Photo By Keith Hayes | (Left) Michelle Lawing, sexual assault response coordinator; Jesica Grow, Families...... read more read more
Anger management classes available on Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow, Calif., offer an insight into ways to control your temper and tools to manage your feelings.
Angelica Mora is a prevention and education specialist for the Family Advocacy Program aboard MCLB Barstow. She teaches the eight part anger management class primarily to Marine and Army personnel, but also accepts civilian employees and dependents into the class.
“Because the course is eight weeks long with one class a week, a lot of people don’t think they can find the time to attend,” she said, “but once they take the first class they realize how helpful anger management is and are eager to attend the rest of the course.”
Mora said stress in our daily lives can cause us to react angrily because we may not have the proper tools to manage and control our tempers.
“Anger is a form of communication,” she continued. “This course teaches you to think about why you’re communicating this way and why you believe anger will get you what you want.”
She facilitated an Aug. 17 introductory class at the Behavioral Health offices aboard base where four staff members learned about the eight core anger management skills:
1. Stress management
2. Developing empathy for the other person’s point of view
3. How to respond to anger instead of an instinctive reaction
4. Using “self-talk” to counsel yourself
5. Ways to communicate assertively without resorting to anger
6. Adjusting your expectations between what you expect from an angry encounter versus what you actually get
7. How to forgive another person’s anger while still protecting yourself
8. How to take a cooling down period before losing control of your temper
“I’ve taken this class before and it really did help,” said Michelle Lawing, the base Sexual Assault Prevention and Response coordinator, “not just in the workplace but outside in your regular life, such as with your children. It also helps me realize when I’m losing control so that I can use the tools and get my anger under control.”
Michelle Adams, Behavioral Health administrative assistant, said she learned that trying to lay the blame for your anger on someone else’s shoulders is counterproductive.
“When talking to someone put the stress on more ‘I’ statements than on ‘you’ statements so that you don’t come across as accusatory,” Adams said.
James Maher, the head of the Behavioral Health section, said the multimedia presentation accompanied by the Anger Management workbook is an effective way to learn.
“I’m more curious and interested in anger management now,” he said. “I recommend it to people who have anger issues or know someone who has anger issues or problems dealing with stress.”
“I usually offer the Anger Management course twice a year, but I will do one-on-one classes for anyone who asks,” Mora said. “Anyone who wants to schedule a class can call the Behavioral Health Department at 577-6533.”
| Date Taken: | 08.24.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 08.25.2017 12:57 |
| Story ID: | 246005 |
| Location: | MARINE CORPS LOGISTICS BASE BARSTOW, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 45 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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