topics for integrative paper - adler graduate school 2008.pdf · an integrative paper and business...

An Integrative Paper and Business Model 1

BUILDING A FAITH-BASED ADLERIAN MODEL FOR ANGER MANAGEMENT

______________________________

An Integrative Paper and Business Model

Presented to

The Faculty of the Adler Graduate School

_____________________

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for

the Degree of Master of Arts in

Adlerian Counseling and Psychotherapy

_____________________

By:

Robert Cornelius

September 29, 2007


Part II

Planning for a Business

Planning the Business

It has been my dream for many years to be a business owner. In the late 1980’s, I

partnered with another gentleman in a business venture repairing consumer electronics. I really

enjoyed the concept of fixing things, although I was often miserable in this particular endeavor. I

was a people person fixing objects. I enjoyed working with people very much and was not

happy. The business venture lasted two years before it finally folded.

I have always dreamed of becoming a psychologist. Unfortunately, I was told by loved

ones for many years that becoming a psychologist (pursuing a degree) was a waste of time. I

guess, in a way, I agreed with them, or at least went along with that mistaken belief. I came to

admire a specific gentleman who I worked with for several years who was a Licensed

Psychologist. I worked for a company that provided day training and habilitation (DT&H) for

people with disabilities, and he was the psychologist our company worked with. His job seemed

so easy and fun. As I continued to work with him and studied the consumer behavior plans he

developed, I started to realize that I really wanted to do this too and set out to do it. Since that

time, I have always believed that I would own a counseling business, although I have since found

out that I am a wonderful group facilitator. I enjoy group dynamics more than I enjoy one to one

counseling. I now have the opportunity to fulfill my lifetime dream and am currently in the

planning stages of doing so, although it will be a satellite facility with my current employer (a

practice run for the real thing down the road).


The first thing a business needs is a strong vision. It has been and will always be my

vision to provide services that offer a sense of hope, encouragement and support by teaching

parents and couples the necessary skills to build strong relationships within the family construct.

The second thing a business needs is a good mission statement. My mission statement

will be as follows:

My mission is to provide the best possible mental health care by serving the population without

discrimination. The service I provide will uphold the highest standard of ethics within a legal

framework, while maintaining a maximum level of confidentiality.

A third area of importance is developing a professional code of conduct based on three

ethical viewpoints; my current employment as a Social Worker, pursuit of a Marriage and

Family Therapist license and, most importantly, my personal code of conduct that comes with

being a Christian man with biblical principles I hold myself accountable to. I believe there is a

need for my services, and I will always do my best to weave together the various standards I will

be subject to. By having an understanding of all the standards that I will be held accountable to, I

will conscientiously adhere to them to the best of my ability. In situations where there is no clear

cut answer, I will consult other professionals as a sounding board for different opinions. I will

also ask that co-workers or co-practitioners notify me if there is a situation (or a potential for

one) that could become precarious.

I have developed a code of ethics that will be posted in my business, and I will diligently

follow it. This set of ethical standards is based on my personal code of conduct, as well as a

general understanding of several other professional ethical codes I may be held to.


Responsibility

I will provide professional counseling while building a therapeutic relationship with my

customers, based on a well founded understanding of my personal code of conduct, as well as a

professional and legal code of conduct. I will always act in the best interest of the client with the

most important idea being “do no harm”. I will take responsibility for the following:

1. Provide a complete intake assessment using the latest techniques, designed to best

isolate the needs of the customer.

2. Establish an Informed Consent agreement with client.

3. Provide the customer with an explanation of professional roles and obligations by

defining the relationship and discussing the following:

Advising clients of the need to take responsibility and to make decisions

regarding their treatment plans.

Conflict of interest and dual relationships.

Explanation and example of Mandated Reporter role.

4. Provide the customer with a complete and concise description of treatment

processes and procedures. The customer will be informed that this will be a joint

effort.

5. Provide the client with a timetable for length of therapy; with the intent of

continuing only as long as deemed beneficial.

Competence

I will limit practice, services and teaching to areas within the boundaries of my skill set,

based on my education, experience and training. I will strive to maintain excellence in this

profession by continuing my education and training through classes, seminars and supervised


experience. I will subscribe to and participate in any organizations that will offer relevant and

applicable information. I will also commit to:

1. Not practicing outside my area of expertise without supervision.

2. Maintain ongoing knowledge of legal and ethical updates and changes pertaining to my

field of service.

