The Anger Workbook for Teens: Activities to Help You Deal with Anger and Frustration

by Raychelle Cassada Lohmann PhD, LPC, Julia V. Taylor PhD (Foreword by)

Overview

The ultimate guide for teen anger management—written by a teen mental health expert, trusted by parents, and recommended by therapists.

Does your anger get you into trouble? Do you react to situations and later regret how you behaved? Does your anger cause problems at school or with friends? If so, you aren’t alone. Between family life, academic pressures, and social drama, there’s no doubt that it’s stressful being a teenager. And while anger is a natural human emotion, different people handle it differently. Some hold it in and let it build, some lash out with hurtful words, and others resort to physical fighting. If unhealthy anger is getting in the way of your life, it’s time to make a change.

This fully revised and updated second edition of The Anger Workbook for Teens includes new skills and activities grounded in evidence-based treatments such as acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) to help you deal with negative thoughts without losing control.

You’ll learn:

• What’s triggering your anger
• Why you react the way you do
• How to be more aware of your thoughts and how you interact with them
• Skills and techniques for managing anger without losing your cool

 

You’ll also develop a personal anger profile, learn to notice the physical symptoms you feel when anger takes hold, and then calm those feelings and respond more sensitively to others. Once you fully understand your anger, you’ll be better prepared to deal with your feelings in the moment. And with practice, you’ll discover that you can handle frustrating situations and still keep your cool!

Change isn’t easy, but with the right frame of mind and set of skills, you can do it. This book will help you understand how both your mind and body respond to anger, and how you can handle this anger in more constructive ways.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781684032457
Publisher:	New Harbinger Publications
Publication date:	05/01/2019
Series:	Instant Help Solutions Series
Edition description:	Second Edition, Revised
Pages:	184
Sales rank:	388,880
Product dimensions:	7.90(w) x 9.90(h) x 0.60(d)
Age Range:	13 - 17 Years

About the Author

Raychelle Cassada Lohmann, PhD, LPC, is a national board-certified and licensed counselor. Raychelle has worked as a clinician and a school counselor at middle and high school levels, and has helped hundreds of teens deal with feelings of frustration and anger. She has participated in and conducted extensive research on anger and aggression, and specializes in individual and group counseling for anger management. She is author of The Anger Workbook for Teens, and coauthor of The Bullying Workbook for Teens and The Sexual Trauma Workbook for Teen Girls. She also writes the Psychology Today blog Teen Angst, and is a regular parenting contributor for U.S. News & World Report.

Julia V. Taylor, PhD, is author of Salvaging Sisterhood, G.I.R.L.S.(Girls in Real Life Situations), and Perfectly You; and coauthor of The Bullying Workbook for Teens. Julia has worked as a middle and high school counselor and has a passion for empowering girls to stand up to unrealistic media expectations, take healthy risks, and cultivate meaningful relationships. Visit her online at www.juliavtaylor.com.

Table of Contents

Foreword vii

Introduction 1

Part 1 Identifying and Understanding Anger

Activity 1 What Is Anger? 4

Activity 2 Anger Myth Busters 8

Activity 3 Your Anger Profile 12

Activity 4 Keeping an Anger Log 16

Activity 5 Understanding Family Patterns 20

Activity 6 Your Body's Response to Anger 24

Activity 7 Gauging Anger 28

Activity 8 Identifying Your Anger Triggers 33

Part 2 Anger Dynamics

Activity 9 Fight Flight, or Freeze 38

Activity 10 Emotions and Feelings 42

Activity 11 Master of Disguise 47

Activity 12 Observing Thoughts 50

Activity 13 Thought Distortions 53

Activity 14 The ABC Model of Anger 57

Activity 15 Stages of Anger 61

Activity 16 Weighing the Options 65

Part 3 Communication Skills

Activity 17 Same Thing, Different View 70

Activity 18 More Than Words 74

Activity 19 Good Listening 78

Activity 20 Words Matter 82

Activity 21 Filtering Responses 87

Activity 22 Social Media and Anger 91

Activity 23 Criticism and Compliments 95

Activity 24 Being Assertive 98

Part 4 Handling Anger

Activity 25 Keeping Perspective 104

Activity 26 Getting the Facts 108

Activity 27 Coping with Conflict 111

Activity 28 Handling Anger Constructively 115

Activity 29 Taking Responsibility for Your Actions 119

Activity 30 Distancing Yourself from Anger 123

Activity 31 Using Anger for Positive Results 127

Part 5 Coping Mechanisms

Activity 32 What Matters Most 132

Activity 33 Relaxation Techniques 135

Activity 34 Mindful Escape 139

Activity 35 Releasing Anger Symbolically 142

Activity 36 Anger Outlets 145

Activity 37 Anger and Exercise 148

Activity 38 Expressing Anger Creatively 151

Activity 39 Laughing with Anger 157

Activity 40 Freestyle Writing 160

Part 6 Closure

Activity 41 See How Far You Have Come 164

Activity 42 Anger Certificate 167

Interviews

Lohmann resides in Cary, NC; Taylor resides in Charlottesville, VA.

