken belief. I came to

admire a specific gentleman who I worked with for several years who was a Licensed

Psychologist. I worked for a company that provided day training and habilitation (DT&H) for

people with disabilities, and he was the psychologist our company worked with. His job seemed

so easy and fun. As I continued to work with him and studied the consumer behavior plans he

developed, I started to realize that I really wanted to do this too and set out to do it. Since that

time, I have always believed that I would own a counseling business, although I have since found

out that I am a wonderful group facilitator. I enjoy group dynamics more than I enjoy one to one

counseling. I now have the opportunity to fulfill my lifetime dream and am currently in the

planning stages of doing so, although it will be a satellite facility with my current employer (a

practice run for the real thing down the road).


The first thing a business needs is a strong vision. It has been and will always be my

vision to provide services that offer a sense of hope, encouragement and support by teaching

parents and couples the necessary skills to build strong relationships within the family construct.

The second thing a business needs is a good mission statement. My mission statement

will be as follows:

My mission is to provide the best possible mental health care by serving the population without

discrimination. The service I provide will uphold the highest standard of ethics within a legal

framework, while maintaining a maximum level of confidentiality.

A third area of importance is developing a professional code of conduct based on three

ethical viewpoints; my current employment as a Social Worker, pursuit of a Marriage and

Family Therapist license and, most importantly, my personal code of conduct that comes with

being a Christian man with biblical principles I hold myself accountable to. I believe there is a

need for my services, and I will always do my best to weave together the various standards I will

be subject to. By having an understanding of all the standards that I will be held accountable to, I

will conscientiously adhere to them to the best of my ability. In situations where there is no clear

cut answer, I will consult other professionals as a sounding board for different opinions. I will

also ask that co-workers or co-practitioners notify me if there is a situation (or a potential for

one) that could become precarious.

I have developed a code of ethics that will be posted in my business, and I will diligently

follow it. This set of ethical standards is based on my personal code of conduct, as well as a

general understanding of several other professional ethical codes I may be held to.


Responsibility

I will provide professional counseling while building a therapeutic relationship with my

customers, based on a well founded understanding of my personal code of conduct, as well as a

professional and legal code of conduct. I will always act in the best interest of the client with the

most important idea being “do no harm”. I will take responsibility for the following:

1. Provide a complete intake assessment using the latest techniques, designed to best

isolate the needs of the customer.

2. Establish an Informed Consent agreement with client.

3. Provide the customer with an explanation of professional roles and obligations by

defining the relationship and discussing the following:

Advising clients of the need to take responsibility and to make decisions

regarding their treatment plans.

Conflict of interest and dual relationships.

Explanation and example of Mandated Reporter role.

4. Provide the customer with a complete and concise description of treatment

processes and procedures. The customer will be informed that this will be a joint

effort.

5. Provide the client with a timetable for length of therapy; with the intent of

continuing only as long as deemed beneficial.

Competence

I will limit practice, services and teaching to areas within the boundaries of my skill set,

based on my education, experience and training. I will strive to maintain excellence in this

profession by continuing my education and training through classes, seminars and supervised


experience. I will subscribe to and participate in any organizations that will offer relevant and

applicable information. I will also commit to:

1. Not practicing outside my area of expertise without supervision.

2. Maintain ongoing knowledge of legal and ethical updates and changes pertaining to my

field of service.

3. Attempt to obtain sufficient competence in areas where I may not have adequate training

when helping someone who may not otherwise be able to receive services.

4. Working within my competencies regarding cultural differences.

Moral and Legal Standards

I will maintain a high standard of integrity regarding the ethical and legal standards

governing my profession. I will also be held to another moral standard which is guided by my

Christian beliefs and the Bible. These moral standards may at times be in conflict with ethical

and legal standards. Each conflict will be dealt with depending on circumstances based on the

best way to proceed. I will not always be practicing in situations where I can follow my moral

convictions openly, so I will keep that in mind and continue as long as there are no conflicts that

force a breech of my moral standards or fail to offer a middle ground. The following are my

personal standards relating to moral, ethical and legal standards:

1. I will maintain, update and follow applicable laws, ethics and professional standards

relating to this profession.

2. I will follow my moral standards which include the following:

Provide counseling services to any and all from a personal Christian foundation;

using the Bible as a moral compass and counseling from love and humility.

I will make my counseling style known on the Informed Consent form.


