Externalising Temper
This session is aimed at YP who are already engaging in abusive an/or aggressive behaviours towards other people.
- To talk about anger in a way that promotes positive change
- For the YP to understand why they use abusive behaviour
- For the YP to identify situations in which they would prefer not to be abusive
- For the YP to identify past situations where they have used successful strategies to avoid abusive behaviour
This technique from narrative therapy* allows the YP to look at how anger may have begun to function in their life as a coping mechanism, to evaluate its effects in their life now and to think about how they can keep it at bay when they choose to.
As the practitioner you can help the YP externalise their anger by asking them to think about it as if it had its very own identity and personality, inviting the YP to describe their anger in a language and way that has meaning for them. Depending on the preferences of the YP, they might describe their anger as an object: noticing its shape, form, texture, colour and temperature. This serves to consolidate their anger or an anger-related problem as separate from them as a person. You can then guide the YP in exploring and understanding their relationship with anger. This includes identifying and locating the source of any shame and stigma associated with their anger, which can also be dealt with as something separate to the YP.
YP who have struggled with anger in the past can get into the habit of labelling themselves as an “angry kid.” This makes positive change more difficult as the label becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy. It is much easier to address anger as an issue you struggle with then try and change your identity. Externalising techniques help the YP move away from the unhelpful narrative of “angry kid” so they can begin to identify with a more positive self-identity thus empowering them to make positive changes.
Rather than being something wrong with them, each YP can understand how their problems related with anger have developed. For example, YP who have experienced early childhood trauma can come to understand how it has impacted on their ability to regulate their emotions. This understanding can liberate a YP from unhelpful shame and stigma. Further, it puts the focus on the real issue that the YP can take steps to deal with. It also might help them understand how others in their family have struggled to manage their anger constructively. This helps the individual to be a more dispassionate, kind and gentle observer of their own anger and the anger of others.
*https://dulwichcentre.com.au/articles-about-narrative-therapy/externalising/
