Should One Take Live or Online Anger Management Classes?

There are some fundamental differences between live and online anger management courses. These differences are both in the delivery of the programs as well as the techniques used to teach the material.

The first thing to consider is whether or not an anger management class is the appropriate intervention for ones particular situation. Some individuals attend classes because they have been mandated to do so by either the court or probation, while other may have been refereed by their employer, spouse or family member.

Anger management is a class; it is not psychotherapy or a substitute for medical advice. Anger management should teach skills or tools to participants in areas such as: communication and listening, emotional and social awareness, empathy, improving judgment and impulse control, forgiveness, expectation management, stress management, and a variety of other interventions. If this is not what you were expecting in an anger management class, then you may need to get a referral from your local provider to a more appropriate environment.

Live anger management classes are well suited for those that have schedules that allow themselves to attend a weekly class at the same time each week. I recently had a judge give me this definition: "A live class is defined by a class or program where you are physically at the office location of anger management provider". Live classes should be taken by a qualified anger management professional or psychotherapist with specialized training in anger management. Some of the advantages of a live class include feedback from other participants, and weekly intervals to practice skills taught in the class.

Online anger management classes are best suited for those that may have a difficult time attending a live class due to a busy work schedule or other family commitments that do no permit them to attend a standing weekly class. An online class is defined by a class that is taken over the Internet through the use of a computer. Online classes are deemed "interactive" when there are either tests or quizzes, chat or forums, video or audio, or a combination of any of these. Online programs should allow students to access them at varying times throughout the day or night from any internet based computer. Classes should be effective, affordable, and allow flexibility for the participant to take the classes when it is convenient for them.

Ari Novick, Ph.D.
AJ Novick Group, Inc.- Anger Management
Anger Class Online - Online Anger Management Classesnn