3. Attempt to obtain sufficient competence in areas where I may not have adequate training

when helping someone who may not otherwise be able to receive services.

4. Working within my competencies regarding cultural differences.

Moral and Legal Standards

I will maintain a high standard of integrity regarding the ethical and legal standards

governing my profession. I will also be held to another moral standard which is guided by my

Christian beliefs and the Bible. These moral standards may at times be in conflict with ethical

and legal standards. Each conflict will be dealt with depending on circumstances based on the

best way to proceed. I will not always be practicing in situations where I can follow my moral

convictions openly, so I will keep that in mind and continue as long as there are no conflicts that

force a breech of my moral standards or fail to offer a middle ground. The following are my

personal standards relating to moral, ethical and legal standards:

1. I will maintain, update and follow applicable laws, ethics and professional standards

relating to this profession.

2. I will follow my moral standards which include the following:

Provide counseling services to any and all from a personal Christian foundation;

using the Bible as a moral compass and counseling from love and humility.

I will make my counseling style known on the Informed Consent form.


I will not expect others to understand or agree with my perspective, and will not

turn down opportunities to help them.

Know that God is the author of life. Healing may never be permanent and

complete without God’s hand.

Know that true talent for counseling will come from God. I will always listen for

Devine inspiration.

3. I will report any ethical or professional violations, whether witnessed or reported.

4. I will make a contribution of at least 10% of my time to uncompensated therapy in the

name of Social Interest and Tithe.

Public Statements

With regards to advertising and public statements, I will not use deceptive, misleading or

fraudulent representation of my experience, skills, knowledge and credentials. I will not

misrepresent my services, fees, research or moral, legal and ethical standards.

I will also not let third party sources or affiliations misrepresent, mislead or exaggerate

my experience, skills, knowledge, credentials, services, fees and research, or my moral, legal and

ethical standards.

Confidentiality

It is my responsibility to protect and maintain the confidentiality of my clients on all

levels. I am held responsible on a moral and ethical level, as well as from a legal standpoint. I

will not disclose any information without the express written consent from the client allowing me

permission to do so. Confidential information will still be held judiciously even with a

disclosure. I am obligated to take precautions in protecting the confidentiality of each client in all

the following situations:


1. Material disclosed or discussed during therapy.

2. Information shared in a session, regardless of family dynamics.

3. Private information, assessments, diagnostic interviews and general client information

contained in file.

4. Maintain confidentiality of client files for the legally (or company) specified time before

they can be destroyed.

One area of disclosure I will inform my clients of in the Informed Consent Agreement is

that I am a mandated reporter. I have an obligation to disclose information which I feel is

revealing child abuse, child neglect or the threat of harm to self or others. Information disclosed

will be limited to essential information, only given to appropriate authorities or family members.

Another area of disclosure would be the sharing of information with a colleague,

associate, student or staff member of an agency in order to best determine how to treat a client.

This information would be limited to disclosing only enough to complete the desired objective.

Welfare of the customer

The client should expect to be treated with dignity and worth, in a humble, respectful

way. They should receive services that are useful and meaningful, and always given the best

possible treatment while the benefit of treatment exists. The client will be informed of all the

patient rights afforded them by law. The client will have access to or receive the following:

1. The right to understand the purpose of the techniques and procedures used during the

therapy sessions. This includes any tests or assessments and the results.

2. The right to access any records or files relating to the psychological services received,

provided they are not classified as confidential.

3. Have access to the cost of services.


4. To be free from exploitation, harassment, conflict of interest and multiple relationships.

5. To be free to ask for and receive a referral to another practitioner if desired.

6. The assurance that an appropriate referral will be made if the therapy is beyond my scope

of competence or predilection.

7. To know that every reasonable effort will be taken to ensure a smooth transition to

another therapist in the event a discontinuation of services is necessary.

Professional relationships

I will always be aware of the influential position I hold with regards to the client. I will

not misuse my influence by exploiting, manipulating, leading or suggesting any inappropriate,

dishonest or disingenuous course of action. I will keep honesty and integrity at the forefront of

my practice by adhering to the following:

1. I will make every effort to avoid multiple relationships that could undermine my

professional judgment and hinder my ability to provide objective therapy.

