Anger Management Workshop Series
Part V: Interpersonal Training

Jennifer F. Taylor, Ph. D. & Shannon Tran, Ph. D.
Counseling & Psychological Services, Humboldt State University

1. Check-in (20 minutes)
2. Summary of Workshop Series (5-10 minutes)
   • For the past four weeks we've been talking about how to better understand anger and this has included: paying attention to your thoughts, your feelings, and your physiological responses.
   • We have also discussed how to manage your anger through the use of various techniques such as deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, and stress inoculation-to name a few.
   • Tonight we want to present alternative ways of expressing yourself. These methods allow you to activate the information and skills you've learned about anger, and apply them to your interpersonal relationships.
3. Types of Interpersonal Styles (15 minutes)
   • Non-Assertive
   • Assertive
   • Aggressive
   • Distribute Interpersonal Styles handout. Discuss each style (refer to handout) and brainstorm times when each style is appropriate. Ask participants to think of situations where one style may be more preferable than another particularly when anger is involved.
4. Role Play (10-15 minutes)
   1. Ask participants to role-play the following scenario to illustrate the types of interpersonal styles.
   2. Scenario: Another student accuses you of cheating on an exam. You have been asked to meet with the professor and the other student in the professor's office. You run into the other student an hour before the meeting.
   3. Depending on group size, have participants break up in small groups of three to role-play each character (see The Assertive Option Exercise handout).
   4. BREAK (5 minutes)
5. Conflict Resolution Models (25 minutes)
   • Review LADDER and DESC (see Assertive Skills hand out)
   • Tips for Resolving Conflict:
   • Review and discuss Tips for Resolving Conflict handout.
   • Tips for Diffusing Anger:
   • Review and discuss Tips for Diffusing Anger handout.
6. Summary and Thank You
   1. Summarize anger as an Emotional, Physiological and Cognitive set of processes. Remind participants they've learned a lot of information during the last few weeks and, as with any new skill, it may take some time and concerted practice before seeing results.
   2. Thank participants for attending the workshop series and offer consultation services (if appropriate).
7. Evaluation (10-15 minutes)

Jennifer F. Taylor & Shannon Tran are psychologists at Humboldt State University's Counseling & Psychological Services

Copyright © 2000 Jennifer F. Taylor & Shannon Tran. Permission is granted to copy and use this material for educational and non-profit purposes only. This copyright statement and acknowledgement of authorship should remain intact on materials you copy from this website.