I will not expect others to understand or agree with my perspective, and will not

turn down opportunities to help them.

Know that God is the author of life. Healing may never be permanent and

complete without God’s hand.

Know that true talent for counseling will come from God. I will always listen for

Devine inspiration.

3. I will report any ethical or professional violations, whether witnessed or reported.

4. I will make a contribution of at least 10% of my time to uncompensated therapy in the

name of Social Interest and Tithe.

Public Statements

With regards to advertising and public statements, I will not use deceptive, misleading or

fraudulent representation of my experience, skills, knowledge and credentials. I will not

misrepresent my services, fees, research or moral, legal and ethical standards.

I will also not let third party sources or affiliations misrepresent, mislead or exaggerate

my experience, skills, knowledge, credentials, services, fees and research, or my moral, legal and

ethical standards.

Confidentiality

It is my responsibility to protect and maintain the confidentiality of my clients on all

levels. I am held responsible on a moral and ethical level, as well as from a legal standpoint. I

will not disclose any information without the express written consent from the client allowing me

permission to do so. Confidential information will still be held judiciously even with a

disclosure. I am obligated to take precautions in protecting the confidentiality of each client in all

the following situations:


1. Material disclosed or discussed during therapy.

2. Information shared in a session, regardless of family dynamics.

3. Private information, assessments, diagnostic interviews and general client information

contained in file.

4. Maintain confidentiality of client files for the legally (or company) specified time before

they can be destroyed.

One area of disclosure I will inform my clients of in the Informed Consent Agreement is

that I am a mandated reporter. I have an obligation to disclose information which I feel is

revealing child abuse, child neglect or the threat of harm to self or others. Information disclosed

will be limited to essential information, only given to appropriate authorities or family members.

Another area of disclosure would be the sharing of information with a colleague,

associate, student or staff member of an agency in order to best determine how to treat a client.

This information would be limited to disclosing only enough to complete the desired objective.

Welfare of the customer

The client should expect to be treated with dignity and worth, in a humble, respectful

way. They should receive services that are useful and meaningful, and always given the best

possible treatment while the benefit of treatment exists. The client will be informed of all the

patient rights afforded them by law. The client will have access to or receive the following:

1. The right to understand the purpose of the techniques and procedures used during the

therapy sessions. This includes any tests or assessments and the results.

2. The right to access any records or files relating to the psychological services received,

provided they are not classified as confidential.

3. Have access to the cost of services.


4. To be free from exploitation, harassment, conflict of interest and multiple relationships.

5. To be free to ask for and receive a referral to another practitioner if desired.

6. The assurance that an appropriate referral will be made if the therapy is beyond my scope

of competence or predilection.

7. To know that every reasonable effort will be taken to ensure a smooth transition to

another therapist in the event a discontinuation of services is necessary.

Professional relationships

I will always be aware of the influential position I hold with regards to the client. I will

not misuse my influence by exploiting, manipulating, leading or suggesting any inappropriate,

dishonest or disingenuous course of action. I will keep honesty and integrity at the forefront of

my practice by adhering to the following:

1. I will make every effort to avoid multiple relationships that could undermine my

professional judgment and hinder my ability to provide objective therapy.

2. I will adhere to all laws which require me to report any actions covered by the mandated

reporter reporting procedures.

3. I will adhere to and report any unethical behavior or conduct within my profession.

4. I will continue to see clients as long as it is reasonably clear that they are still benefiting

from my services.

5. I will step aside and refer to another appropriate clinician if I feel it is in the best interest

of the client, or the client feels this way.

Assessment Techniques

Each client who receives therapy will be given the opportunity to undergo matched

assessments which will assist in better diagnosing the problem. The goal is to better assign the


correct diagnosis by adding validity and reliability based on the cumulative testing that has been

done in creating the assessments. The following is a list of other considerations when using

assessment instruments:

1. The tests will be authorized for use and approved by the APA Standards.

2. I will not use any assessments I am not qualified or trained to use.

3. I will be responsible for the validity and reliability of the assessments I use.

4. I will be responsible for the usefulness and proper application of the assessments.

5. The test results will be explained and made available to the client.

Research with Human Participants

Any research performed on human participants will be considered ethically and morally

appropriate. No research will be done that is not in the best interest of the participants. The

participants will exhibit complete willingness and consent to take part in the research. The

following will also be part of the Informed Consent to Participate form to be signed:

1. Participant will be fully informed of the purpose of the research, as well as the process,

procedures and the duration of the testing.

