Abstract
Nay’s workbook is an excellent resource for either the counselor who is working with a client who is struggling to manage his or her anger or for a person who is interested in doing individual work on learning to manage his or her own anger. The workbook is an easy read yet contains the necessary information needed to help a person start the process of learning to understand and manage anger appropriately.
The workbook begins with an introduction in which the author shares how this workbook took shape. The introduction is followed by Parts 1, 2, and 3. Part 1 has five chapters and each chapter explains several topics that range from the biological and the physiological roots of anger to how thoughts influence anger, and how anger is a problem for the person. Part 2 has nine chapters that range in topics that detail how a person can manage anger, how to challenge their cognitive distortions, and the use of cognitive behavioral therapy to help identify ongoing angry thinking. Nay also does a nice job of explaining the process of communication and how communication makes an impact on how anger is handled by a person. Finally, Part 3 finishes off with three chapters, which focus on strategies that can help a person resolve conflict while staying calm. These strategies include learning to set appropriate boundaries, coping with anger that is passive, and learning to cope with setbacks appropriately.
Each part in the workbook also has a variety of activities and exercises that a person can do to help express his or her thoughts and feelings when experiencing anger. The questions poised to the person doing the activities range from how a person tends to communicate his or her wants and needs, to what type of a physiological response is experienced when the person is beginning to experience anger.
The workbook can be seen as an added resource that a counselor can use as an ongoing tool to help process anger and anger responses with a client. The counselor and the client can work together, and this may keep the client motivated to do the activities and exercises. On the other hand because of the length of the workbook and the detail associated with each of the activities and exercises, an individual working on their own may find it difficult to finish the workbook.
This workbook may also work well in a group setting whether the group is an open or closed group. Each chapter and the activities associated with the chapter can stand on their own. Therefore, a person coming into an open or closed group would still be able to participate in the discussion. This workbook will complement the “resource shelf” of any counselor and most certainly for the counselor who focuses on working with clients who seek to learn how to manage their anger appropriately.