ANGER MANAGEMENT COUNSELLING by COURT ORDER

Today, many Bail Court JPs and almost all Domestic Violence Courts automatically order Anger Management Counselling to all who appear before them.

This is tantamount to practicing medicine (badly) without a licence. The courts are ordering people to undergo invasive, life changing medical treatment whether it is needed or not. Any form of mental therapy still carries a stigma and the courts will use that therapy against you if they can.

What if You Do Not Need Anger Management Counselling?
Many innocent people are ordered to take this counselling. Just because you have been accused of a criminal offence does not mean you need counselling.

If you have been ordered to undertake Anger Management Counselling and do not agree that you need it there is one possible way around the order.

This is not legal advice. Check with your lawyer first.

Get a medical opinion in writing that such treatment would be damaging to your health and you do not need it. This might (ironically) anger the court or they may accept it. That is the risk you take.

WHAT IS ANGER MANAGEMENT COUNSELLING?

Anger Management therapy is unproven, unregulated and virtually anyone can claim to be an anger management therapist.

Anger is a legitimate, valid emotional response. But like all things when misused there can be a problem

It is extremely easy to make anyone angry anytime you like. Just ask them in an accusatory manner "Why are you so angry?" Nearly everyone asked will respond, normally, by getting angry.

The term anger management commonly refers to a system of psychological (unproven, untested) therapeutic techniques and exercises by which "someone with uncontrollable anger can control or reduce the triggers, degrees, and effects of an angered emotional state." However there does not appear to be a formal methodology for administering this "therapy."

it begs the question, how can someone with "uncontrollable anger" control anger? Isn't that a contradition and simple psychobabble hogwash? One unproven, experimental technique for controlling anger is finding agreement with another person rather than conflict. Some thearpists advocate new age nonsense like of deep breathing and meditation as a means of relaxation.

Other interventions include learning empathy, stress management skills, forgiveness, changing how you speak about yourself or others and improving optimism. As the issue of anger varies from person to person, the treatments are made up as they go along

Anger management therapy is quackery. It is a silly new fad which will go the way of recovered memory therapy, gestalt and all those Indian guru transcendental mediation scams.

But for now, you may be stuck with it by some uninformed judge or jp who is really just passing the buck.