Anger Solutions Updates! Long Overdue!

Hello everyone!
I cannot believe my last posting here was in January of 2015! Where did the year go? God only knows, but here we are, already in the second week of September, and it is long overdue that I give you an update of what is new and exciting in Anger Solutions - and there is LOTS new!

First I need to welcome all of our newly certified Anger Solutions Trainers and Facilitators for 2015 thus far:

First, we will list off those who received their certification through Native Spirit Consulting - thanks to Dennis and Sherri-Lynn for doing such a great job facilitating Anger Solutions!

February 11, 2015 Certified Facilitators:

• Tiffany Myers
• Carlette Blackbird
• Elizabeth Johnson
• Judy Soney, all from Enodmaagajig Social Services Center, Walpole Island
• Pamela Longboat, from Three Fires Women's Shelter, Walpole Island First Nation
• Sherlene Bomberry
• Hayli Sault

June 19, 2015 Certified Facilitators

• Fave Naveau from Wabun Tribal Council
• Tanya LaForme
• Michelle LaForme
• Pat Jamieson
• Lonnie Montour, all from New Credit Social and Health Services

September 3, 2015 Certified Facilitators

• Linda Lefort
• Alanna Maracle
• Yvonne Comeau-Sexsmith
• Kayla Hill
• Julie Conger
• April McEwen
• Jill Beck
• Tracy Hill
• Crystal HAight
• Mark Brinklow, all from Red Cedars Shelter, Tyendinaga First Nation

I also want to extend a special welcome to our Certified Trainers:

• Angie Smith from Parkland Crisis Center in Dauphin, Manitoba, and 
• Norelis Alvarez of St. Catharines, Ontario.

We also just completed a massive Train the Trainer event in Winnipeg, Manitoba for the Manitoba Association of Women's Shelters, training 24 staffs representing ten shelters from across the province. This is exciting news, as this is the first year that we have seen Anger Solutions being offered anywhere in the province of Manitoba. I will be posting the list of graduates from this training in a separate blog post along with some photos of our fun, intense, and engaging 3 days of training. 

Catherine Iezzi from CMHA Sault Ste Marie, also certified two new Facilitators this year in June:

• Ivana DeHeneau and
• Luke Palmer.

This has been a CRAZY BUSY year, with lots going on personally and professionally for me, and so again, I apologize for taking so long to getting to this posting. I will try to do better in future :).

Congratulations to all of our new Anger Solutions Facilitators and Trainers. We at Leverage U are here for you as a resource and a support as you run your programs. If you need anything (including an updated link to Box.com, please visit our website at www.angersolution.com to shoot us a contact note, and we will respond to you asap.

Until next time!
Julie Christiansen

Anger Solutions: Strength Sticks - A Great Resource for Groups

Hi Everyone,
I had the wonderful opportunity of spending an intense 12 hours of training with the Chatham-Kent Community Health Center and some of the staffs from Walpole Island Women's Shelter last November, and I asked Mary Ann to share this wonderful tool with the rest of our AS facilitators and trainers. I think this idea is brilliant, and she purchases these bamboo skewers from the dollar store. Easy, affordable, and incredibly innovative! Mary Ann uses these for her women's groups, but I'm sure we could adapt these to different settings with just a little creativity. Enjoy, and please forgive the whistling sound in the background - it is something in my camera that I can't get rid of. :)  Lastly, all the best to Mary Ann as she enjoys her mat leave with the newest addition of her family.

Julie

New Anger Solutions tutorials - a prelude to AS Webinars

Hi there,
Last fall I mentioned that we would soon be producing Anger Solutions webinars so that people could engage in distance learning. We still have every intention of doing this, and the resource is in development. As a prelude to this more complete training tool, we are now developing Anger Solutions tutorials featuring hand-drawn images and notes (very cool). I'm sure you have seen some of these videos on YouTube, and we are excited to be able to offer tutorials using this really neat technology. The videos will be available here for you to use either as teaching tools with your clients, or just to brush up on how to relay this information quickly and concisely to your clients/audiences. The first of these videos explains the myths and realities of anger. Enjoy, and please share!

