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Cognitive Therapy for Clinically Dysfunctional Anger: A Case Study

University of Southern Mississippi, Hattiesburg

This case study describes application of the cognitive therapy (CT) approach developed by Aaron T. Beck and colleagues to a young woman with clinically dysfunctional anger. Most anger management treatments are delivered in a highly structured, prescriptive, and didactic manner in which the therapist presents skills in a scripted sequence. CT's emphasis on collaborative empiricism and guided discovery provides an alternative approach to treating angry patients. Although group CT has received empirical support for the treatment of angry college students, little is known about the application of individualized CT to the treatment of problematic anger among community adults. A cognitive-behavioral conceptualization of maladaptive anger is provided, along with a discussion of assessment procedures, the course of treatment, and recommendations to clinicians.

Key Words: anger • cognitive therapy

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Clinical Case Studies, Vol. 6, No. 6, 493-507 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1534650107298707


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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Dahlen, E. R. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?