2. The participants will have a choice in whether to continue to participate or withdraw for

any reason, at any time.

3. The right to data privacy and confidentiality regarding the research.

4. The right to receive compensation for services if negotiated in advance, assuming there is

no belief that financial compensation will have an impact on the results.

Other Personal Standards Not Addressed by APA Standards

I will address my moral convictions in this area. I am a Christian man and this has greatly

impacted my life and world view. Since my personal moral guidance comes from the Bible, there


are certain stances I will have to take to be true to this first set of standards I must follow. With

this said, it would be best if I practice in a setting that will allow me to work within the

parameters of my private logic, although this may not always be possible. I have not had to deal

with it from a therapist’s point of view (having to adhere to other sets of standards), so I can now

only anticipate this happening. In areas where I will have a differing point of view, I will behave

as follows:

1. I will not discriminate on the basis of race, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status,

disability, gender, health status, religion, national origin or sexual orientation.

2. If not able to counsel with a mutual mindset, I will be agreeable to referring the client to

another therapist who may be better suited to help.

3. I will not “preach” to any client during a session. If this is a desired course of action for

the client, I will refer to a church or pastor for further counseling.

4. I will adhere to all other applicable sets of standards to the best of my abilities, keeping in

mind that any conflicts with my moral code will have to be discussed on a case by case

basis.

5. I will always let potential clients know where I come from with respect to my beliefs. At

this point, they can make a decision about whether we are a good match for counseling.

Business Plan

In planning for a business, I have come up with the list of classes that I would like to

offer. I have either taught or been trained in each of these areas so I feel my competency level

would allow me to effectively instruct these classes. Most of the programs will be centered on

teaching men (and eventually women) how to have better relationships with their families by

teaching them tools for handling anger better, as well as showing them how effective


encouragement, attentiveness, quality time and just listening to a child can be in raising a family

and improving a marriage relationship. Here is a list of programs I will be offering in the

business:

24/7 Dad Program – A 12-week program that addresses topics essential to healthy

parenting, using a comprehensive, thorough, national curriculum developed by National

Fatherhood Initiative.

Informational Family Law Clinics - hosted by a facilitator and conducted by a family law

attorney who advises fathers about their concerns regarding divorce, paternity, custody,

child support and related issues.

Anger Management/Domestic Violence Courses - assists men who are struggling to

understand and deal effectively with anger, rage, intimidation and control issues by

teaching alternative methods and practical tools to use in place of anger.

Relationship courses designed to teach anger management skills and techniques by

providing a model based on a combination of Rational Emotive Therapy and the

identification and reframing of mistaken core beliefs. This prevention plan will allow

couples to participate jointly in an established anger management model and to

effectively decrease domestic violence and create a more stabile family atmosphere.

Anger Management/Domestic Violence Aftercare – gives men more time to address

individual issues in recovery.

Support Groups for Fathers - discuss issues related to parenting and partnering in raising

their children.

Anger Management seminar program designed to offer businesses an opportunity to

provide training to their employees on how to work through and avoid workplace anger.


Fathers' Crisis Line - a telephone crisis response program from 8 am to 4:30 pm, five

days a week, to aid in getting help to fathers in crisis.

Faith Based Marriage Counseling – Once I complete my LMFT requirements and

become licensed.

In developing a business plan, part of the planning process is to understand who your

clients are, where your business clientele will be coming from, where to market your services

and who your contacts will be. Below are some marketing strategies to begin compiling a contact

list of potential business developments

Research all targeted counties and potential customers to compile a list of key persons to

whom the business would regularly send written descriptions of programs offered.

Develop a relationship with listed persons and maintain regular contact to ensure that

the business has a feedback loop to identify and adjust to the changing needs of our

customers.

Offer monthly seminars and information sessions to provide an in depth explanation of

what services the business offers.

Develop a marriage/family component to attract Master’s level interns looking for

marriage and family internship hours (which are hard to find). The business will market

this opportunity to the local colleges which, in turn, will provide the business with a

large base of interns to assist in facilitating the above programs.

The business will be able to market program services to the counties as services being

provided in part by competent, knowledgeable, Master’s level students and post

graduate students looking for internship hours.


