Contextual Anger Regulation Therapy ─ A Mindfulness and Acceptance-Based Approach

Anger is a natural human emotion that can serve important survival functions, but the excessive presence of anger and its associated negative outcomes—such as aggression and violence—can lead to significant interpersonal, intrapersonal, occupational, legal, familial, societal, and physical health problems. Unfortunately, clinical anger clients haven’t historically been helped in truly sustainable ways, and loved ones and society at large are often left to simply watch as these individuals struggle to overcome their anger and the noxious behaviors that often emanate from this troubling condition.

Contextual Anger Regulation Therapy gives clinicians the power to change this. The book presents an exciting nine-module mindfulness and acceptance-based behavioral treatment program that has been effectively utilized in formal clinical settings with clinical anger clients, including those mandated for treatment following both non-domestic and domestic violence. Treatment success has not only been demonstrated in observable ways, including significant reductions in violence recidivism and marked improvements in quality of life; it has also been seen in scientific data both in the laboratory and with large numbers of mandated clinical anger clients.

Frank L. Gardner, PhD, ABPP, is professor and director of the PsyD program in school and clinical psychology at Kean University in Union, New Jersey. He has founded two of the premier centers for the treatment and study of anger and violence in the United States. In addition, he is codeveloper of the Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) approach to performance enhancement and is the founding editor-in-chief of the Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology (JCSP).

Zella E. Moore, PsyD, is an associate professor of psychology at Manhattan College in New York, where she is dedicated to teaching and mentoring undergraduate psychology students. Zella is also codeveloper of the Mindfulness-Acceptance-Commitment (MAC) approach for enhancing human performance and is the founding senior associate editor of the Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology (JCSP).