Teenagers deal with complex emotions and issues such as relationship problems, discovering their identity and separation anxiety. Confusion and frustration often lead to anger, causing teens to either act out or withdraw. Anger management classes for teens help with self-esteem, communication, impulse control and consequences. Different teaching methods allow you to find the right type of learning situation for your teen.Weekly Classes
Teen anger management classes typically meet once a week for 10 weeks or more and focus on helping teens manage anger in a productive way. Each class uses a workbook such as the popular "Anger in the Twenty-First Century" by Ari Novic, Ph.D. and Tony Fiore, Ph.D., to focus on a specific skill or tool. Topics covered include communication, impulse control, empathy, optimistic thinking and judgment. Your teen will be asked to practice the recently learned tool in the week following the class.
Online Anger Management Class
If your teen has a busy schedule, online anger management classes will provide flexibility for learning. These classes can be taken anytime, from early morning until late at night, in the comfort of home. Your teen can study the lessons at his own pace and concentrate on those areas where he needs help most. Many online classes bring together teens from around the world and provide the benefits of support and learning from others. With the abundance of anger management classes available online, be selective to avoid wasting time or getting scammed. Since identity theft can be an issue with online courses, ask for recommendations from family, friends, coworkers or the National Anger Management Association.
Anger Management Groups
Unlike anger management classes, which can be taught by instructors outside the health field, anger management groups provide the supervision of a licensed psychologist. Teens benefit by interacting with other teens dealing with anger control issues. The groups allow teens to listen and learn from peers and receive their support and encouragement. By working together on shared problems, teens feel less alone with their anger challenges. Also, anger management groups tend to cost less than one-on-one therapy.
Coaching
If your teenager won't listen to you, an anger management coach might help. In anger management coaching, your teen will receive individual attention and customized treatment such as a step-by-step plan to reach her behavioral goals. It's important that your teen feels like she "clicks" with her coach and can build a trusting relationship. Unlike therapy, which can be slow and painful, anger management coaching produces results quickly.