2. I will adhere to all laws which require me to report any actions covered by the mandated

reporter reporting procedures.

3. I will adhere to and report any unethical behavior or conduct within my profession.

4. I will continue to see clients as long as it is reasonably clear that they are still benefiting

from my services.

5. I will step aside and refer to another appropriate clinician if I feel it is in the best interest

of the client, or the client feels this way.

Assessment Techniques

Each client who receives therapy will be given the opportunity to undergo matched

assessments which will assist in better diagnosing the problem. The goal is to better assign the


correct diagnosis by adding validity and reliability based on the cumulative testing that has been

done in creating the assessments. The following is a list of other considerations when using

assessment instruments:

1. The tests will be authorized for use and approved by the APA Standards.

2. I will not use any assessments I am not qualified or trained to use.

3. I will be responsible for the validity and reliability of the assessments I use.

4. I will be responsible for the usefulness and proper application of the assessments.

5. The test results will be explained and made available to the client.

Research with Human Participants

Any research performed on human participants will be considered ethically and morally

appropriate. No research will be done that is not in the best interest of the participants. The

participants will exhibit complete willingness and consent to take part in the research. The

following will also be part of the Informed Consent to Participate form to be signed:

1. Participant will be fully informed of the purpose of the research, as well as the process,

procedures and the duration of the testing.

2. The participants will have a choice in whether to continue to participate or withdraw for

any reason, at any time.

3. The right to data privacy and confidentiality regarding the research.

4. The right to receive compensation for services if negotiated in advance, assuming there is

no belief that financial compensation will have an impact on the results.

Other Personal Standards Not Addressed by APA Standards

I will address my moral convictions in this area. I am a Christian man and this has greatly

impacted my life and world view. Since my personal moral guidance comes from the Bible, there


are certain stances I will have to take to be true to this first set of standards I must follow. With

this said, it would be best if I practice in a setting that will allow me to work within the

parameters of my private logic, although this may not always be possible. I have not had to deal

with it from a therapist’s point of view (having to adhere to other sets of standards), so I can now

only anticipate this happening. In areas where I will have a differing point of view, I will behave

as follows:

1. I will not discriminate on the basis of race, age, ethnicity, socioeconomic status,

disability, gender, health status, religion, national origin or sexual orientation.

2. If not able to counsel with a mutual mindset, I will be agreeable to referring the client to

another therapist who may be better suited to help.

3. I will not “preach” to any client during a session. If this is a desired course of action for

the client, I will refer to a church or pastor for further counseling.

4. I will adhere to all other applicable sets of standards to the best of my abilities, keeping in

mind that any conflicts with my moral code will have to be discussed on a case by case

basis.

5. I will always let potential clients know where I come from with respect to my beliefs. At

this point, they can make a decision about whether we are a good match for counseling.

Business Plan

In planning for a business, I have come up with the list of classes that I would like to

offer. I have either taught or been trained in each of these areas so I feel my competency level

would allow me to effectively instruct these classes. Most of the programs will be centered on

teaching men (and eventually women) how to have better relationships with their families by

teaching them tools for handling anger better, as well as showing them how effective


encouragement, attentiveness, quality time and just listening to a child can be in raising a family

and improving a marriage relationship. Here is a list of programs I will be offering in the

business:

24/7 Dad Program – A 12-week program that addresses topics essential to healthy

parenting, using a comprehensive, thorough, national curriculum developed by National

Fatherhood Initiative.

Informational Family Law Clinics - hosted by a facilitator and conducted by a family law

attorney who advises fathers about their concerns regarding divorce, paternity, custody,

child support and related issues.

Anger Management/Domestic Violence Courses - assists men who are struggling to

understand and deal effectively with anger, rage, intimidation and control issues by

teaching alternative methods and practical tools to use in place of anger.

Relationship courses designed to teach anger management skills and techniques by

providing a model based on a combination of Rational Emotive Therapy and the

identification and reframing of mistaken core beliefs. This prevention plan will allow

couples to participate jointly in an established anger management model and to

effectively decrease domestic violence and create a more stabile family atmosphere.

Anger Management/Domestic Violence Aftercare – gives men more time to address

individual issues in recovery.

Support Groups for Fathers - discuss issues related to parenting and partnering in raising

their children.

Anger Management seminar program designed to offer businesses an opportunity to

provide training to their employees on how to work through and avoid workplace anger.


