Starving the Anger Gremlin for Children Aged 5-9: A Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Workbook on Anger Management: 4 (Gremlin and Thief CBT Workbooks)

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The self-help materials included in this workbook are based on the principles of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) but do not constitute a session-by-session therapeutic programme. However, the materials contained in this workbook can be used as a resource for professionals working with children.

Often, our thoughts about a situation or something that has happened are irrational and unrealistic. Such thinking can be unhelpful and make us emotional and even angry (Peters, 2018). The worksheets and resources that follow help promote practical advice and develop better emotional management skills, language skills (becoming more able to talk about and explore feelings), and self-regulatory skills (improving control over emotions and anger). We typically believe that other people or events make us angry, but it is our thoughts and beliefs that control our anger. We can, with practice, assume control over our feelings (Collins-Donnelly, 2012). This valuable guide for teenagers has practical tools to improve awareness and self-control. The five-step approach to managing anger is particularly beneficial.

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Meet the anger gremlin: a troublesome pest whose favourite meal is your anger, and the more he eats the angrier you get! There's only one way to stop him: starve him of angry feelings and behaviours, and make him disappear. Note that while frustrating for close family and friends, anger that is out of control rather than normal can indicate serious and deep emotional issues (Travis, 2012). While anger in an appropriate situation can be beneficial, it must be to the “right degree, at the right time, and for the right purpose” (Young, 2013). Otherwise, misplaced or disproportionate anger can be damaging for the individual and those around (Travis, 2012). Try out some of the worksheets and resources in this article with the teenagers exhibiting anger issues. Crucially, they can help young adults recognize and voice their own emotions and develop the skills needed to manage rather than escalate feelings of anger. I used Starving the Anger Gremlin with a 14 year old client who up until that point had been extremely difficult to engage. He loved the book and engaged with it immediately. I couldn't believe it! He liked the fact that it was written in a non-judgemental way, that it gave you constructive tools to use and discussed examples that were relative to his world. He also found the quotes from other young people reassuring as he realised that he wasn't on his own in feeling and behaving the way he did. He is making great changes thanks to the skills learnt. I would highly recommend this book to practitioners and young people alike.

This tool can help your clients learn to defuse conflict in an emotionally intelligent way using brief, respectful, and clear communication. Starving the Anger Gremlin for Children Aged 5-9 (Gremlin and Thief CBT Workbooks) by Kate Collins-Donnelly This book aims to offer a cognitive behavioural approach to managing anxiety, suitable for those 10 years and above... The book suggests that it can be used by the young person to work through or alongside an adult or professional... The book goes on to describe what anxiety is and what different types of anxiety exists... On the whole I think this book is an excellent tool for prompting discussion around anxiety, explaining anxiety to a child and detaching them how to manage this response to situations.Reframing irrational thoughts can change the emotions and behaviors that arise. Keep an anger diary Help them understand that the decision to be angry is down to them. “It’s your thoughts and beliefs that make you angry” (Collins-Donnelly, 2012, p. 29). Each angry response begins with a triggering event. It might be another person’s actions, an event, or even a memory (Dyer, 2020).