Anger Issues Counseling
As necessary as coping skills are to dealing with anger (taking deep breaths, visualization, counting to 10, etc.), our approach to anger management is more trauma-centered. We believe most anger stems from adverse experiences in life, such as grief and loss.
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Through guided processing of trauma in a safe space, we work with our clients to identify and resolve the underlying issues which are motivating their anger. We have found that good trauma work often accompanies a reduction in anger, resulting in less need for anger "management."
Novaco Anger Scale
Answer the following questions using the number guide below write:
0 if you would feel little or no annoyance
1 if you would feel a little irritated
2 if you would feel moderately upset
3 if you feel quite angry
4 if you would feel very angry
_____1. You unpack an appliance that you just bought, plug it in and discover that it doesn’t work
_____2. Being overcharged by a repairman who helped you out of a bind
_____3. Being singled out for correction when others go unnoticed
_____4. Getting your car stuck in the mud or snow
_____5. You are talking to someone and they don’t answer
_____6. Someone pretends to be something you're not
_____7. While you are struggling to carry four cups of coffee to your table at the cafeteria, someone bumps into you, spilling the coffee
_____8. You hung up your coat but someone knocks it to the floor and doesn’t pick it up
_____9. You are hounded by salesperson from the moment you walk in the store
_____10 .You made plans to go somewhere with a friend who backs out at the last minute leaving you hanging
_____11. Being joked about or teased
_____12. You accidentally make a wrong turn in the parking lot. As you get out of your car someone yells at saying “Where did you learn how to drive”?
_____13. Your car stalls at a traffic light and the guy behind you keeps blowing his horn
_____14. You are trying to concentrate but a person near you is tapping their foot
_____15. Someone makes a mistake and blames it on you
_____16. You lend someone an important book or tool and they don’t return it
_____17. You have had a busy day, and your roommate or spouse starts complaining about how you forgot to stop at the store
_____18. You are trying to discuss something important with a friend or relative who isn’t giving you a chance to express your feelings
_____19. You are in a discussion with someone who persists in arguing about a topic they know very little about
_____20. Someone sticks his/her nose into an argument between you and another person
_____21. You’re already late and the car in front of you is going 25 mph in 40 mph zone and you can’t pass
_____22. You step on a glob of chewing gum
_____23. You’re mocked by small group of people as you pass them
_____24. In a hurry to get somewhere, you tear your favorite pair of pants
_____25. You use your last quarter to make a phone call, but you are disconnected before you finish dialing and the quarter is not returned
MY SCORE IS: To determine your score, add up the numbers you wrote in response to the 25 statements. You can interpret your total score according to the following guidelines:
0–45: The amount of anger and frustration you generally experience is remarkably low. Only small percentage of the population will score this low on a test. You might want to examine whether you were honest with your answers and the possibility that you deny angry feelings.
46 –55: You are substantially more peaceful than the average person.
56 –75: You respond to life’s annoyances with an average amount of anger
76 –85: You frequently react in an angry way to life’s many frustrations. You are substantially more irritable than the average person.
86 –100: You are plagued by frequent intense furious reactions that do not quickly disappear. You probably harbor negative feelings long after the initial insult has passed. You may experience frequent tensions headaches and elevated blood pressure. Your anger may often get out of control and lead to impulsive hostile outbursts, which at times get you into trouble.
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