The WVU Sport and Exercise Psychology program will host Dr. Mitch Abrams, Friday, April 3, 2015, 9 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. in the CPASS building, room 103. As an expert in effective anger management practices in athletes, Dr. Abrams’ presentation will focus on problems with anger management in sport along with the belief that anger is a problem and it must be eradicated in order to be successful. Abrams believes that the work starts with normalizing anger, teaching one to own it, and then learning how to adjust the intensity of it to the level that would be most helpful for the task at hand, whether in sport or in other aspects of one’s life.
Abrams recognizes that many people have different degrees of anger problems and it manifests itself accordingly. His approach for anger management training works best with individuals who have skills deficits and are motivated to become more empowered and effective in their lives. According to Abrams, anger management is about both performance enhancement and transgression reduction.
The free workshop will begin by providing a vocabulary and overview of interventions, then cover the skills needed to reduce reactive aggression, which is fueled by high levels of anger and interfere with performance. This will include an overview of relaxation exercises, cognitive restructuring, and communication skills. Finally, moral development and prediction of consequences will be addressed, before wrapping up with evaluation and modification of procedures and a final open discussion. For more information, please contact Michael Berrebi, mberrebi@mix.wvu.edu.