Anger Solutions EBOOK now available on Smashwords

Happy New Year!

I am very excited to announce that my most popular book, Anger Solutions: Proven Strategies for Effectively Resolving Anger and Taking Control of Your Emotions, is now available in EBook format. Thanks to the amazing folks at Smashwords Publishing (www.smashwords.com), you can now purchase and download the e-version of this book for your Kindle, Kobo, PDF reader, or other e-book reader format that you desire.

The E-version of the book is much more affordable than the print version for a couple of reasons (only $5.99 USD)- first, it is an e-version and much less costly to produce -  no printing, shipping, or packaging costs are required on my end, and I can pass that savings on to you! Second, some of the content that was contained in the appendix of the print version is now out of date, or no longer needed in a digital version. Contact information for crisis lines across Canada, along with information about eating disorder clinics, grief counseling, partner assault response programs, etc., are readily available via the Internet. Readers are still encouraged to avail themselves of these resources; however, the listings from the print version were deleted for the e-version. Lastly, we have updated the bibliography and included complete references for the sources that informed the book. In all, the page count has been reduced to about 90 pages; however, the full content from all the chapters is there for your reading enjoyment.

Please tell your friends, and visit www.smashwords.com today to get your copy of Anger Solutions for your favourite e-reader.

If you still prefer PRINT, have no fear! You can still order a print version of Anger Solutions from our online store: http://store.angersolution.com.

Fall Anger Solutions Boot Camp Now Scheduled

Anyone interested in becoming an Anger Solutions Facilitator - take note our next training program will take place on Tuesday, September 27, 2011 in Niagara. See the details right here - click on the graphic for a full size document that you can copy and print. To register online, go to www.angersolution.com

Anger Solutions Practitioner's Code of Ethics

Code of Ethics - Certified Anger Solutions(TM) Providers (Trainers, Facilitators, and Coaches)
Updated January 2011

The CAASP Standards of Ethical Conduct
Professional Conduct At Large
1) I will conduct myself in a manner that reflects well on Anger Solutions™ Group Facilitation or Coaching as a profession and I will refrain from doing anything that harms the public's understanding or acceptance of the Anger Solutions™ model of Group Facilitation or Coaching as a profession.
2) I will honor agreements I make in my all of my relationships. I will construct clear agreements with my clients that include informed consent, confidentiality, progress reports, termination of service, and other particulars.
3) I will respect and honor the efforts and contributions of others.
4) I will respect the creative and written work of others in developing my own materials and not misrepresent them as my own.
5) I will not discriminate against any potential client based on race, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, or creed. I will treat all individuals as they wish to be treated, with dignity and respect.
6) I will use Canadian Association of Anger Solutions™ Professionals member status, contact information (email addresses, telephone numbers, etc. as listed in the directory) only in the manner and to the extent authorized by the Canadian Association of Anger Solutions™ Professionals.

Professional Conduct with Clients
7) I will accurately identify my level of counseling, facilitation and/or coaching competence and I will not overstate my qualifications, expertise or experience as an Anger Solutions™ Facilitator, Certified Trainer, or Coach. I will not provide Anger Solutions™ training to other service providers without having first obtained the appropriate qualifications (Certified Trainer) to do so.
8) I will ensure that my client understands the nature of counseling and/or coaching and the terms of the agreement we set between us.
9) I will not intentionally mislead or make false claims about what my client will receive from the counseling, facilitation, or coaching process or from me as their counselor, group facilitator, or coach.
10) I will not give my clients or any prospective clients information or advice I know to be misleading or beyond my competence.
11) I will be alert to noticing when my client is no longer benefiting from our relationship and would be better served by another professional, coach, or another resource and, at that time, I will encourage my client to make that change.

Confidentiality/Privacy
12) I will respect the confidentiality of my client's information (including data gathered for research purposes), except as otherwise authorized by my client, or as required by law. I will clearly explain the limits of confidentiality to my client during the process of obtaining informed consent.
13) I will obtain written agreement with my clients before releasing their names as clients or references or any other client identifying information.

