You must typically complete prescribed coursework mandated an agency in your area if you want to earn anger management certification. The National Anger Management Association (NAMA) is the governing body in the United States that oversees the anger management certification process. Anyone seeking anger management certification is typically required to have a four-year college degree. In most areas, coursework in the field of anger management, as well as internships in anger therapy and counseling, are often required to become certified as an anger management counselor.
Anger management certification is typically earned after completing a certain number of college-level anger management training courses. If you want to get anger management certification, you’ll most likely need a four-year or bachelor’s degree from an accredited school or program. An anger management program typically includes coursework in understanding anger, anger management techniques, and anger management coping skills and concepts. Other topics covered in class include the healthy role of anger in relationships, anger triggers and causes, and the role of consequences in anger management. After completing the classroom portion of the certification training, you will begin an internship under the supervision of a certified anger management counselor who will oversee all of your efforts and training.
Counseling sessions and classroom education sessions with clients suffering from anger issues make up the internship component of the anger management certification. Controlling a group counseling session with real clients is a skill that must be demonstrated under the guidance of a certified instructor. Preparing case notes and reports on the clients’ progress (or lack thereof) is a big part of becoming an anger management counselor. Anger management counseling is required for many anger management clients the legal system. As a result, status reports on clients are frequently presented to the courts and can play a significant role in determining an offender’s fate.
You may choose to work with adults or children, each with its own set of certification requirements. Children require specialized training to learn how to establish a rapport with their young clients and gain their trust during counseling sessions. Most certification programs will require you to promote healthy methods of anger expression in children’s anger management sessions. A common focus in children’s anger certification training is understanding the healthy and unhealthy expressions of anger. After completing the internship, you will most likely be able to work unsupervised and use your anger management certification to lead healthy anger management counseling sessions.