Although the costs of uncontrolled anger are well-known, interventions for anger are less frequently studied and less effective than interventions for either depression or anxiety (NAMA, 2012). One hundred eighty-seven patients requesting anger management treatment at an outpatient counseling center in Denver participated in this study. They were randomly assigned to one of two treatments: an experimental treatment integrating forgiveness therapy and anger management, or anger treatment as usual. Treatment consisted of twelve 90-minute sessions held once a week in small groups led by group facilitators. Participants in both treatment conditions reported clinically significant decreases in state anger and increases in anger control and forgiveness, with the experimental treatment outperforming treatment as usual on all outcome variables. These findings suggest that adding a forgiveness component to anger treatment may increase the efficacy of treatment for anger. Furthermore, results of this study suggest that forgiveness therapy may be efficacious not just with victims, but with offenders as well.
","abstract_html":"<p>Although the costs of uncontrolled anger are well-known, interventions for anger are less frequently studied and less effective than interventions for either depression or anxiety (NAMA, 2012). One hundred eighty-seven patients requesting anger management treatment at an outpatient counseling center in Denver participated in this study. They were randomly assigned to one of two treatments: an experimental treatment integrating forgiveness therapy and anger management, or anger treatment as usual. Treatment consisted of twelve 90-minute sessions held once a week in small groups led by group facilitators. Participants in both treatment conditions reported clinically significant decreases in state anger and increases in anger control and forgiveness, with the experimental treatment outperforming treatment as usual on all outcome variables. These findings suggest that adding a forgiveness component to anger treatment may increase the efficacy of treatment for anger. Furthermore, results of this study suggest that forgiveness therapy may be efficacious not just with victims, but with offenders as well.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Ballard, Michael Schaefer"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Ph.D.","degree_level":"Dissertation","degree_discipline":null,"degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Cynthia McRae, Ph.D.","Kathy Green","Patton Garriott","Mohammad Matin"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2017,"date_issued":"2017-01-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2017-01-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T02:03:26Z","subjects":["Anger","Forgiveness","Group counseling","Counseling","Counseling Psychology"],"languages":["en"],"rights":["Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.du.edu/etd/1324","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Cynthia McRae, Ph.D.","Kathy Green","Patton Garriott","Mohammad Matin"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Ballard, Michael Schaefer"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"dc:date.available","label":"Dc Date Available","values":["2017-10-02T07:00:00Z"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Dissertation"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Ph.D."]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["Anger","Forgiveness","Group counseling","Counseling","Counseling Psychology"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:language","label":"Dc Language","values":["en"]},{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.
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"]},{"key":"dc:format","label":"Dc Format","values":["application/pdf"]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Integrating Forgiveness Therapy and the Treatment of Anger: A Randomized Controlled Trial"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Cynthia McRae, Ph.D.","Kathy Green","Patton Garriott","Mohammad Matin"],"dc:creator":["Ballard, Michael Schaefer"],"dc:date.available":["2017-10-02T07:00:00Z"],"dc:description.abstract":["Although the costs of uncontrolled anger are well-known, interventions for anger are less frequently studied and less effective than interventions for either depression or anxiety (NAMA, 2012). One hundred eighty-seven patients requesting anger management treatment at an outpatient counseling center in Denver participated in this study. They were randomly assigned to one of two treatments: an experimental treatment integrating forgiveness therapy and anger management, or anger treatment as usual. Treatment consisted of twelve 90-minute sessions held once a week in small groups led by group facilitators. Participants in both treatment conditions reported clinically significant decreases in state anger and increases in anger control and forgiveness, with the experimental treatment outperforming treatment as usual on all outcome variables. These findings suggest that adding a forgiveness component to anger treatment may increase the efficacy of treatment for anger. Furthermore, results of this study suggest that forgiveness therapy may be efficacious not just with victims, but with offenders as well.
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