Fathers' Crisis Line - a telephone crisis response program from 8 am to 4:30 pm, five

days a week, to aid in getting help to fathers in crisis.

Faith Based Marriage Counseling – Once I complete my LMFT requirements and

become licensed.

In developing a business plan, part of the planning process is to understand who your

clients are, where your business clientele will be coming from, where to market your services

and who your contacts will be. Below are some marketing strategies to begin compiling a contact

list of potential business developments

Research all targeted counties and potential customers to compile a list of key persons to

whom the business would regularly send written descriptions of programs offered.

Develop a relationship with listed persons and maintain regular contact to ensure that

the business has a feedback loop to identify and adjust to the changing needs of our

customers.

Offer monthly seminars and information sessions to provide an in depth explanation of

what services the business offers.

Develop a marriage/family component to attract Master’s level interns looking for

marriage and family internship hours (which are hard to find). The business will market

this opportunity to the local colleges which, in turn, will provide the business with a

large base of interns to assist in facilitating the above programs.

The business will be able to market program services to the counties as services being

provided in part by competent, knowledgeable, Master’s level students and post

graduate students looking for internship hours.


The business’ criteria for success is to provide assistance (one family at a time) by

educating fathers and parents about their roles and responsibilities in the family, and by teaching

an effective parenting model that promotes a safe, nurturing environment for children and

families. The long range effects will be felt for generations to come and a negative generational

family cycle will have been positively changed.

Evaluation of Program Services

1. Provide a self-reported individual/parent/couples inventory test prior to entering the

program. This will provide information about where the individual’s skill level currently

rates.

2. Provide a self-reported individual/parent/couples inventory test upon completion of the

program. This will provide feedback about where the individual improved in the

targeted skill-building areas.

3. Use feedback received from the customers (Social Workers, Parole Officers, etc.). This

will give the business an opportunity to identify and adjust to the changing needs.

4. Encourage each participant to complete a confidential evaluation form. This will

provide feedback about services offered, materials used, strengths and weaknesses of

the facilitator and the program.

5. Following each course, all information will be gathered and discussed with the

management team. Changes and adjustments would be based on the accumulated

information.

Business Curriculum

For the purposes of this paper, I will limit the curriculum to anger management only. My

goal is to identify ten different subjects (Modules) to be taught in a revolving manner; one topic


per week (except for the video series which takes three weeks). I have spent the last two years at

the treatment center working on these ten areas and feel quite comfortable presenting each of the

topics. The groups are structured so that they are open-ended and a person can join a group at

any time in the process. With a revolving curriculum, each group member will have been taught

each tool two to three times, which helps them retain the information better. The schedule of

each class will be approximately one-half teaching and one-half open forum. It has repeatedly

been mentioned in classes that the open forum format is highly desirable. It gives each person an

opportunity to hear others and also be heard themselves. Members focus on issues they are

currently going through, whether they be anger-based or just another problem or situation for

which they would like the advice of other group members.

The following is a list of the 10 different modules that will be taught as part of the

curriculum:

Module #1 - The Anger Management Scale

The Anger Management Scale will be the beginning exercise for each class. This tool

teaches that there are three main stages in the spectrum of anger. The stages are the Build-up,

Blow-up and Calming stages. The Build-up stage involves recognizing where you are and rating

yourself on a scale of 1 to 10. It also shows the escalation of your anger as it builds up to the

Blow-up stage where the manifestation of anger takes place - past the point of being able to use

reason or restraint. After a period of time, the Calming Stage takes over. This is where the

apologies and promises that the behavior will never happen again (but often do) take place.

The reason this tool is used at the beginning of each class is that it gives the instructor

and the group a sense of where everybody is on the anger scale, and what type of day or week

they had. The Build-up stage is the only part used in this exercise and is based on a self reported


rating from 1 to 10. The group starts by having each member turn their chairs into a circle and

face each other (or sit around the table). Next, each member of the group has the opportunity

(responsibility) to discuss with the other group members how their day went and whether they

had any situations that made them angry. The member then tells the group how they reacted to

the situation and what tools they used. If they did not have a situation that happened that day,

they are encouraged to discuss anything that happened during the week. This gives the member

an opportunity to “lighten the load” or “toot their own horn.” It also allows the other group

members to give feedback or advice on similar situations that they have experienced, or are now

going through themselves. I personally believe that the two essential things each person needs

are to be heard and feel appreciated. This participatory activity accomplishes these two

necessities by first allowing the speaker to be heard by the other group members and, secondly,

by allowing the group members to feel appreciated by sharing their experiences while helping

somebody else through a situation that they struggled with, or excelled in. Finally, after the

opportunity to discuss their week, they rate where they are regarding any anger they may be

feeling, using a scale of 1 to 10.

