Anger Alternatives Program Principles
Men and women who have learned how destructive their behavior is are in need of supportive resources to make the necessary changes to establish respect-based relationships and move on with their lives.
Anger Alternatives is a non-shaming educational program teaching tools to build and maintain respect-based relationships.
We teach men and woman the tools to manage their anger in non-violent and assertive ways that are both creative and productive. Skills that develop and support assertive, non-aggressive behavior can be learned and can affirm inherent qualities, and contradict scripting, aggression, violence and shame
At Anger Alternatives we believe that:- All behavior is learned
- Anyone behaving in any way, learned to do so at some time.
- Actions and behaviors we choose are usually the best we know under the circumstances.
- Any behavior can be a problem if it has become hurtful, counter-productive, abusive or destructive to ourselves or to another person.
- Confusion is natural and exists in between old things that are not working well and new things that are not yet fully developed.
- Early exposure to shame, rage and violence is a traumatic experience that causes people to get “stuck” emotionally.
- Emotional “stuckedness” caused by trauma will stimulate fear and cause reactionary behavior whenever that trauma is re-stimulated.
- Persons acting out anger as shame, rage and violence create legal and social consequences for themselves.