Anger Management Gains Acceptance from Psychiatrists

During the first quarter of 2007 an unanticipated shift has become apparent relative to anger management referrals nationwide. Psychiatrists and Psychoanalysts are beginning to refer patients to anger management providers in significant numbers for assessments, as well as executive coaching/anger management classes. This trend is occurring in California (www.andersonservices.com), Texas (www.ami-tx.com), Colorado (www.angerxchange.com), Alabama (www.fsc-hsv.org ), and North Carolina (http://www.angerhurts.com).

One Forensic Psychiatrist, Dr. Aubrey King, M.D. (www.centerbest.net), attended the Anderson & Anderson Facilitator Certification Training on March 16th—March 18th in Phoenix. Dr. Natalia Ivancchenko, M.D., a General Psychiatrist, flew 21 hours from Kazakhstan for this training. A Forensic Psychologist has signed up for our Los Angeles training scheduled for March 29th, 30th, and 31st. Medical Boards throughout the nation as well as Hospital Chains have accepted the Anderson & Anderson model of executive coaching/anger management for “disruptive physicians” and nurses. A major Hospital Chain has selected us to provide executive coaching for its physicians in 63 hospitals.

This dramatic shift is evidence of the growing public and professional acknowledgement of the fact that anger management is not a mental health intervention. There is nothing in the training of Psychiatrists, Psychoanalysts, Psychologists or Clinical Social Workers to equip them to assess and provide classes for people who have anger control problems, but not nervous, nor psychiatric, disorders. The American Psychiatric Association has determined that anger is a normal human emotion rather than a pathological condition.

During the first quarter of 2007, the Brentwood office of Anderson & Anderson has received referrals of persons suffering from mental disorders which include unhealthy anger as a prominent symptom. A sample of these psychiatric disorders includes the following:
• Bipolar disorder
• Major depression
• Obsessive compulsive disorder
• Substance abuse disorder

The referring physicians for these patients are all continuing to treat them with a combination of psychotherapy, psychotropic medication and or psychoanalysis.

Since anger management is neither classified as counseling nor psychotherapy, this developmental training skill does not in any way interfere with psychiatric or mental health treatment. Anger management is an educational intervention designed to teach skills in recognizing and managing anger and stress as well as increasing competency in assertive communication and emotional intelligence.

George Anderson, MSW, BCD, CEAP, CAMF
Diplomate, American Association of Anger Management Providers
Fellow, American Orthopsychiatric Association

www.andersonservices.com
www.anger-management-resources.org
www.aaamp.org