The business’ criteria for success is to provide assistance (one family at a time) by

educating fathers and parents about their roles and responsibilities in the family, and by teaching

an effective parenting model that promotes a safe, nurturing environment for children and

families. The long range effects will be felt for generations to come and a negative generational

family cycle will have been positively changed.

Evaluation of Program Services

1. Provide a self-reported individual/parent/couples inventory test prior to entering the

program. This will provide information about where the individual’s skill level currently

rates.

2. Provide a self-reported individual/parent/couples inventory test upon completion of the

program. This will provide feedback about where the individual improved in the

targeted skill-building areas.

3. Use feedback received from the customers (Social Workers, Parole Officers, etc.). This

will give the business an opportunity to identify and adjust to the changing needs.

4. Encourage each participant to complete a confidential evaluation form. This will

provide feedback about services offered, materials used, strengths and weaknesses of

the facilitator and the program.

5. Following each course, all information will be gathered and discussed with the

management team. Changes and adjustments would be based on the accumulated

information.

Business Curriculum

For the purposes of this paper, I will limit the curriculum to anger management only. My

goal is to identify ten different subjects (Modules) to be taught in a revolving manner; one topic


per week (except for the video series which takes three weeks). I have spent the last two years at

the treatment center working on these ten areas and feel quite comfortable presenting each of the

topics. The groups are structured so that they are open-ended and a person can join a group at

any time in the process. With a revolving curriculum, each group member will have been taught

each tool two to three times, which helps them retain the information better. The schedule of

each class will be approximately one-half teaching and one-half open forum. It has repeatedly

been mentioned in classes that the open forum format is highly desirable. It gives each person an

opportunity to hear others and also be heard themselves. Members focus on issues they are

currently going through, whether they be anger-based or just another problem or situation for

which they would like the advice of other group members.

The following is a list of the 10 different modules that will be taught as part of the

curriculum:

Module #1 - The Anger Management Scale

The Anger Management Scale will be the beginning exercise for each class. This tool

teaches that there are three main stages in the spectrum of anger. The stages are the Build-up,

Blow-up and Calming stages. The Build-up stage involves recognizing where you are and rating

yourself on a scale of 1 to 10. It also shows the escalation of your anger as it builds up to the

Blow-up stage where the manifestation of anger takes place - past the point of being able to use

reason or restraint. After a period of time, the Calming Stage takes over. This is where the

apologies and promises that the behavior will never happen again (but often do) take place.

The reason this tool is used at the beginning of each class is that it gives the instructor

and the group a sense of where everybody is on the anger scale, and what type of day or week

they had. The Build-up stage is the only part used in this exercise and is based on a self reported


rating from 1 to 10. The group starts by having each member turn their chairs into a circle and

face each other (or sit around the table). Next, each member of the group has the opportunity

(responsibility) to discuss with the other group members how their day went and whether they

had any situations that made them angry. The member then tells the group how they reacted to

the situation and what tools they used. If they did not have a situation that happened that day,

they are encouraged to discuss anything that happened during the week. This gives the member

an opportunity to “lighten the load” or “toot their own horn.” It also allows the other group

members to give feedback or advice on similar situations that they have experienced, or are now

going through themselves. I personally believe that the two essential things each person needs

are to be heard and feel appreciated. This participatory activity accomplishes these two

necessities by first allowing the speaker to be heard by the other group members and, secondly,

by allowing the group members to feel appreciated by sharing their experiences while helping

somebody else through a situation that they struggled with, or excelled in. Finally, after the

opportunity to discuss their week, they rate where they are regarding any anger they may be

feeling, using a scale of 1 to 10.

Feelings of minor frustration, minor irritations or minor arguments with another are rated

as 1 – 3 on the scale. Feelings rated from 4-6 include being annoyed, irritated or upset, and

starting to exhibit negative self talk. The third group of feelings, defined as being 7-10, includes

feeling very agitated, confused and not able to think straight (usually due to an escalation of

negative self talk), worn down or physically ready to blow. The group will typically spend a little

extra time with a member that checks in between 7 – 9, because when they get into this range,

they are dangerously close to the “Blow-up” stage. Each time a new member joins the group it

is important to define how the anger management scale works, what its significance is and how


the group uses it as an integral part of the check-in process each class. This is the one element of

the anger management class that members consider most meaningful and valuable. As indicated

earlier, the reason this activity is so popular is that it gives the group members an opportunity to

be heard and appreciated.