Feelings of minor frustration, minor irritations or minor arguments with another are rated

as 1 – 3 on the scale. Feelings rated from 4-6 include being annoyed, irritated or upset, and

starting to exhibit negative self talk. The third group of feelings, defined as being 7-10, includes

feeling very agitated, confused and not able to think straight (usually due to an escalation of

negative self talk), worn down or physically ready to blow. The group will typically spend a little

extra time with a member that checks in between 7 – 9, because when they get into this range,

they are dangerously close to the “Blow-up” stage. Each time a new member joins the group it

is important to define how the anger management scale works, what its significance is and how


the group uses it as an integral part of the check-in process each class. This is the one element of

the anger management class that members consider most meaningful and valuable. As indicated

earlier, the reason this activity is so popular is that it gives the group members an opportunity to

be heard and appreciated.

Module #2 - Physical and Emotional Cues, Red Flags and Red Flag Situations

Learning Physical and Emotional Cues, Red Flags and Red Flag Situations is the essence

of anger management. Each member learns what their physical and emotional cues are, what

they feel like, how to recognize them and how they correspond with their anger level. When a

person is able to learn their cues and recognize them when it counts the most, they will be able to

understand where they are in relation to their anger, and then implement their safety plan.

Red flags are words, feelings or emotions which usually trigger a negative response to

what is said or felt. It may be words like stupid, lazy, ugly, fat or other such words. Red flags can

also be associated with emotions and feelings like abandonment, helplessness, jealousy,

frustration or any other feelings or emotions that can trigger anger. Red flags can also be what

many refer to as “hot buttons,” like, “you're just like your mother,” or, “my mother always told

me you were not going to amount to anything.” These words, feelings and emotions hurt

because, in most cases, we have repeatedly heard them before. They are usually meant in a

mean-spirited way, but not always. Another person can just be joking around and trip one of your

red flags. In any case, everyone has them and they need to be addressed in a safety plan.

Red flag situations are similar, although they are more likely to be actions or

circumstances like going to a job you do not like, coming home from work tired, meeting with

the relatives, interacting with somebody you do not care for, seeing your spouse’s “ex” or


coming home to a dirty house and noisy children. Again, everybody has these situations, and it is

best to discuss the situations in advance so you can plan for when they come up unexpectedly.

Module #3 - Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy

Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) was first introduced by Albert Ellis in

1955. It teaches that events alone do not cause a person to react in a certain way but, rather, the

thoughts and feelings that a person entertains during the event will often determine the outcome

of the event. I like using this model because it blends well with Adlerian psychology by drawing

attention to a person's mistaken beliefs and learned behavior, which continue to repeat

themselves in many situations because they are part of a person's private logic. Until negative or

self-defeating thoughts and feelings are challenged and replaced (or reframed) by new thoughts

and feelings, the outcome will usually be similar to most other events.

The REBT model (Table 1 below) is presented in class and I usually give each member

of the group a copy of this table to fill out while going over the model in class. I encourage them

to try this out during the week, as it gives them a working model to help process through the

situations they are working on. I start out by asking a member of the group to volunteer a current

event/situation they are working through. If no one is able to come up with a situation, then road

rage is often chosen as an example because most of the group members can identify this as being

a common problem.

Table 1

Event Thoughts Feelings Actions Consequences

Road rage


After completing the table, members are then asked to discuss what thoughts or self talk

they were experiencing during the event. We list as many thoughts as they can think of. After

completing the list of thoughts, we move to the feelings. Again, we list all the feelings that might

be associated with the thoughts. It is often hard for the men in the group to discuss their feelings

by using words other than “I am angry”, so they are encouraged to use their feelings spreadsheets

which contain many adjectives to describe feelings. This is usually where mistaken beliefs and

self-defeating thoughts and feelings are discovered. Once the thoughts and feelings are listed, we

move to the actions that could result from these thoughts and feelings. Finally, we move on to

the possible consequences of the actions. We will often “catastrophize” the actions and

consequences to better illustrate what could happen if things really get out of control. It seems to

sink in a little better if the worst possible scenarios are mentioned. At this point, I usually like to

add a “spitting in the soup” question by asking, “Which of these consequences is the most

desirable consequence for you, or which of these consequences is your favorite?” I usually get a

chuckle from the class, but the point is made that none of the consequences are desirable.