Editorial Reviews

Healthy relational connection is what brings joy and satisfaction to living. Very often we allow being ‘emotionally upset’ to rob us of the opportunity to recover relational connection. Anger is a human emotion that if left unchecked, unaddressed, and unprocessed can bring relational hardship and very little relational satisfaction. The Anger Workbook for Teens provides an effective tool to deal with anger and frustration. It’s extremely practical and leads to developing new habits and capacity to process the very human emotion of anger. Let Raychelle Lohmann guide you to identify triggers, stay calm in the moment, and express your feelings.”
—John Steigerwald, pastor, and executive director of the North Carolina Boys Academy

John Steigerwald

A super teen-friendly and highly effective guide for teens that is packed with quick-and-easy activities for teens to calm down and problem-solve when anger and other overwhelming emotions come their way. I highly recommend this essential book to every teen, parents of teens, and school systems.”
—Jeffrey Bernstein, PhD, child, teen, and family psychologist; and author of 10 Days to a Less Defiant Child, Mindfulness for Teen Worry, and the Letting Go of Anger Card Deck

Jeffrey Bernstein

This second edition of The Anger Workbook for Teens offers creative, interactive, and practical activities for all teens to work through their vast range of emotions. Each activity invites the reader to reflect on their experiences and who they are as they navigate this critical developmental stage of life. The workbook provides a supportive outlet for teenagers, and even highlights realistic and ‘doable’ coping strategies and skills for teenagers to incorporate into their daily life. I would highly recommend any teenager, parent, counselor, administrator, and anyone who cares about teenagers to consider reviewing the book and working through the activities.”
—Angie Smith, PhD, LPC-S, LPC, NCC, associate teaching professor and coordinator of college counseling programs at North Carolina State University, and coauthor of Developing Online Learning in the Helping Professions

Angie Smith

This workbook is a true gift for teens who are frustrated and want to express their feelings in healthier, more positive ways. Lohmann’s exercises increase self-awareness and build confidence to communicate better and handle anger constructively.”
—Marilyn Price-Mitchell, PhD, developmental psychologist and author of Tomorrow’s Change Makers

Marilyn Price-Mitchell

Schools teach advanced calculus and physics, yet mostly pass over teaching the skills essential for emotionally healthy living. Alas, snide, angry retorts can wreck relationships with friends and colleagues. Explosive anger outbursts can undo loving couple and family relationships.

To build a firm emotional intelligence foundation for launching into adulthood—maybe even before entering high school—filling out the fun exercises in The Anger Workbook for Teens should become a required rite of passage. An engaging read, with interactive exercises that ensure real learning.”
—Susan Heitler, PhD, clinical psychologist, blogger on www.psychologytoday.com, and author of the self-help book Prescriptions Without Pills

Susan Heitler

The Anger Workbook for Teens is a great resource that uses developmentally appropriate interventions teens can follow, and practical yet sensible tools to promote impactful change. I highly recommend this workbook for teens looking for a way to manage their anger and communicate more effectively. This workbook is an essential resource for counselors, parents, and teachers.”
—Natalie F. Spencer, PhD, LPC, NCC, assistant professor at North Carolina A&T State University, and author of Mindful Practices for Helping Troubled Teens

Natalie F. Spencer

Anger may be our most misunderstood feeling. Anger is ‘too muchness’—too much stress, too many stimuli, too-intense feelings. Raychelle Lohmann has written a wonderful book on anger. She does a terrific job of showing how anger is an important, legitimate feeling and signal. But she does more. Her accessible, user-friendly workbook allows readers to consider the behaviors and actions related to anger, and to enhance their self-reflective capacities and interpersonal skills. This book is a treasure.”
—Paul C. Holinger, MD, MPH, professor in the department of psychiatry at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, IL; and faculty and former dean at Chicago Psychoanalytic Institute

Paul C. Holinger