Speakers Set for 2009 Retreat

Great News! We have our speakers set for the 2009 Canadian Association of Anger Solutions Professionals Retreat. It is another great lineup of excellent speakers, with our focus this year being on building on the foundation that has been laid up to now. Watch this blog often, as we profile our speakers and keep you updated on all the great things we have in store for the 2009 Retreat.
Also, please check out the CAASP's new website - still under development, but coming along: http://www.angerpros.com/.

Anger is Not Necessarily a Problem

It is common these days to hear about people with "anger management issues". I even saw a blog the other day about "reverse anger management". It occured to me that perhaps this is a good time to clarify exactly what anger is, and when it becomes a "problem".

First, lets start with the definition of anger. Anger is NOT as many would like to believe - a behaviour or set of behaviours. Rather, anger is an emotion. It can range in intensities from mild irritation to red hot rage, and occurs naturally in every human being. Anger is a natural emotion, as natural as is happiness, sadness, and fear.

Anger serves a purpose - it is an indicator that there is something in our lives that is not right - that requires change, improvement, or attention. Anger has been the catalyst for major positive change in the world - take the Civil Rights Movement as an example.

Anger as an emotion is not something that can or should be managed or controlled. You don't manage love or joy, do you? Do you try to manage fear? Sure you do, but how successful are you with that effort? Emotions cannot be managed. They exist to be felt and experienced. Trying to manage anger is like trying to convince an empty belly that it is not really hungry.

Anger only becomes a problem at the point of decision. Let me explain. Whenever you experience an emotion, you make a choice about how you wish to express that feeling. When you're happy you may laugh or you may cry. You may even do both. When you are afraid, your body's physiology will respond accordingly, but you may choose to fight or you may choose to flee. When you experience anger, the same is true. You will experience the physiological response, but you will also make a choice about what do do with your feelings. Some people bottle up their emotions in an attempt to "control" them. This approach may work in the short run, but often results in serious illness as the body reacts to the extended containment of negative energy. Some people allow their emotions to spill all over - with tears, or with cursing, and other aggressive behaviours. Most of these choices occur at the subconscious level - thereby causing the average person to believe that anger and the behaviours that accompany it are one and the same.

This much is clear: that what people do with their anger is not the same as the anger itself. Anger only becomes a problem when the people experiencing it make poor choices about how to express it. Then, those people do not need a crash course in how to "manage" their anger; they need to be taught a decision making model so that they become conscious about their feelings and the choices they make around expressing those emotions. An ancient proverb says (and I'm paraphrasing) - if you take a man fishing, he will eat for a day; if you teach that man to fish, he will eat for life. Anger Solutions is about teaching you to fish. We teach you how to evaluate each anger-inducing situation; how to make right decisions; and how to behave in ways that will generate positive outcomes.

Want to know more? Visit our website: http://www.angersolution.com/ to learn about Anger Solutions - the single best alternative to traditional anger management in the world.

The Canadian Association for Anger Solutions Pros Has a New Home

Well, it's finally here! The Canadian Association for Anger Solutions Professionals finally has its own stand-alone website! Visit the site at http://www.angerpros.com. There is more to come of course, but the basic site is up and running and we are very pleased to have reached this next stage in the association's development.
This blog will continue to operate - and of course, as members of the CAASP people can feel free to contribute to this blog and to share your ideas and stories of success with Anger Solutions.
Don't forget the retreat is September 2-4, 2008 in Barrie, Ontario. Save the date!

It's TIME! Time to Plan for Retreat 2009. Are You In?

The CAASP Retreat is scheduled for September 2-4, 2009. Are you coming? You don't want to miss this event! It is a great opportunity for us as Anger Solutions professionals to come together - to share best practices, to engage in witty, enlightening, and inspirational discussions, and to build on the dream of making Anger Solutions the first and best choice for anger programs in Canada and the world. If you missed last year's retreat, SAVE THIS DATE! September 2-4, 2009. Here is a little taste of what was, and is to come.

Call for Presenters - 2009 CAASP Retreat

The 2009 CAASP Retreat has been scheduled for the 2nd to 4th of September, and will once again take place at the beautiful all-inclusive Kempenfelt Conference Resort in Barrie, Ontario.