Conflicts of Interest, and Boundaries

14) I will seek to avoid conflicts between my interests and the interests of my clients.
15) Whenever any actual conflict of interest or the potential for a conflict of interest arises, I will openly disclose it and fully discuss with my client how to deal with it in whatever way best serves my client.
16) I will disclose to my client all anticipated compensation from third parties that I may receive for referrals or advice concerning that client.
17) I will avoid engaging in any dual relationships with clients where it is reasonable to believe that doing so could impair my professional judgment or increase risk of harm to my client. Where dual relationships are unavoidable, I will clarify our roles and take other appropriate measures to ensure that there is no conflict between roles.

The CAASP Pledge of Ethics
As an Anger Solutions™ Professional, I acknowledge and agree to honor my ethical obligations to my clients and colleagues and to the public at large. I pledge to comply with CAASP Code of Ethics, to treat people with dignity as independent and equal human beings, and to model these standards with the people with whom I work. If I breach this Pledge of Ethics or any part of the CAASP Code of Ethics, I agree that the CAASP in its sole discretion may hold me accountable for so doing. I further agree that my accountability to the CAASP for any breach may include loss of my CAASP membership or my CAASP credentials, and removal from the list of Authorized Anger Solutions™ Providers.

Anger Management is a Band-Aid that doesn't stick

Band-Aids Don't Stick: Why Anger Management Doesn't Work

More and more I am approached by people who say they tried Anger Management and it didn't work. If Anger Management is so widely touted as effective treatment, why is it not working?

I believe anger management often does not work because it is viewed as a band-aid solution. I cannot tell you how many newspaper articles I have read from around the world, that indicate that a sports figure, actor, or politician was mandated to attend 6 hours of anger management classes. Why 6 hours? Why not 8, 10, 12, or 15? Why is 6 the magic number? When you think about it, it doesn't really make any sense. We all know what happens after you attend a one-day workshop or seminar - after approximately 72 hours, you will have forgotten over 80% of everything you were so excited about on the day of the workshop. This is why with our programs; we strongly encourage our participants to devise a plan of action that takes them beyond the first 72 hours after the workshop. We encourage them to write it down - and to share their plan with a partner so that they become accountable. If you want something to STICK - you need to apply the right kind of adhesive. (More on this later)

The second reason I believe anger management doesn't work is that people attach a faulty BELIEF to it. They go into the workshops expecting that anger management will fix them - they are not participating with the intention that they will create the change they desire. And even more often, they do not wish to create that change - they only want to satisfy the mandate of the courts.

I liken mandated anger management to giving a fat person a gym membership and expecting them to lose weight. Better still; imagine trying to sculpt your ab muscles into a perfect six pack in 6 hours! Everyone knows that physical fitness must be a LIFESTYLE in order for it to be effective. Body sculpting takes time, effort, and a proven system for success. It can be done, but no one in their right mind would expect that peak physical fitness or the perfectly sculpted body comes at such a low price as 6 hours. OK - back to anger management then... when you mandate someone who is habitually violent, or is a miserable drunk, or who has "anger management" problems to "take a class" - what you're really saying is - "it isn't a big deal and it's easy to fix. Just go take a class and you won't have anger issues anymore - and God knows, you shouldn't re-offend..."

What a way to set people up for failure! Is it any surprise that most of the people I see have attended at least one such "anger management" class, and they uncategorically say that it doesn't work! Now before all of you anger management counsellors pounce on me for voicing my opinions, I feel your pain. In fact, I have been working in Anger Solutions for 15 years or better, and only recently have I come to the new appreciation of this distinction. Anger Solutions is about making positive, radical, and lasting change - HOW? Through incorporating its principles into one's LIFESTYLE. Our several clients who are now living testimonials to the program's value all have this in common; and here is the big secret to why Anger Solutions will work - every time. Over time, these people acquired the skills, and then applied them until they were fully assimilated into the clients' lifestyles. This is the true adhesive. Note that they did all the work - Anger Solutions does not FIX anybody (in fact, we don't believe people are broken). All we do as facilitators is provide the knowledge, the skill-base, and the tools with which to apply those skills, and we guide our clients along their learning path until they can navigate their journeys on their own. On average, this takes about 12 to 15 weeks - NOT 6 hours.