Module #2 - Physical and Emotional Cues, Red Flags and Red Flag Situations

Learning Physical and Emotional Cues, Red Flags and Red Flag Situations is the essence

of anger management. Each member learns what their physical and emotional cues are, what

they feel like, how to recognize them and how they correspond with their anger level. When a

person is able to learn their cues and recognize them when it counts the most, they will be able to

understand where they are in relation to their anger, and then implement their safety plan.

Red flags are words, feelings or emotions which usually trigger a negative response to

what is said or felt. It may be words like stupid, lazy, ugly, fat or other such words. Red flags can

also be associated with emotions and feelings like abandonment, helplessness, jealousy,

frustration or any other feelings or emotions that can trigger anger. Red flags can also be what

many refer to as “hot buttons,” like, “you're just like your mother,” or, “my mother always told

me you were not going to amount to anything.” These words, feelings and emotions hurt

because, in most cases, we have repeatedly heard them before. They are usually meant in a

mean-spirited way, but not always. Another person can just be joking around and trip one of your

red flags. In any case, everyone has them and they need to be addressed in a safety plan.

Red flag situations are similar, although they are more likely to be actions or

circumstances like going to a job you do not like, coming home from work tired, meeting with

the relatives, interacting with somebody you do not care for, seeing your spouse’s “ex” or


coming home to a dirty house and noisy children. Again, everybody has these situations, and it is

best to discuss the situations in advance so you can plan for when they come up unexpectedly.

Module #3 - Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy

Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) was first introduced by Albert Ellis in

1955. It teaches that events alone do not cause a person to react in a certain way but, rather, the

thoughts and feelings that a person entertains during the event will often determine the outcome

of the event. I like using this model because it blends well with Adlerian psychology by drawing

attention to a person's mistaken beliefs and learned behavior, which continue to repeat

themselves in many situations because they are part of a person's private logic. Until negative or

self-defeating thoughts and feelings are challenged and replaced (or reframed) by new thoughts

and feelings, the outcome will usually be similar to most other events.

The REBT model (Table 1 below) is presented in class and I usually give each member

of the group a copy of this table to fill out while going over the model in class. I encourage them

to try this out during the week, as it gives them a working model to help process through the

situations they are working on. I start out by asking a member of the group to volunteer a current

event/situation they are working through. If no one is able to come up with a situation, then road

rage is often chosen as an example because most of the group members can identify this as being

a common problem.

Table 1

Event Thoughts Feelings Actions Consequences

Road rage


After completing the table, members are then asked to discuss what thoughts or self talk

they were experiencing during the event. We list as many thoughts as they can think of. After

completing the list of thoughts, we move to the feelings. Again, we list all the feelings that might

be associated with the thoughts. It is often hard for the men in the group to discuss their feelings

by using words other than “I am angry”, so they are encouraged to use their feelings spreadsheets

which contain many adjectives to describe feelings. This is usually where mistaken beliefs and

self-defeating thoughts and feelings are discovered. Once the thoughts and feelings are listed, we

move to the actions that could result from these thoughts and feelings. Finally, we move on to

the possible consequences of the actions. We will often “catastrophize” the actions and

consequences to better illustrate what could happen if things really get out of control. It seems to

sink in a little better if the worst possible scenarios are mentioned. At this point, I usually like to

add a “spitting in the soup” question by asking, “Which of these consequences is the most

desirable consequence for you, or which of these consequences is your favorite?” I usually get a

chuckle from the class, but the point is made that none of the consequences are desirable.

The next step is to draw a line through the whole bottom of the table and start a second

table based on reframing the first table. The idea is to show, with a little reframing of the event,

that a completely different set of more desirable consequences can be expected. My question to

the group at this point is, “Where does the reframing have to take place?” The answer of course,

is in the thoughts column. As soon as negative thoughts begin to surface, they need to be

challenged and reframed as a more positive thought. This, in turn, will change the feeling, then

the associated action and then the consequence, or desired outcome.

The final thing we do with this model is to circle the first set of feelings. These feelings

can often lead to mistaken beliefs. Combined with the faith-based idea that if a person hides a sin


or keeps skeletons in their closet, they will never be set free from it unless they confess it or open

their closet door for all to see. A common biblical principle suggests that sin has no power over

you if you do not hide the sin but, rather, confess it and ask for someone to regularly challenge

you on it. I use that illustration with the circle of feelings. I explain to them that these feelings

are part of their private logic and are often hidden or suppressed, and that it is my belief that by

opening the door to these feelings and asking for help in understanding these feelings from

others, one can often be released, reframed or “set free from the bondage” of these feelings.