We are currently seeking proposals for Presenters for the 2009 Retreat in the following areas:

• Best Practices in Anger Solutions(TM)
• Innovation and Creativity in Service Delivery
• Business Development and Growth/Social Enterprise
  
• Personal/Professional Development
  
• Research
• Branding, Marketing, and Sales

The audience will be comprised of counsellors, addiction workers, mental health workers, social workers both in private practice and working for an agency, coaches, and students.

Our theme for the 2009 is "Building a Dream" ~ as Anger Solutions moves into other provinces across Canada, and internationally, the focus for 2009 is on creating sustainability for the program and its providers while maintaining the program's integrity. Authorized Anger Solutions Providers are working together to compile data on the success of their respective programs so that together we can see Anger Solutions universally recognized as an evidence-based practice. Moving forward from last year's theme of "Igniting Passion", we are looking toward working together to build a network that is solid in both its structure and its ease of communication regardless of geographical location.

To that end, we will give preference to submissions that achieve the following:

• are specific to the Anger Solutions program (especially in the area of research, best practices, and creativity and innovation)
• provide practical tools and strategies for private practitioners to build, expand, and/or effectively brand their services
• demonstrate viable ways for Authorized Anger Solutions Providers and/or the CAASP to participate in Social Enterprise projects
• addresses new research or emerging literature about trends in anger management services and/or presents recent findings about the success of Anger Solutions programs within specific settings
• engage the attendees in developing strategies to refresh, relax, and rejuvenate while at the retreat.

How to Submit:

The deadline for submissions is Monday, February 3, 2009. Please send in the following information in the order described below to the CAASP Retreat via info@angersolution.com.

Name:
Position:
Agency:
CAASP Member in good standing? Yes ________ No _________
Level of CAASP Membership: Facilitator ____ Trainer ____ Master Trainer ___
Contact Information: (Address with postal code)
Phone:
Fax:
Email:

Presentation Title:
Stream in which the presentation best fits:
Abstract of presentation (no more than 200 words please):
Percentage of presentation that is lecture style:
Percentage of presentation that is interactive:
Who is this presentation best suited for?
Will you have a co-presenter? If yes, please include their name and contact information as well.
Length of presentation: 60 minutes ________ 90 minutes __________
Would you be open to your presentation being delivered as a Poster Presentation?
Will you need visual aids? If so, please specify - e.g. digital projector, flipchart, screen
Will you be providing handouts to the audience members?

Please note that the CAASP is not in a position to pay our presenters; however, we do offer a special discounted all-inclusive conference rate to our speakers.

Submission Deadline is February 3, 2009!

Once all submissions are received, we will review and notify all applicants whether or not their presentation has been accepted for the 2009 retreat. Speakers for the retreat will be solidified by March 15, 2009.

Any questions? Call 1-866-754-6169 or email info@angersolution.com

Forgiveness and Acceptance - by Tom Caswell

Forgiveness and Acceptance
My work with adults has uncovered an interesting phenomenon. People are often hung-up in their lives by their unwillingness, or inability to accept certain situations in their lives and to learn to forgive.Often, I am confronted by a client on this topic as they state, "Why should I forgive for him/her for what they did to me. I did nothing wrong." You are right! You did nothing wrong, and you were victimized! But my question is; how are you managing as you carry the negative emotions from those situations around with you in your everyday life?

Julie has written a chapter in her Anger Solutions book which addresses this concern. She states, ' Many of us don't want to forgive others because we think that forgiveness somehow means we condone what was done to us. People think that those who forgive are weak and that forgiveness is a sign of giving in.' She goes on to add that we deprive ourselves of emotional freedom when we are unable to forgive and let go of the past.

On a personal note, I can attest to this. Many people hurt us and have done terrible things to us. The amount of energy it takes to continue to despise someone is incredible and this takes away from our ability to develop positive self energy. But forgiveness is not just about others. It is about us. How many times have we done things which we know were hurtful and unfair? Some people continue to deny their role in the situation and will scapegoat others by manipulating the situation or twisting the facts to make themselves seem less responsible. We have no control over these people. We only have control over ourselves and our behaviours.

