A Course in Anger Transformation: A Course on Anger Management Techniques Based on Mind-Body Medicine and Accelerated Learning

By Jose M. Baltazar, PhD

The purpose of this book is to offer an effective alternative for managing anger and transforming it into a more productive energy and behavior. Most programs in existence are based on cognitive approaches, which although effective, require much effort and persistence and a longer period of time to exercise control over the emotion of anger. The foundations of the program in this book are relaxation, meditation, and accelerative learning skills. These techniques have been proven to facilitate change with less effort and struggle because they work at the subconscious level. Change and transformation occur more naturally and organically by removing the conscious thinking that change is difficult to achieve and that it requires hard work.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Oct 14, 2016
• ISBN: 9781524544188

Jose M. Baltazar, PhD

Dr. Jose M. Baltazar is an award-winning counselor, instructor, and trainer. He has worked for over forty years in higher education and has developed curriculum in bilingual computer science courses, student success and motivation, and study and learning skills for community college students. He holds a doctorate degree in mind-body medicine, and degrees in computer science, business administration, and human and organizational development. He holds certifications in mind-body medicine, neuro-linguistic programming, accelerated/brain-based learning, and reality and choice theory. Dr. Baltazar owns and operates El Paso OASIS Center for Accelerated Learning and Holistic Health, a coaching and training practice in El Paso, Texas. He develops curricula in mind-body skills for health and wellness, mind development and learning, and conducts workshops and training sessions in these areas. Dr. Baltazar has authored and coauthored three books before—Building Blocks: College Study Skills; Wake up! Live the Life that You Want to Live: Living Your Life on Purpose; and The Accelerated Learning Companion for College Students.

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Copyright © 2016 by Jose M. Baltazar.

Library of Congress Control Number:   2016915605

ISBN:      Hardcover      978-1-5245-4420-1

                Softcover        978-1-5245-4419-5

                eBook             978-1-5245-4418-8

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

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Rev. date: 10/14/2016

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Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1 Lesson 1 - Creating Your Own Safe Environment For Change

Chapter 2 Lesson 2 - Overview Of Mind-Body Medicine And Mind-Body Skills, And Setting Your Vision For Change

Chapter 3 Lesson 3 - Using Imagery To Set Your Vision For Change In Your Mind

Chapter 4 Lesson 4 - Strengthening Your Motivation And Commitment To Change And Transform Anger

Chapter 5 Lesson 5 - Transforming Anger Into Peace With Autogenics

Chapter 6 Lesson 6 - Level 2 Autogenics: Transforming Anger Into Desired Behaviors.

Chapter 7 Lesson 7 - Developing New Behaviors To Transform Anger Into Peace.

Chapter 8 Lesson 8 - Using Mindfulness Meditation To Make 16 Anger Busting Behaviors Part Of Your Own Behavior.

Chapter 9 Lesson 9 - Believe You Can Transform Anger Into Peace And Change Becomes Easy.

Chapter 10 Lesson 10: Nutrition, Movement, And Exercise To Strengthen The Mind-Body Connection

Chapter 11 Lesson 11-Continuing The Journey: Drawings And Closing Ritual

Chapter 12 Lesson 12 - Closing Ritual And Post Assessments

References

Appendix A

I’ve come across many individuals who told me they had participated in an Anger Management Course in the past and they did not learn or practiced enough and as a result their lives are the same. They are still struggling with their uncontrollable anger. This is one reason why I decided to develop the approach and method in this book.

As the author of the course and this book, it is important to me to find out from you how helpful the approach and strategies were to you. I want to continue to improve my approach. Please write to me or send me a copy of your last reflection and include your comments or ideas. If you want to contact me I include my contact information below. I would like to meet you and speak to you.

It is my sincere desire that all your desires and dreams about living a healthier, happier, and more fulfilled life become true, and that I have contributed to bringing you closer to them through this course. Keep practicing what you have learned, and give yourself time to learn additional ways to improve your life.

THE BEST TO YOU AND YOUR LOVED ONES, ALWAYS.

Contact Information:

Jose M. Baltazar, Ph.D.

El Paso OASIS

Center for Accelerated Learning and Holistic Health

3240 Nederland Ln.

El Paso, TX 79936

Tel. [phone]

[e-mail]

INTRODUCTION

Transforming Anger: A Mind-Body-Medicine based approach to learn to re-direct the power of anger.

Have you ever experienced anger? Of course you have. Everyone experiences this emotion. The degree to which one can control himself and the reactionary behaviors caused by the emotion of anger determines whether one is free from or captive to this emotion. Another reality is that almost every individual at one point or another has lost emotional and behavioral control to anger thus everyone can benefit from the learning of additional anger coping skills. This is the principle under which I have written this book. This book is for everyone because everyone experiences uncontrolled anger at some points in their lives. In addition, everyone who reads this book will see how the techniques can be applied at working with and managing any other negative emotion.

