Effective anger management tools for working with men

Anger is a normal healthy emotion, neither good nor bad, although in today’s society anger often appears to be negative because of the unhealthy ways it is expressed. When anger takes centre stage, the danger is that people could lose the full spectrum of their emotions like the ability to express sadness, fear and love.

Traditional masculinity has set certain benchmarks for what it means to be a man, failing to live up to this 'male code' can damage chances of belonging. These messages have been taught from birth with phrases such as "be strong", "be tough", "big boys don't cry", "you’re the man of the house", "be a real man" and "be a brave little soldier". Most boys have had to learn how to survive by joining in with the game. This has often left men with a huge burden to prove that they are fit to belong to this dominant form of masculinity and to prevent any sense of 'weakness'. Anger is seen as a strong emotion and is often the only ‘safe’ emotion men are able to express.

The workshop will include:

• Developing a greater understanding of the full spectrum of anger expression.
• The five states of anger.
• Learning the key roots of anger and rage.
• Discussing the strong link between shame and rage in men.
• Practical therapeutic tools in working effectively with men.