Cognitive Therapy for Clinically Dysfunctional Anger: A Case Study

Abstract

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.