During the presentation of the REBT, I usually discuss The Anger Umbrella. It is based

on the assertion that men really do not know how to express their feelings and, consequently, end

up defining all feelings by calling them anger or a similar word meaning anger (e.g., irate,

annoyed, pissed off). By using the metaphor of an umbrella with the word anger over it, we can

illustrate that there are usually more accurate descriptions of the feelings under the umbrella than

the word anger. Group members are encouraged to use their feelings spreadsheet to better define

their feelings.

Module #4 - The Zero to Six Model

The Zero to Six model (my definition) takes a look at the formulation of a person's

private logic by examining a child's age from birth to six. The purpose of this is to look at what a

child may be going through in the household between birth and age six, and what impact

behaviors, beliefs, family rules and birth order have on the child in starting to form possible

mistaken beliefs that guide a person through their life. The group members often start to

understand right away how their childhood has impacted their lives. Once it is explained to them

that what they learned at that age has had a lot to do with shaping them and directing their path

throughout their life, they have an “Aha” moment. It gives them hope that a change is possible


by examining their mistaken beliefs and reframing them. By understanding as a child, that they

learned a thought process and it has always been a part of them, they begin to understand that the

thought process is still dictating how they respond to any given situation. They learn that when

things happened to them as a child, they responded with limited reasoning skills. Now they can

feel empowered to change the feelings of blame, naughtiness and guilt, or other mistaken beliefs.

They can understand that the situations (or bad memories) may have actually been an adult

misbehaving (responding inappropriately). I believe this is my favorite tool to pass on to others

because it gives them hope that they do not have to deal with anger in the same destructive ways

they always have.

Module #5 - The Most Violent Incident

The Most Violent Incident is a written summation of each group member’s most violent

incident. It is presented to the class and the presenter is asked to list the physical, mental and

emotional cues they experienced during the three anger curve stages of their incident (Build-up,

Blow-up and Calming stages). The presentation also asks for each individual to discuss how their

most violent incident affected the other people involved in the incident and other people

indirectly involved (e.g., spouses, children, family members, coworkers). It also gives each

participant the opportunity to reflect back on the incident and how it might have been totally

avoided if they had been able to analyze the situation and use the tools learned in class. It is

helpful to mention that the exercise is not meant to “re-hash” the incident, but rather to learn

from it with the help of the other group members.

Module #6 - The Genogram

The Genogram is a tool that reviews the family tree of each participant, usually over three

generations. It generally is quite helpful in identifying where anger and abuse came from and


what generational trends (or “generational curses”) there may be. I like to take it a step further

and list the characteristics of the key players throughout the family tree. This process helps to

identify where mistaken beliefs and behavioral tendencies originated from. It also shows the

importance of the role the family plays in shaping a person's private logic.

Module #7 – The House of Abuse

The House of Abuse is a list of many types of abuse shaped as a house with many rooms.

The different types (rooms) of abuse are physical, emotional, child abuse, sexual, male privilege,

religious and so forth. This house signifies the types of abuse a client uses at home on his spouse

and children (or whatever the living arrangement). Each group member receives a master copy

and a blank copy. The master copy has a large list of different examples of abuse; each listed in

their appropriate room and can be used as a reference. The blank copy is for each member to

write all forms of abuse they use in their household. This exercise is usually an eye opener for

most members because it makes them aware of the many different types of abuse and which ones

they will often unknowingly use.

Module #8 – The Safety Plan

The Safety Plan is the most important component when dealing with anger. A well-

thought-out, well-written safety plan that includes recognition of cues, a detailed plan of what the

participant will do if they start becoming angry, a support network complete with names,

numbers, addresses and a place to stay if things spiral out of control quickly, will help a person

to deal with things proactively rather than reactively. The safety plan should detail one’s physical

and emotional cues, how and where in your body you feel them, where you are on the anger

curve when you feel them and, in the case of emotional cues, what the probable reason (use or

purpose) is for the emotion.


The safety plan should go into depth regarding one’s red flag words and sentences and, if

possible, what the irrational thoughts behind them are. If, during the process of working through

the red flag words and sentences, a person is able to reframe the words and replace them with

positive, desirable words, they should also be added right along with the red flag words.

