- Anger processing in child and teen brains
- The fight-flight-freeze & anger response
- Neuroscience of the body-mind anger cycle
- Threat response and lack of emotional safety
Connection between Anger and Learning Differences, ADHD, ODD, Anxiety, Depression, Trauma, and More
- Connections between learning differences, ADHD & ODD
- Mechanisms of anxiety underlying anger
- The link of depression to anger
- Role of trauma in suppressed and expressed anger
- OCD and anger
- Addictions and anger
Create Emotional Safety and Approach Sensitive Subjects
- Anger, fear, guilt, resentment, and shame
- Underlying thoughts and emotions
- Behaviors at school, peer struggles, body image concerns, and family stressors
- How empathy uncovers and diffuses anger
Myths About Anger and the Mistakes That Come with Them
- The "measure up myth" and other societal pressures
- Why oppositional children and teens want to be equal to adults
- How perceived violations of fairness become embedded in rigid distortions
- How positive emotions are incompatible with forming and holding on to anger
- Self-reflection activity
Anger Triggers: Help Kids Identify Them
- Throwing spaghetti, what sticks?
- Drawing out the short and long fuse
- The "anger triggers pizza"
- Anger logs and thermometers with children
- Tough situations: Transitioning off video games
- Homework, siblings, hearing "no" from parents
Mindfulness & Relaxation Techniques: Let Go of Anger in the Moment
- Reset anger with belly breathing
- Guided imagery
- Squeezing the lemon and other progressive muscle relaxation techniques
- Body scan strategies to promote awareness
- "Silly strides" walking for younger children
- CBT exercises to help the brain identify, challenge & reduce negative self-talk
- Easy-to-grasp cognitive restricting language
- "Talk" and "non-talk" kids — how to get each type to buy into sharing angry thoughts
- Finding acceptance and letting go of "whatever"
- Distraction, the pink giraffe, and other disengagement strategies
Positive Psychology Approaches to Managing Anger
- Seeing strengths
- Opening up to optimism
- Grabbing some gratitude
- Finding flow
- Gathering hidden grit and gaining it for the future
- Creating an anger success catch book
Empower Kids to Problem Solve: Assertiveness, Communication and Conflict Resolution Skill Building
- Putting "whatever" to work
- Overcoming the "I Don't Knows"
- Mindful listening, speaking, and messaging
- Protect kids from social media
- Defuse anger with humor
Coaching Parents & Caregivers to Become Collaborative
- Looking out for negative labels
- The Pace Car, Chunky Soup, and other metaphors
- Why understanding struggling children and teens is just as important as respecting and loving them
- The "Struggle With" Vs "Choose Not" dilemma of impulse control
- Self-reflection exercise for participants to use with parents
Strategies for Online Anger Counseling
- Belly breathing in the house
- Expanding counseling role to teacher, puppeteer, entertainer, and comic
- Using therapeutic card decks and online whiteboards for collaboration
- What's in the background?
- Apps, videos, and workbooks to promote home-based anger management
Case Conceptualization and Treatment Planning
- Case study reviews
- Establish short-term and long-term goals to measure success
- Strategies for working with groups
- Self-harm and other harm considerations
- Risks and limitations of anger management approaches for children and teens