What is Anger?

Most traditional anger management programs view anger as a disease and treat it as a dysfunction or an addiction. As a result, most cognitive approaches such as answering questionnaires, keeping a record of what triggers anger episodes, etc. while helpful, create minimum permanent change.

Anger is an emotion that everyone experiences. Anger is a conditioned learned response. When anger is triggered in a person, the person will react according to the learning in his brain/mind. This learning is recorded deeply in the subconscious of the person by the conditioning experiences he has lived. Approaches of teaching and techniques for learning must intentionally target change to take place deep at the subconscious level. Mind-Body Medicine and the techniques used to promote sound mental, physical, and spiritual health, achieve deeper learning and greater permanent change.

What is Mind-Body Medicine?

Everyone experiences impatience and anger in different degrees. The degree of anger a person experiences is caused by the conditioning that has taken place due to high levels of stress in the environment and eventually becomes part of the life-style of the person.

Mind-Body Medicine promotes a culture of health and wellness and uses strategies and techniques that work at the subconscious level of the mind to promote deeper and more permanent change. Mind-Body Medicine skills naturally work at the conscious and subconscious level. The connection between mind and body and the ways in which physical, emotional, mental, social, and spiritual factors can interact and directly affect mental, physical, and spiritual health is the core of Mind-Body Medicine. Dr. James Gordon, Founder and Director of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine (CMBM, 2010) in Washington, D.C. states: Self-care is the true health care and Health promotion is a way of life. He advises health care professionals and clients to embrace a holistic, individualized approach to mental and physical health and draw upon the wisdom of ancient medical traditions.

What is a Mind-Body Anger Transformation Group (MBATG)?

By reading this book and practicing the different techniques in it, you will get lots of benefits to help you deal with anger or other negative emotions more effectively. The chapters and techniques included in this book are based on the program I have developed to help individuals deal with anger called Mind-Body Anger Transformation Groups (MBATG’s). If you run into the opportunity to participate in a MBATG, I strongly encourage you to take it. Participating in a group has the added benefits of learning from and sharing with others. In addition, participating in a MBATG promotes regular practice of the techniques and newly learned behaviors helping you improve and change faster.

A Mind-Body Anger Transformation Group is a combination of effective mind-body techniques to help individuals deal with the emotion of anger and aggressive behavior. The techniques used are supported by scholarly research demonstrating their effectiveness in managing and transforming anger and behaviors associated with it into a more balanced and productive life style. Participants in a MBATG learn in an intimate, supportive, and safe environment. Self-awareness, self-empowerment, and holistic health promotion are pivotal in the MBATG process.

The MBATG process follows the format of the Mind-Body Skills Program created by Dr. James Gordon, Director and Founder of the Center for Mind-Body Medicine in Washington, D.C. The Center for Mind-Body Medicine is one of the world’s most respected programs teaching mind-body skills for self-care and stress management in the U.S. In addition to utilizing mind-body medicine techniques taught in Dr. Gordon’s Mind-Body Skills program, the Mind-Body Anger Transformation Group Program also includes Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Accelerated Learning techniques to help participants make the transformation process faster and more permanent at the subconscious level.

The MBATG process is a series of 12 meetings. Participants meet once a week for two hours for 12 weeks. By the end of the 12th week participants have had ample experience and practice of each of the techniques they have learned. They will be given homework in the form of actual practice of the techniques each week. This homework practice is part of the requirement to complete the course and to obtain verification of attendance and completion.

The following are the outlines of the lessons in the MBATG meeting process and upon which the lessons and techniques in this book are founded:

Session 1: Creating a Supportive and Safe Group Environment for Change.

OBJECTIVES

• To establish the group as a safe place for learning and change.

• To explain the purpose, structure, and guidelines for the 12-week group experience.

• To invite the participants to feel comfortable and be open to change.

• To have participants assess how anger affects their lives, and their level of commitment to change.

• To establish relaxation and meditation as the vehicles for bringing about changes in the mind, body, and spirit.

LESSON OUTLINE

I. Welcome

II. Opening Breath Meditation – Share the experience

III. Group Guidelines & Requirements

IV. Introductions – Facilitator and group members

V. Experiential Activity - Assessing Effects of Anger and Level of Commitment to Change and Share the Experience.

VI. Closing Meditation and Homework

Session 2: Overview of Mind-Body Medicine and Mind-Body Skills, and Setting Your Vision for Change.

OBJECTIVES

• Overview of Mind-Body Medicine and Mind-Body Skills and their grounding on science and research.

• To present the principle of vision