The safety plan should also go into depth regarding the red flag situations, what they are,

where the situations take place, what is the usual time of day and who is involved. Once again, if

a person is able to reframe the situations and replace them with more positive, desirable

situations, they should also be added right along with the red flag situations.

After these topics have been written in the safety plan, the next component is to write a

detailed plan concerning how to avoid becoming angry. The safety plan should have a physical

exercise plan, a stress relaxation plan, a time out plan and a getaway plan. The physical exercise

plan involves working off energy or anxiety in a nondestructive way. This can include going for

a walk or a run, working out with weights, going for a bicycle ride or anything that exerts or

relieves excess energy. The stress relaxation plan may be reading a book, reading the newspaper,

going to movie, going fishing, calling a friend or whatever might help to relieve stress and help

the person think straight.

The final component of an effective safety plan is to have a support network comprised

of family, friends and professional contacts, along with phone numbers and addresses. If a

person has escalated to the point where they do not feel they can handle it alone, it works well to

have all this information in advance so the person can just pick up the phone and call without

having to look up a number. As part of this plan, each person should have a laminated card with

the numbers in their wallet for quick access. It is also important for the person to have a planned

place to stay at the last minute; whether a friend’s house or a hotel room.


Module #9 - The “Anger: Creating New Choices (2002)” Video Series

The “Anger: Creating New Choices (2002)” three-part video series teaches many of the

same things that are taught in this class. The videos spend a lot of time discussing the physical

and emotional cues building up to anger. The series also discusses the following topics: Self

Talk, Core Beliefs, Pictures and the Mind and Skills for Cooling It (listen, reflect what you heard

and assertion). This series also helps by reviewing things that the group has learned, but from a

different facilitator's perspective.

Module #10 - The Final Checkout Week

The Final Checkout Week is when each member is given an opportunity to discuss some

of the important tools they learned in the group and how the tools have helped them deal with

situations since joining the group. They will give feedback to the rest of the group on what they

have learned from other group members, and receive feedback from the rest of the group on what

the newer people learned from this person. The goal is for the group members to offer

encouragement to the person who is graduating from the group, but also to provide an

opportunity for the graduating person (one who has been there) to offer encouragement and hope

to the newer members. It usually ends up being a pretty touching moment for all group members.


Conclusion

I have been teaching these ten modules for almost three years and although the

curriculum has continued to remain relatively static, I have refined my delivery and the content

to meet the needs of the group. Each time I teach, there is a member in the group hearing it for

the second or third time who offers insights which I incorporate the next time I teach. Several of

these tools get taught three or four times during a 25-week course because of the revolving

nature of the group. Each time there is a new member in the group, we go over the basic

fundamental tools like cue identification, the RET model, the anger curve and the red flag

situations.

In moving to the little town of Elbow Lake, Minnesota, I have found that these types of

services are not readily available and I am often told that it is really needed. I am still working

for the treatment center where I served as an intern, but have opened a satellite location in Elbow

Lake, MN. I communicate with my supervisor regularly over the phone and monthly in person.

Once I receive my Master’s degree, I plan to go into business for myself and will use this paper

as a guideline for how I set up the business.

I thoroughly enjoy doing this type of work and hope to become much more involved in

doing other types of groups as well. There are so many people in need of instruction on basic life

skills like relationships, parenting and anger management. The beauty of a group setting is that it

networks group members with other like-minded members, gives them a forum to vent or ask for

help and offers them an opportunity to be heard, encouraged and appreciated – the three

necessities I feel each human seeks; whether it be by useful methods or nutty nonsense.


References

Alcoholics Anonymous (1955). The story of how many thousands of men and women have

recovered from alcoholism (second edition). New York, NY. Alcoholics Anonymous

Publishing, Inc.

Ansbacher, H. & Ansbacher, R. (1956). The individual psychology of alfred adler. New York,

NY. Harper & Row Publishers.

Beard, J. & Solomon, M. (2002) Anger: creating new choices. Carpinteria, CA. FMS

Productions.

Duluth model research (2003). Recent research: countering confusion about the Duluth model.

Retrieved from the Web September 29, 2007. http://www.duluth-

model.org/recentresearch.htm.

Sperry, L. & Carlson, J. (1996). Psychopathology & psychotherapy 2nd

edition. Philadelphia, PA.

Accelerated Development.

V. G. Beers & R. A. Beers (Eds.). (1996). Touchpoint Bible (New Living Bible)

Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.

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