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    The Compassionate-Mind Guide to Managing Your Anger: Using Compassion-Focused Therapy to Calm Your Rage and Heal Your Relationships

    The Compassionate-Mind Guide to Managing Your Anger: Using Compassion-Focused Therapy to Calm Your Rage and Heal Your Relationships

    by Russell L Kolts, Paul Gilbert (Foreword by)


    eBook

    $16.75
    $16.75

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    Russell L. Kolts, PhD, is a clinical psychologist and professor at Eastern Washington University outside of Spokane, WA, and is founder of the Inland Northwest Compassionate Mind Center. Kolts regularly conducts trainings and workshops on compassion-focused therapy (CFT), as well as on mindfulness and compassion practices. His professional interests lie primarily in the application of CFT and mindfulness approaches to individuals suffering from problematic anger, trauma, mood, and attachment-related difficulties. Kolts has pioneered the application of CFT to problematic anger, and is the developer of the True Strength group therapy program applying CFT to anger in prison settings.  He has published and presented research in diverse areas such as positive psychology, PTSD, psychopharmacology, mindfulness, and compassion. In his personal life, Kolts enjoys family time, reading, meditation, outdoor activities, and listening to and playing music.  His website is www.compassionatemind.net.

    Foreword writer Paul Gilbert, PhD, is a professor at the University of Derby in the United Kingdom, director of the mental health research unit at Derbyshire Mental Health Trust, and author of The Compassionate Mind.


    Russell L. Kolts, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at Eastern Washington University, where he has taught for the past seventeen years. Kolts has authored or coauthored numerous books and scholarly articles, including The Compassionate-Mind Guide to Managing Your Anger, and has pioneered the application of compassion-focused therapy (CFT) to the treatment of problematic anger. An internationally recognized expert in CFT, he regularly conducts trainings and workshops on compassion and CFT, and has appeared in his own TEDx Talk.
    Paul Gilbert, PhD, is world renowned for his work on depression, shame, and self-criticism, and is developer of compassion-focused therapy (CFT). He is head of the mental health research unit at the University of Derby, and has authored or coauthored numerous scholarly articles and books, including The Compassionate Mind, Mindful Compassion, and Overcoming Depression.

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    Table of Contents

    Foreword ix

    Acknowledgments xv

    Introduction 1

    1 Anger: Introduction and Overview 5

    Types of Anger

    A Closer Look: Steve's Story

    What Do We Mean by "Anger"?

    Dissecting the Anger Experience

    How We Feel It: Anger in the Body

    Attention: The Spotlight of the Mind

    Things We Tell Ourselves: Thoughts, Reasoning, and Rumination

    Playing It Out in Our Minds: Imagery and Fantasy

    Driven to Act: The Power of Motivation

    Things We Do: Angry Behavior

    Conclusion

    2 The Compassionate-Mind Approach to Understanding Anger 27

    Finding Ourselves Here

    Old Brains and New Brains

    A Model of Emotion

    The Three Circles

    The Threat and Self-Protection System

    The Drive and Resource Acquisition System

    The Soothing and Safeness System

    Calming Down the Threat System

    Conclusion

    3 When Things Become Unbalanced 49

    Evolved Brains in the Modern World

    Chasing Imbalance

    Why Me?

    If You Didn't Get What You Needed

    Learning To Be Angry

    Implicit Memory and the Construction of "Reality"

    Triggers

    Fault and Responsibility

    Conclusion

    4 The Case for Compassion 71

    The Heart of Compassion

    So What Exactly Is Compassion

    How Compassion Organizes Our Minds

    Attributes of the Compassionate Mind

    Skills Training

    Warmth

    Conclusion

    5 First Steps 87

    The Courage to Change: Compassionate Motivation

    David's Example

    Using Compassionate Attention with Arousal: Soothing-Rhythm Breathing

    The Compassion Practice Journal

    Conclusion

    6 The Cultivation of Mindfulness 101

    Mindfulness: A Workout for the Brain

    Mindfulness of the Breath

    Mindfulness and Working with Anger

    Conclusion

    7 Compassionate Imagery: Developing the Compassionate Self 119

    Using Imagery

    Cultivating the Compassionate Self

    Considering Self-Compassion

    The Compassionate Self in Action

    Using Imagery to Engage Your Safeness System

    "Don't Think of a White Bear!"

    Your Ideal Compassionate

    Image

    Compassion Flowing into Us

    Bringing Compassion to Pain

    The Safe-Place Exercise

    Conclusion

    8 Working Compassionately with Anger: Validation, Distress Tolerance, and Exploring Your Emotional Self 145

    A Case Example: Sheila and Josh

    Getting to Know Your Anger Response

    Compassionate Validation of Anger as a Threat Response

    Tolerating Distress and Discomfort

    Distress-Tolerance Strategies

    Exploring Emotions Behind Your Anger

    The "Two Chairs" Technique

    Conclusion

    9 Working Compassionately with Anger: Mentalizing, Compassionate Thinking, and Problem Solving 167

    Mentalizing

    Learning to Pause and Ask Yourself Questions

    Working Compassionately with Angry Thinking

    "What Would My Compassionate Self Thinks"

    The Compassionate-Thinking Flash Card

    "What Would My Compassionate Self Do?"

