Raymond Chip Tafrate

Anger Control in Men: Barb Exposure with Rational, Irrational, and Irrelevant Self-Statements

Anger can be frequent, intense and enduring, and is associated with intrapersonal and interpersonal distress as well as medical disorders. It is, therefore, important that effective treatments be developed. Based on the rational-emotive behavior therapy hypothesis that situational anger experiences are related to irrational thinking, we evaluated the therapeutic effects of practice with rational self-statements. Angry adult men (n = 45) from the community received 12 individual treatment sessions which consisted of repeated exposure to anger-provoking verbal barbs while they rehearsed rational, irrational or irrelevant self-statements. Results were generally supportive of the rational-emotive based intervention. In response to imaginal and face-to-face provocations, men who practiced rational self-statements were less angry on measures of state anger, anger-out, dynamometer intensity, and dynamometer frequency. Reactions to the barb technique were good, as indicated by a positive therapeutic alliance. Further exploration of this technique as part of a full spectrum treatment strategy for anger is recommended.

Exposure-based treatment for anger problems: Focus on the feeling

Excessive anger can foster health problems and damage relationships. Traditional methods for treating individuals with anger-related problems have employed skills training and relaxation methods. This paper proposes that anger and anxiety share many clinical features, and that intervention models that have been effectively employed in the treatment of anxiety disorders can also be used safely in the treatment of anger-related difficulties. Specifically, exposure and response prevention can be effectively integrated with other cognitive behavioral approaches in the treatment of anger problems. Procedures for conducting these treatments are described. Examples are drawn from clinical work with New York City traffic agents, dysfunctional couples, aggressive children, and outpatients self-referred for anger problems.

Conceptualization and Measurement of Criminal Thinking: Initial Validation of the Criminogenic Thinking Profile

This article describes two studies concerning the development of a new measure of criminal thinking, the CriminogenicThinking Profile (CTP), influenced by the construct of psychopathy, and traditional models of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). An experimental item pool based on verbalizations from offenders served as the pilot version of the instrument. Principal components analysis of the items resulted in a 62-item, eight-factor scale that was internally consistent. In terms of content, six of the resulting factors were conceptually related to psychopathy, one to CBT, and one to neutralization theory. The factor structure and internal reliability was supported by a subsequent confirmatory factor analysis. Initial support for the CTP’s convergent validity was indicated by its positive correlations with psychopathy and personality disorders associated with criminal, aggressive, and impulsive behaviors. The CTP’s divergent validity was supported by its inverse correlations with indices of healthy personality functioning. The CTP offers a somewhat different constellation of thinking patterns than those found on previously published criminal thinking instruments. The utility of the CTP to identify relevant cognitive targets for offender treatment is a recommended area of future research.

The diagnosis and treatment of anger in a cross-cultural context

This article proposes that while violent behavior has received much attention, the emotion of anger that may underlay violence, has relatively been ignored in the psychological literature. The status of anger in the psychological and medical literatures is reviewed. A criteria for a proposal of anger disorder for inclusion in DSM are presented. Psychotherapy outcome studies of anger are briefly reviewed. It is proposed that the primary problem in psychotherapy of anger is a failure to reach a therapeutic alliance with clients in order to change their anger. Suggestions for reaching a therapeutic alliance with angry clients and attaining agreement on the explicit goal of changing their anger are presented. Script theories of emotions are presented as an important tool for understanding the therapeutic alliance in different cultural groups. The creation of new scripts that are acceptable to the patients cultural group is presented as one strategy to formulate the therapeutic alliance.

Forensic CBT: A Handbook for Clinical Practice

Forensic CBT: A Handbook for Clinical Practice is an edited collection that represents the first authoritative resource on the utilization of CBT strategies and techniques for offender clients. • Features contributions from leaders of the major schools of CBT on the treatment of antisocial personality patterns as well as anger, interpersonal violence, substance abuse, and sexual aggression • Addresses modified CBT approaches for female, juvenile, and culturally diverse forensic populations • Covers emerging areas of forensic practices, including the integration of motivational interviewing and strength-based approaches • Includes an assortment of worksheets, handouts, and exercises for practitioners to use with their clients