I have always (and will continue to do so) told my clients that my goal is to "coach myself out of a job". By the end of 15 weeks of coaching, I fully expect that if the client has followed through the program and has done the work required, that s/he will be able to function independent of a coach (outside of the requisite follow ups), and I will be out looking for new work. Anger Solutions is not - and never has been - a Band Aid fix. Band Aids cover up the wound. Anger Solutions teaches people how to treat their own wounds, and to prevent further injury as they travel the road of life.

Want to know more? Visit my website at http://www.angersolution.com or call 1-866-754-6169.

Anger Solutions vs. Anger Management

Special Report:
Anger Solutions™ vs. Anger Management
By Julie Christiansen,
President, Leverage U
Anger Solutions™ Master Trainter and Author, Anger Solutions!

Just recently, I was approached by a Certified Anger Solutions™ Trainer with a valid question – one that I have fielded many times over the past few years. What is the difference between Anger Solutions™ and traditional Anger Management Programs? How do we know it works? Why would I devote my time, money, and resources to learning the Anger Solutions™ system when I am already running Anger Management programs in my agency or practice? This special report will answer all of these questions, and will give you a greater understanding of what makes Anger Solutions™ so successful.


QUESTION:
I have been asked often, “Exactly what the difference is between the Anger Solutions™ program and the traditional Anger Management programs. Obviously, I know what Anger Solutions™ is all about, but if you were asked to explain the difference, what would you say? I think people are becoming more interested, but it appears that Anger Management is still the buzz word, especially in Corrections and agencies that embrace the medical model. I need some solid facts I can use to clearly identify why Anger Solution™ is more effective in many areas and what it offers that the Anger Management programs do not. Could you help me, or provide me with some specific information?

ANSWER: There are several reasons why Anger Solutions™ is different from traditional Anger Management programs. In this report, I will cite 7 in particular that I believe are the key contributors to the program’s uniqueness, as well as its success rate overall.

1. The first and most important distinction is the terminology - as it reflects the underlying philosophy of the program. Anger Management implies that we are teaching people how to CONTROL something - and when you break that down, Anger Management programs are teaching them to control behaviour... In my mind, the inherent problem with this philosophy is that Anger Management does not go to the source or the root of those behaviours (that is, beliefs). Anger Solutions is about RESOLVING the emotion of anger, and the issues that bring it up. Because we confront the underlying beliefs that dictate people's behaviours, we actually give them the tools they need to CHANGE their old responses to new ones that are more effective. In effect, we do not need to teach them how to control their behaviour because we have taught them something much more valuable, and that is how to respond to their emotions safely and appropriately. The behavioural change comes as a result of that (of course, with some coaching from facilitators).

2. The second distinction between the Anger Solutions program and traditional AM programs is its approach. Rather than sticking to one model (usually cognitive behavioural), our program takes the best of several therapeutic models and combines/tailors them into a suit that is the best fit for our clients. We incorporate the CB approach along with Reality Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, traditional behavioural therapy when it fits, art and music therapy tools, and the psychosocial rehabilitation model for lifeskills training. Together they create something that is more powerful than using only one of these tools. You know the old saying, "if the only tool you have in your toolbox is a hammer, you tend to treat everything like a nail." So, Anger Solutions represents a complete toolkit, rather than just a hammer.

3. Definition: Something else that I think is important to note, and it doesn't get touched on so much in the program, but more in the book - is that anger is often a good thing. It is an emotion that lets us know that something is not right in our lives, and it provokes us to make a change. The problem is that we have never been taught how to deal with this emotion, so we try different responses until we find one that takes us into a more pleasurable state than the one we were in before.

