Workbooks

• Workbooks provide education and a basis for discussion about anger.Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  Guided workbook exercises and subsequent discussions can assist the group in learning about anger. Improving emotional intelligence through written work can help the group identify triggers for anger, understand how core beliefs influence angry reactions and learn more effective coping skills for anger. Doing these activities in a group setting allows group members to assist others in identifying hard-to-discuss triggers or share coping mechanisms that have worked for them. Get Your Angries Out (see Resources) is a website offering free materials for therapists, parents, families, adults and children to learn about and deal with anger.
  
  

Role Plays

• Role plays can be a powerful observation and learning tool.Thinkstock Images/Comstock/Getty Images
  
  Many people are unaware of their tone and harsh words during an angry altercation. During a group meeting, set up scenarios that provoke anger in your participants. These can be scenarios you develop, scenarios from an anger management workbook or scenarios developed with your participants during an open discussion period.
  
  Have several participants act out the scenarios, first responding in an angry fashion. This will allow others to see how anger looks, hear the words and tone, and see the reactions of others. Have the participants point out the anger triggers, words and reactions, as well as identify ways to improve the situation. Life Skills for Vocational Success (see Resources) offers a free social skills curriculum with anger management role plays.
  
  

Guided Imagery

• Guided imagery can help prepare your group for learning about their emotions.Thomas Northcut/Photodisc/Getty Images
  
  The mind is a powerful tool in anger management treatment. Guided imagery is a technique used to reduce stress and prevent angry thoughts. Group guided imagery exercises can be used at the beginning of each session to create a calm atmosphere for learning, then repeated at the end of the session to aid in calmness when leaving for home.
  
  Have your participants sit in a circle; dim the lights and have them close their eyes. Have each participant write a short, descriptive paragraph about a calm or happy situation for her and choose one to read for each session. Ask each participant to rate her anger on a scale of 1 to 5 before and after the exercise, and after it's over, discuss how it helped them.
  
  

Retrreats

• A day trip can help people see things in a different light.Ryan McVay/Lifesize/Getty Images
  
  Arrange a day trip for your anger management group. Getting out of the everyday element and experiencing new things can help people get in touch with core feelings and issues. The retreat should include team-building exercises, personal reflection time and a meeting to discuss how people are feeling and dealing with emotions, as well as how the experience is helping or hindering feelings of anger.
  
  Team building exercises can include a scavenger hunt, tug of war or trust exercises using a blindfold or trust fall. Participants can keep a journal of the experience to discuss at the next group if not enough time is available for a discussion during the retreat.