Emotional Brass Ring focuses on how to learn to forgive ourselves as well as forgive others. How to accept your faults, learn from your mistakes and use this knowledge in a proactive way. How to use your past experiences to develop a more satisfied you, which in turn will enhance the lives of others through the normal 'ripple effect'. Emotional Brass Ring is about shedding ourselves of the unnecessary weight of negative past experiences and strengthening ourselves by positive, healthy decision making and boundary setting.We do not forgive for the reason of allowing others feel better. We need to do it for ourselves. Just another tool to utilize as you practice your personal self care and develop the 'you' which until now, you may have thought was just an unattainable 'brass ring'.
Posted by Thomas G Caswell BSW, RSW at 8:16 AM at http://myemotionalbrassring.blogspot.com - Please visit Tom's Blog and leave him a comment!

On another note - Anger Pros - please get your blog sites set up as well - let's make the most of this forum!
Julie

Coaching vs. Therapy - What Every Anger Solutions Pro Should Know

Specifically for Anger Solutions(TM) Coaches: The Difference Between Counselling and Coaching (courtesy of the International Coaching Federation)

Here are seven major differences between traditional psychotherapy and coaching:

• As coaches we don’t “treat” mental health disorders. Coaches are collaborators rather than experts. (This is the most difficult adjustment I’ve witnessed with therapists transitioning into coaching.)


• Therapists rely on psychological theory, etiology and treatment plans for wisdom; as coaches, we look within the client for wisdom.


• Therapy often asks, “Why?” and concerns itself with the client’s past; coaching often asks, “What?” and concerns itself more with the present and future.


• Therapy seeks to fix unresolved issues; coaching seeks to help the client achieve greater fulfillment, balance and be fully in the process of his or her life.


• Co-Active coaching focuses on the client’s whole life; traditional psychotherapy targets specific symptoms.


• Traditional therapists withhold intuitive thoughts; coaches blurt intuitive thoughts.

Top 10 Best Practices: Coaching, Not Therapy (Jeff Kaplan, 2005)

• During the intake, clearly define and co-design the coaching relationship with your client—identifying what coaching is and what coaching isn’t. See www.coachingfederation.org/aboutcoaching/about.asp, item #13 for a distinction of coaching from other services, including therapy.


• Ask your new clientif s/he is in therapy. If so, get written permission to speak with the client’s therapist, making sure the therapist understands your role and the coaching goals. Yield to the therapist as having primary responsibility for the client’s well-being.


• If the client is not in counseling and needs therapy in order to overcome a mental health disorder that is significantly impacting his or her daily functioning, do not begin coaching until the client is in therapy and is stable. If you’ve already begun coaching, then limit the focus and scope of the coaching to getting the client into therapy as soon as possible.


• Do not agree to provide coaching as a substitute for needed therapy, regardless of the value you might be able to provide to your client.


• If you are unsure about the potential therapy needs of a particular client, consult with other seasoned coaches, therapists and/or a lawyer who is an expert in this area.


• Document! For example, record in your client’s notes that you gave him or her a handout on “Coaching Versus Therapy” in the client’s welcome packet and/or keep a copy of the signed coaching agreement that clearly distinguishes coaching as separate and distinct from therapy.


• Continually seek out advanced coach training, especially in ethical practices.


• Continually seek to improve yourself personally, raising your own level of self-understanding and clarifying your own needs. The more self-aware you are, the more “places” you will be able to travel with your client and greater benefit you will be able to provide as a coach.


• Communicate with your client. Don’t shy away from a much-needed conversation because it might be uncomfortable. Share your concerns and ask questions.


• Trust your instincts.
  Adhering to this list of best practices will not guarantee a totally risk-free coaching business, but hopefully it has stimulated your awareness and will help you to minimize the risk of crossing into therapy territory. In practice, it is relatively uncommon for coaches to find themselves working with a client who should be in therapy instead of, or at least in addition to, coaching. If it does happen to you, however, hopefully you’ll now be more prepared.
  
  Jeff Kaplan, PhD, is a certified Co-Active coach, licensed psychologist, author and trainer. He has a full-time private coaching business, working with middle- and senior-level executives. He has contributed much of his spare time and money developing programs to help underprivileged and troubled youth. In addition, Jeff just launched his new “Build Your Coaching Business NOW” program—a 16-week marketing and sales program for new coaches (six months-three years in practice). He can be reached at drjeff@drjeffkaplan.com.