Iraqi War Veterans Need Anger Management

I want to draw to the attention of every member of the American Association of American Anger Management Providers, as well as those who seek anger management facilitator certification, to an issue of high importance. The problem of inappropriate anger pervades American society; however, there is a special group of people I believe that anger management providers nationwide should pay special attention to—the returning Iraqi war veterans. The Department of Veterans Affairs has published the Iraqi War Clinician’s Guide. This guide is available on the internet. I recommend that every anger management provider read chapter 10 entitled-Assessment and Treatment of Anger in combat-related PTSD.

The treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is within the domain of licensed mental health professionals. However, as first responders in anger management, collaborating with theses professionals is within the scope of the practice of Certified Anger Management Facilitators. This fact was further revealed in the clinician guide I referred to earlier. The guide described recommended interventions that may be appropriate for managing anger problems in the Iraqi War veteran.

It was no surprise that the two fundamental pillars of interventions recommended were stress management and communication skills. These pillars are also part of the foundation of the globally accepted Anderson and Anderson model, which maintains that effective anger management involves teaching not only anger management, but also communication skills, emotional intelligence and stress management. All providers who are trained in the world renowned Anderson and Anderson model are therefore uniquely positioned to be of service to their country in assisting their fellow citizens (former soldiers).

As President of the American Association of Anger Management Providers, I urge all providers to recognize that your training places you among the most highly trained individuals globally in anger management. Therefore, for those of you who live in states where there are high concentrations of Iraqi veterans, I encourage you to increase your visibility and collaborate with licensed mental health clinicians in your community to provide a much needed service to the Veterans of this war. Provide the message that those trained in the Anderson and Anderson model are uniquely positioned to collaborate with licensed mental health professionals to intervene on the behalf of those who have fought for our country.

For those who need training in the globally acclaimed Anderson and Anderson model, training is often held in California. However, George Anderson-the internationally recognized guru on anger management-will be at Jackson State University on June 20, 2007 to provide anger management certification training. Visit www.andersonservices.com to register, or call 310-207-3591.

Carlos Todd, LPC, NCC, CAMF
President of the American Association of Anger Management Providers
www.angerhurts.com
www.andersonservices.com
www.aaamp.org