4. The fourth distinction between traditional Anger Management and Anger Solutions™ is our success rate. I can cite follow ups with clients whose kids were infants when they first took the program, and are still doing well and their kids are teenagers. Of course, I have my long-term follow up with my client who had a brain injury, as well as my 2 year follow up with my coaching client (corrections) - all of which will be posted to the website if they're not already. Just ask your probation and parole people in particular, "How many of your repeat offender clients took anger management while they were incarcerated?" - then ask them "how long after being released from jail did it take for them to re-offend?" Chances are, several of the P&P clients have taken traditional anger management programs at least twice. If it works so well, then why are they re-offending - and with similar types of offences? Conversely, ask some of our agencies who have been using Anger Solutions™ as part of their core programming for close to 10 years, and they will tell you that they keep using it because it WORKS!

5. One of the keys to making this program work is the leveraging we do with clients to ensure that they are internally motivated to change their responses to anger. This helps with the attrition rate (drop outs as the program progresses), and again creates a stronger sense of buy-in, which in turn results in greater success.

6. I think another difference is focus. In the Anger Solutions™ groups, there is no time built in for people to talk about "the things that MAKE them angry" - because in the end, it really doesn't matter. Indeed, one of the first things we teach them is that people and things don't MAKE us angry. (If that's the case, then we are puppets, completely at the mercy of external stimuli). Rather, we have anger inside us, and certain things evoke that response. It is a different way of thinking about anger.

7. Lastly, the forgiveness component as many of our Certified Counsellors and Trainers can testify to, is a powerful piece that helps people to let go of whatever hurts they brought with them to the group, and they can move on from there. Once people learn to truly forgive, then the anger of past hurts dissipates and no longer comes back to affect today's choices. This one component alone has a major contributing factor to the overall long-term success of our Anger Solutions™ participants.

There you have it – 7 distinctions between traditional Anger Management programs and the Anger Solutions™ model. For more information about Anger Solutions™, please visit our website, www.angersolution.com or contact Julie Christiansen at 905-329-6169.

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!

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

Video Highlights from CAASP Retreat 2008

I'll let this speak for itself...

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1st Annual Retreat a Resounding Success!

Many thanks to all who attended the First Annual Retreat of the CAASP - It was a wonderful 2.5 days - loads of fun, and truly inspiring for everyone. The full photo diary is on Facebook (search Julie Christiansen), but I have included a few snapshots here. This is the motley crew - a fun and crazy bunch!
Laughter "Yoga" - Workshop led by Shane

Julie delivering the keynote

Sandi facilitated a great workshop on Creativity
Paul Copcutt - teaching us how to brand Anger Solutions within our brand - terrific workshop! So much so that Shane actually proposed...

There are many more photos and video still to come! Keep checking back for updates...

What Time Is It? (Viral Video - Pass it On!)

It's time for the CAASP to come together! Please note the dates have changed to September 3-5, 2008 - this is a GOOD thing! By changing the dates, we will be saving each attendee approximately $100 off your registration fees. Join us for this groundbreaking event! I hope to see you there.

Julie Christiansen

Introducing Sandi Harmer

I want to introduce you to Sandi Harmer, one of our exceptional Certified Anger Solutions(TM) Trainers, who lives in Kanata, Ontario (west of Ottawa). Sandi has published a wonderful new children's book entitled, Grumblies and Rainbows in Crayonland. We hope to have Sandi in our lineup of dynamic and varied speakers for this year's CAASP Conference. There is not enough that I can say about Sandi. She is a multi-talented, gentle-spirited person with a huge heart, and a wonderful sense of humour. A good friend, and an amazing trainer! Sandi is a terrific addition to any team, and I'm proud to have her as a member of the CAASP.

Sandi Harmer, is an international speaker on women and children’s issues and has over 35 years experience working with children. Sandi wrote, hosted and produced an award winning children’s television show, The Jellybeans Show. She received the Community Builder Award (United Way) and her name is inscribed on the Wall of Inspiration at Ottawa City Hall. Sandi was nominated for the Dr. Dan Offord Excellency Award 2006 for working with children and was nominated for the Women of Distinction Award 2007 in Education, Training and Development for the National Capital Region YM-YWCA. She is a published author of two training manuals sold worldwide. Sandi lives in Kanata, ON. She is the mother of two children and grandmother of five. Information on how to order Sandi's book will be coming soon.