    Conclusion

    10 Compassionate Behavior: Relating Compassionately with Others 185

    Assertiveness

    Expressing Emotions and Desires

    Working with Your Limitations

    Expressing Disagreement

    Reconciliation

    Apologizing

    Forgiveness

    When Things Don't Go the Way You'd Like

    Positive Interactions: The Building Blocks of Good Relationships

    Conclusion

    11 Bringing Compassion to Your Experience of Others 209

    Compassionate Recognition of Our Common Humanity

    Cultivating Empathy

    Deepening Empathy with Mentalization

    Sympathy

    Bringing Empathy to Your Angry Interactions

    Compassionate Imagery: Bringing Compassion to a Challenging Other

    Conclusion

    12 Full Circle: Bringing Compassion and Kindness to Yourself 225

    Compassionate Behavior: Self-Care

    Broadening Your Perspective

    Conclusion

    13 Moving Forward: Approaching Anger and Life with Compassion 237

    Organizing Your Approach to Anger: The RAGE Model

    Conclusion

    Appendix 245

    Useful Books and CDs for Working with Anger

    Useful Websites

    Notes 251

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    We will all experience anger sometimes—it’s how we deal with it that counts. Anger is one of the most challenging emotions for humans to cope with, and under its influence, we can end up behaving in ways that create great difficulties in our relationships and our lives. The Compassionate-Mind Guide to Managing Your Anger will show you how to take responsibility for your anger and your life by cultivating a new strength: the power of compassion. Based in compassion-focused therapy, these skills and techniques will help you replace angry habits, gain control of your emotions, and improve your relationships.

    The compassionate tools in this book will help you:
    • Shift from threat-driven thinking to compassionate thinking
    • Replace angry reactions with assertive responses
    • Improve your relationships with friends, coworkers, and your significant other
    • Cultivate compassion for yourself as you learn and grow

    “This innovative book teaches how to develop self-compassion so that anger can be transformed into a more peaceful state of mind.”
    —Kristin Neff, PhD, author of Self-Compassion

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    “With clear insights and easy-to-follow exercises, this innovative book teaches how to develop self-compassion so that anger can be transformed into a more peaceful state of mind.”

    —Kristin Neff, PhD, author of Self-Compassion and associate professor of human development and culture at the University of Texas at Austin

    “In The Compassionate-Mind Guide to Managing Your Anger, Russell Kolts provides us with a novel approach to managing anger: compassionate mind training. Pointing out that we may not have a choice about how our brains react to provocation, Kolts skillfully shows that we do have a choice of how we respond. By calling upon our ability to experience compassion and empathy for others, he provides a number of helpful techniques that can turn anger around.”

    —Robert L. Leahy, PhD, director of the American Institute for Cognitive Therapy and clinical professor of psychology at Weill-Cornell University Medical College

    “This intriguing book will bring a sigh of relief to anyone struggling with anger. It’s not your fault that you experience anger, yet there is a lot you can do about it. Why do we get angry? What happens within us when we’re angry? Why is it so sticky? Russell Kolts gently escorts the reader to a deep, comprehensive understanding of anger and offers revolutionary new strategies for taming this common affliction. There is much here to inspire and illuminate both professional and non-professional audiences.”

    —Christopher K. Germer, PhD, clinical instructor at Harvard Medical School and author of The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion

    “With his compassion-focused approach to anger management, Russell Kolts has produced an important book that will be of interest both to the general public and to mental health practitioners. Kolts shows us how to use compassion as a motivating force to care for others, improve ourselves, and make relationships better. The chapters are filled with very useful thought questions and exercises that quickly increase self-awareness. Kolts writes in an appealing manner that makes the book an easy read.”

    —Howard Kassinove, PhD, ABPP, professor of psychology and director of the Institute for the Study and Treatment of Anger and Aggression at Hofstra University

    “In this wonderful, kind, and compassionate book, Kolts reaches out with true heartfulness to those who struggle with problematic levels of anger. In a strikingly nonjudgmental, wise, and warm tone, he offers a path of loving-kindness and self-forgiveness that can directly lead you to a far better relationship with anger. This can open up remarkable new possibilities in life as you walk forward with ever-greater self-compassion and self-regulation into a world of improved relationships, diminished stress, and mindful awareness. This is more than anger management—it is an avenue toward personal transformation.”

    —Dennis D. Tirch, PhD, author of The Compassionate-Mind Guide to Overcoming Anxiety

    “Cultivating compassion for ourselves and others can bring balance and harmony to our lives in a way we never dreamed of. Russell Kolts tells us how to do this with the gentleness, humor, and patience of someone who practices his own advice and, from first-hand experience, knows it works.”

    —Thubten Chodron, Buddhist teacher and author of Working with Anger

    “Full of useful information and practical suggestions. Kolts has created a powerful blueprint to help readers to develop a compassionate mindset, make better life choices, and foster more fulfilling relationships. He makes the case for compassion as an antidote to the loss and suffering that anger creates in our modern world.”

    —Raymond Chip Tafrate, PhD, professor and chair in the department of criminology at Central Connecticut State University and coauthor of Anger Management for Everyone

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