Julie A. Christiansen is a leading authority on anger and emotional mastery. She is known as "The Anger Lady" and founded the Anger Solutions Program, the best evidence-based alternative to anger management. She is the author of The Rise of Rage (2024), and the host of the Free domology podcast.
Traditional anger management programs have long been the go-to solution for individuals struggling with anger issues. However, while these methods focus on controlling behavior, they often fail to address the root causes of anger. Enter Anger Solutions™, a revolutionary approach that moves beyond management to complete emotional resolution.
Question
I am often asked, “What exactly is the difference between the Anger Solutions™ program and traditional anger management programs? I need solid facts to clearly identify why Anger Solutions™ is more effective in many areas and what it offers that anger management programs do not.”
Answer
Traditional anger management is like the Model A or Model T Ford. These vehicles were state-of-the-art, cutting-edge technology when they were first introduced. Imagine a horseless wagon that could get you to your destination in record time! But as knowledge about cars, gas-powered engines, tires, and road construction expanded, technology improved. Suddenly, you had the Eleanor Fastback or the Shelby Mustang. The new technology simply couldn’t be compared to the original.
Anger Solutions is to anger management what the Shelby Mustang is to the Model A. There are several reasons why Anger Solutions™ differs from traditional anger management programs.
Seven key factors behind the program’s uniqueness and success
1. Control vs. resolution
The first and most important distinction is terminology, as it reflects the underlying philosophy of Anger Solutions. The term anger management implies that the primary goal is for people to learn how to control their anger. Breaking this down further, traditional anger management programs focus on teaching people to control behavior. The inherent problem with this approach is that anger management does not address the root cause of those behaviors, the problems that provoked anger in the first place.
Anger Solutions is about resolving the emotion of anger by addressing the issues that trigger it. Because we confront the underlying problems and the beliefs that shape people's behaviors, we give them the tools they need to change their old responses into new ones that are more effective. In effect, we do not need to teach them how to control their behavior because we have taught them something much more valuable, how to respond to their emotions safely and appropriately. Behavioral change then becomes a natural consequence of the emotional work.
2. Multi-modal approach allows for flexibility
The second distinction between the Anger Solutions program and traditional anger management programs is its approach. Rather than sticking to one model (usually cognitive behavior therapy), our program takes the best of several therapeutic models and customizes them to suit our clients' needs. We incorporate the CBT approach along with Reality Therapy, Solution-Focused Therapy, traditional behavior therapy (when appropriate), art and music therapy tools, DBT and mindfulness tools, and the psychosocial rehabilitation model for life skills training. Together, these elements create something far more powerful than relying on a single method.
You know the old saying, “If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail” (Abraham Maslow). Anger Solutions represents a complete toolkit rather than just a hammer.
3. Application of modern science
Dr. Paul Ekman,¹ a renowned researcher in emotions and emotional expression, supports the theory that anger is a primary or basic emotion, one that is universally experienced and recognized through facial expressions. According to proponents of Basic Emotions Theory, anger can emerge as early as the end of an infant’s first year when they begin to understand cause and effect in their behavior. At this stage, babies recognize when their efforts to achieve a goal are blocked or frustrated, leading them to experience and express anger.
One aspect not explored enough in traditional anger management is that anger is often beneficial. It is an emotion that signals when something is not right in our lives and provokes us to make a change. In fact, there are four key reasons why people feel angry²: their rules are broken, their boundaries are violated, their needs or expectations are unmet, or their attempts to achieve a goal have been thwarted. The problem is that we have never been taught how to effectively acknowledge and express this emotion, so we experiment with different responses until we find one that moves us into a more pleasurable state than the one we were in before.
4. Documented evidence
The fourth distinction between traditional anger management and Anger Solutions™ is our success rate. We have documented the long-term success of parents who participated in the program when their children were infants, and those children are now grown and living independently. We have case studies of individuals with brain injuries, clients with long criminal histories who experienced radical transformation, and other cases demonstrating the program's efficacy in addressing treatment resistance, recidivism, and relapse.
Consider how many repeat offenders took anger management while incarcerated, then examine how long it took for them to re-offend upon release. Chances are, several probation and parole clients have taken traditional anger management programs at least twice. If these programs work so well, why are they re-offending, and with similar types of offenses? Conversely, if you ask participating community corrections agencies that have been using Anger Solutions™ as part of their core programming for nearly a decade, they will tell you they continue to use it because lasting change leads to a stark reduction in recidivist behavior.
5. Leverage
One of the keys to making this program work is the leveraging we do with clients to ensure they are internally motivated to change their responses to anger. This helps reduce the attrition rate (dropouts as the program progresses) and fosters a stronger sense of buy-in, which in turn leads to greater success.
Leveraging begins at intake with the questions we ask and the way those questions are framed. It continues throughout the program, encouraging clients to take ownership of their choices and build intrinsic motivation to do the hard work of transformation.
6. The main thing stays the main thing
Another key difference between Anger Solutions and traditional anger management is focus. In Anger Solutions™ groups, there is no time allocated for people to talk about "the things that 'make' them angry", because, in the end, it really doesn't matter. One of the first things we teach is that people and things don’t make us angry. If that were the case, we would be mere puppets, completely at the mercy of external stimuli. Rather, anger exists within us, and certain problems evoke that response. This perspective offers a different way of thinking about anger. Shifting the focus away from external stimuli to a process for emotional mastery is a game-changer.
7. Forgiveness and acceptance
Lastly, the forgiveness component, as many of our certified Facilitators and Trainers can testify, is a powerful and essential piece that helps people let go of the hurts they bring with them to the group, allowing them to move forward. Once people learn to truly forgive, the anger tied to past hurts dissipates and no longer influences today's choices. This one component alone is a major contributor to the long-term success of our Anger Solutions™ participants.
There you have it, seven distinctions between traditional Anger Management programs and the Anger Solutions™ model. For more information about Anger Solutions™ programs and training for mental health workers and therapists, please visit our website, and connect with Julie Christiansen through the contact form.
Read more from Julie A. Christiansen
Julie A. Christiansen, Speaker, Author, Registered Psychotherapist, Coach
Julie Christiansen has an extensive background in mental health counselling, public speaking that spans almost 30 years. She has authored fifteen books including The Rise of Rage. Julie's personal mission is to leverage people and organizations into radical, positive, lasting change. She fulfills this purpose with passion as a keynote speaker, podcaster, psychotherapist, and executive coach.
References:
Ekman, P. (1999). Basic emotions. In T. Dalgleish & M. J. Power (Eds.), Handbook of cognition and emotion (pp. 45–60). John Wiley & Sons Ltd.
Christiansen, J. (2024). The Rise of Rage: Harnessing the Most Misunderstood Emotion. Minneapolis: Broadleaf Books.
