Cognitive-behavioral conceptualization and treatment of anger

This article outlines several therapeutic issues in working with angry clients and provides a conceptual framework for understanding, assessing, and treating them. Cognitive-behavioral interventions addressing different elements of the problematic anger are then described. However, it was emphasized that careful attention must be paid to unique client characteristics, to their stage of readiness for change, and to the therapeutic relationship and alliance if therapeutic impasses are to be minimized and successful application of cognitive-behavioral strategies is to be maximized. These issues and strategies are clarified in the specifics of two difficult cases.