The next step is to draw a line through the whole bottom of the table and start a second

table based on reframing the first table. The idea is to show, with a little reframing of the event,

that a completely different set of more desirable consequences can be expected. My question to

the group at this point is, “Where does the reframing have to take place?” The answer of course,

is in the thoughts column. As soon as negative thoughts begin to surface, they need to be

challenged and reframed as a more positive thought. This, in turn, will change the feeling, then

the associated action and then the consequence, or desired outcome.

The final thing we do with this model is to circle the first set of feelings. These feelings

can often lead to mistaken beliefs. Combined with the faith-based idea that if a person hides a sin


or keeps skeletons in their closet, they will never be set free from it unless they confess it or open

their closet door for all to see. A common biblical principle suggests that sin has no power over

you if you do not hide the sin but, rather, confess it and ask for someone to regularly challenge

you on it. I use that illustration with the circle of feelings. I explain to them that these feelings

are part of their private logic and are often hidden or suppressed, and that it is my belief that by

opening the door to these feelings and asking for help in understanding these feelings from

others, one can often be released, reframed or “set free from the bondage” of these feelings.

During the presentation of the REBT, I usually discuss The Anger Umbrella. It is based

on the assertion that men really do not know how to express their feelings and, consequently, end

up defining all feelings by calling them anger or a similar word meaning anger (e.g., irate,

annoyed, pissed off). By using the metaphor of an umbrella with the word anger over it, we can

illustrate that there are usually more accurate descriptions of the feelings under the umbrella than

the word anger. Group members are encouraged to use their feelings spreadsheet to better define

their feelings.

Module #4 - The Zero to Six Model

The Zero to Six model (my definition) takes a look at the formulation of a person's

private logic by examining a child's age from birth to six. The purpose of this is to look at what a

child may be going through in the household between birth and age six, and what impact

behaviors, beliefs, family rules and birth order have on the child in starting to form possible

mistaken beliefs that guide a person through their life. The group members often start to

understand right away how their childhood has impacted their lives. Once it is explained to them

that what they learned at that age has had a lot to do with shaping them and directing their path

throughout their life, they have an “Aha” moment. It gives them hope that a change is possible


by examining their mistaken beliefs and reframing them. By understanding as a child, that they

learned a thought process and it has always been a part of them, they begin to understand that the

thought process is still dictating how they respond to any given situation. They learn that when

things happened to them as a child, they responded with limited reasoning skills. Now they can

feel empowered to change the feelings of blame, naughtiness and guilt, or other mistaken beliefs.

They can understand that the situations (or bad memories) may have actually been an adult

misbehaving (responding inappropriately). I believe this is my favorite tool to pass on to others

because it gives them hope that they do not have to deal with anger in the same destructive ways

they always have.

Module #5 - The Most Violent Incident

The Most Violent Incident is a written summation of each group member’s most violent

incident. It is presented to the class and the presenter is asked to list the physical, mental and

emotional cues they experienced during the three anger curve stages of their incident (Build-up,

Blow-up and Calming stages). The presentation also asks for each individual to discuss how their

most violent incident affected the other people involved in the incident and other people

indirectly involved (e.g., spouses, children, family members, coworkers). It also gives each

participant the opportunity to reflect back on the incident and how it might have been totally

avoided if they had been able to analyze the situation and use the tools learned in class. It is

helpful to mention that the exercise is not meant to “re-hash” the incident, but rather to learn

from it with the help of the other group members.

Module #6 - The Genogram

The Genogram is a tool that reviews the family tree of each participant, usually over three

generations. It generally is quite helpful in identifying where anger and abuse came from and


what generational trends (or “generational curses”) there may be. I like to take it a step further

and list the characteristics of the key players throughout the family tree. This process helps to

identify where mistaken beliefs and behavioral tendencies originated from. It also shows the

importance of the role the family plays in shaping a person's private logic.

