Anger Management Classes - Frequently Asked Questions

Anger management classes are educational courses aimed at teaching skills to help change ones thinking and behavior. At the AJ Novick Group, we use a highly structured approach using our world class curriculum, “Anger Management for the Twenty-first Century”. Anger management classes are taught on a weekly basis and typically last from 1 to 2 hours in duration. It is recommended that participants attend weekly and not miss classes. Each week, participants will learn a new skill and are taught these skills from the client workbooks used in the course. Our anger management classes can range from as short as 10 weeks and as long as 52 weeks to complete, depending on your requirements and reasons for attending. Most voluntary participants attend 10 weekly classes. Our anger management classes are fun, engaging, upbeat and meant to be a positive learning experience. All anger management participants will receive an assessment prior to beginning their anger management classes as well as when they complete their program.

Anger management classes should be taken by anyone who feels their anger has caused problems in relationships with others. Classes are sometimes mandated as part of a court order or legal requirement or at the request of ones employer. In general we recommend that anyone who would like to improve their interpersonal skills in communication, listening, judgment and impulse control, forgiveness, managing expectations, changing self-talk, improving optimism, and learning to be more empathetic should take an anger management class.

Anger management classes are a class held in a group setting. They are not “group psychotherapy” sessions, but rather educational classes with the intent of teaching a specific skill(s). Individual counseling is usually not considered anger management but rather psychotherapy, so consumers should be aware of the difference. Anger management coaching on the other hand, is probably a good choice if you would like to take an anger management class but would like to do it on a one on one basis with the instructor rather than in a class setting. The approach is also very popular and lends to greater flexibility on session times and hours.

As stated above, anger management classes can be taken in a group format on a weekly basis or on an individual basis, often referred to as anger management coaching. Anger management classes are also offered by the AJ Novick Group through the form of Home Study Programs and Online Anger Management Classes. Home study Anger Management classes offer the same content as our live weekly classes but in printed form and the materials are mailed to the participant to take the course at their own pace. Our online anger management classes are an innovative approach to learning skills in anger management and the courses can be taken completely online. There are no printed materials and all information is presented through our exclusive online classroom.

There are several studies that show the effectiveness of anger management but most of these studies focus on inmate populations and not the general public. In a recent survey given by our Agency to several hundred participants almost 96% of them stated they felt the anger management classes helped them improve their behavior and their relationships. The main criteria for our anger management classes to be effective are ones motivation to change. If there is little to no motivation to change, one will likely not benefit from taking any of our anger management classes or programs. If the participant recognizes that their behavior is problematic and they are seeking to learn how to improve it, our experience has been that anger management classes will help. Almost all of our interventions use evidenced based, empirically validated approaches.

The answer to this question could be rather long, but in short there are several ways to figure out if one has an anger problem.

Do you notice physiological signs when you get angry that cause distress like feeling dizzy, nauseus, out of breath, sweating, etc. Do you notice psychological signs when you get angry that cause distress like depression, anxiety, guilt, shame, irritated, etc. Does your anger last longer than you would like? Does your anger cause problems in relationships, such as allowing it to ruin a relationship with someone you loved or liked? Does your anger happen frequently? Do you get out of control when you get angry? If you are answering “yes” to many of these questions, then likely anger is a problem for you and you should get some help or a consultation.

The answer to this is fairly obvious, untreated pervasive anger management problems will eventually cause some health problems either physical or psychological. There is a direct connection between being constantly angry, competitive, and aggressive, and early heart disease. For example, recent research suggests that men who have poor anger management skills are more likely to suffer a heart attack before age 55 than their more emotionally controlled peers. A separate study indicated that older male subject's hostility ratings (how hostile and irritable they tend to act towards others) predicted heart disease more accurately than other known risk factors including cholesterol, alcohol intake, cigarette smoking and being overweight.

Anger management classes are relatively inexpensive. Classes cost $35 per class session, $50 to enroll and $30 for our required workbook. We also offer anger management coaching and online anger management classes. See our website for pricing.

Yes, we issue a certificate of completion after you have completed either the required number of classes from the court or other entity or 10 classes. There are no extra fees for having the certificate of completion provided.

Yes, we will provide progress reports upon request. Please give our office at least 2 business days notice if you need a progress report.

We will provide proof of enrollment form upon request. We don't automatically create this document, so please let the instructor know you need one.