Module #7 – The House of Abuse

The House of Abuse is a list of many types of abuse shaped as a house with many rooms.

The different types (rooms) of abuse are physical, emotional, child abuse, sexual, male privilege,

religious and so forth. This house signifies the types of abuse a client uses at home on his spouse

and children (or whatever the living arrangement). Each group member receives a master copy

and a blank copy. The master copy has a large list of different examples of abuse; each listed in

their appropriate room and can be used as a reference. The blank copy is for each member to

write all forms of abuse they use in their household. This exercise is usually an eye opener for

most members because it makes them aware of the many different types of abuse and which ones

they will often unknowingly use.

Module #8 – The Safety Plan

The Safety Plan is the most important component when dealing with anger. A well-

thought-out, well-written safety plan that includes recognition of cues, a detailed plan of what the

participant will do if they start becoming angry, a support network complete with names,

numbers, addresses and a place to stay if things spiral out of control quickly, will help a person

to deal with things proactively rather than reactively. The safety plan should detail one’s physical

and emotional cues, how and where in your body you feel them, where you are on the anger

curve when you feel them and, in the case of emotional cues, what the probable reason (use or

purpose) is for the emotion.


The safety plan should go into depth regarding one’s red flag words and sentences and, if

possible, what the irrational thoughts behind them are. If, during the process of working through

the red flag words and sentences, a person is able to reframe the words and replace them with

positive, desirable words, they should also be added right along with the red flag words.

The safety plan should also go into depth regarding the red flag situations, what they are,

where the situations take place, what is the usual time of day and who is involved. Once again, if

a person is able to reframe the situations and replace them with more positive, desirable

situations, they should also be added right along with the red flag situations.

After these topics have been written in the safety plan, the next component is to write a

detailed plan concerning how to avoid becoming angry. The safety plan should have a physical

exercise plan, a stress relaxation plan, a time out plan and a getaway plan. The physical exercise

plan involves working off energy or anxiety in a nondestructive way. This can include going for

a walk or a run, working out with weights, going for a bicycle ride or anything that exerts or

relieves excess energy. The stress relaxation plan may be reading a book, reading the newspaper,

going to movie, going fishing, calling a friend or whatever might help to relieve stress and help

the person think straight.

The final component of an effective safety plan is to have a support network comprised

of family, friends and professional contacts, along with phone numbers and addresses. If a

person has escalated to the point where they do not feel they can handle it alone, it works well to

have all this information in advance so the person can just pick up the phone and call without

having to look up a number. As part of this plan, each person should have a laminated card with

the numbers in their wallet for quick access. It is also important for the person to have a planned

place to stay at the last minute; whether a friend’s house or a hotel room.


Module #9 - The “Anger: Creating New Choices (2002)” Video Series

The “Anger: Creating New Choices (2002)” three-part video series teaches many of the

same things that are taught in this class. The videos spend a lot of time discussing the physical

and emotional cues building up to anger. The series also discusses the following topics: Self

Talk, Core Beliefs, Pictures and the Mind and Skills for Cooling It (listen, reflect what you heard

and assertion). This series also helps by reviewing things that the group has learned, but from a

different facilitator's perspective.

Module #10 - The Final Checkout Week

The Final Checkout Week is when each member is given an opportunity to discuss some

of the important tools they learned in the group and how the tools have helped them deal with

situations since joining the group. They will give feedback to the rest of the group on what they

have learned from other group members, and receive feedback from the rest of the group on what

the newer people learned from this person. The goal is for the group members to offer

encouragement to the person who is graduating from the group, but also to provide an

opportunity for the graduating person (one who has been there) to offer encouragement and hope

to the newer members. It usually ends up being a pretty touching moment for all group members.


Conclusion

I have been teaching these ten modules for almost three years and although the

curriculum has continued to remain relatively static, I have refined my delivery and the content

to meet the needs of the group. Each time I teach, there is a member in the group hearing it for

the second or third time who offers insights which I incorporate the next time I teach. Several of

these tools get taught three or four times during a 25-week course because of the revolving

nature of the group. Each time there is a new member in the group, we go over the basic

fundamental tools like cue identification, the RET model, the anger curve and the red flag

situations.

topics for integrative paper - adler graduate school 2008.pdf · an integrative paper and business...

Documents