Warm Up: My Anger Meter

Objective: To help the student identify and label their current emotional state and introduce the session's topic.

Instructions:

1. Counselor: "Welcome, [Student's Name]! I'm glad to see you today. To start our session, I'd like us to check in with an 'Anger Meter.' Imagine a meter from 1 to 5, where 1 means you're super calm and happy, and 5 means you're really, really angry."
2. Counselor: "Right now, what number are you on? And why are you at that number today? No right or wrong answer, just a check-in on how you're feeling."
3. Student: Share their number and a brief reason.
4. Counselor: "Thanks for sharing. Today, we're going to talk about understanding our anger better and finding ways to move our number closer to a 1 or 2 when things feel tough. Are you ready to explore your 'Anger Toolkit'?"

Worksheet: My Anger Triggers & Tools

Objective: To help the student identify personal anger triggers and brainstorm healthy coping strategies.

Part 1: My Anger Triggers

Think about times you've felt angry. What happened right before you started to feel angry? What are some things that 'trigger' your anger?

1. Something that makes me feel angry at school is:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. Something that makes me feel angry at home is:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. Other things that make me feel angry are:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Part 2: My Anger Tools

When you start to feel angry, what can you do to feel calmer? These are your 'anger tools' to help you manage your emotions in a healthy way.

List at least three anger tools you can use:

1. My first anger tool is:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

2. My second anger tool is:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

3. My third anger tool is:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

4. My favorite tool to try first is:
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Activity: Role-Play Solutions

Objective: The student will practice using identified coping strategies in hypothetical scenarios.

Instructions:

1. Counselor: "Now that we've thought about our anger triggers and our anger tools, let's practice using those tools! We're going to do some role-playing. I'll give you a situation that might make someone angry, and you can show me how you would use one of your anger tools to handle it in a healthy way."

2. Counselor: Present a scenario (e.g., "Imagine a friend takes your toy without asking, and you feel your anger meter going up. What would you do?").

3. Student: Act out or describe their chosen anger tool/strategy. Provide positive reinforcement and constructive feedback.

4. Counselor: Offer different scenarios based on the student's identified triggers (e.g., a sibling bothering them, feeling frustrated with homework, losing a game). Encourage the student to try different tools.

Possible Scenarios:

• Your sibling keeps bothering you while you're trying to play.
• You get a tricky math problem and feel like giving up.
• Someone says something unkind to you on the playground.
• You don't get picked for a team you wanted to be on.

Cool Down: My Commitment Card

Objective: The student will reflect on their learning and commit to a positive coping strategy.

Instructions:

1. Counselor: "You've done a great job today thinking about your anger and learning new tools! Now, I want you to pick one anger tool that you are going to try using this week, maybe at home or at school."
2. Counselor: "I have a small card here. Can you write or draw your chosen anger tool on this card? This will be your 'Commitment Card' to remind you to practice."
3. Student: Write or draw their chosen tool on the card.
4. Counselor: "That's a wonderful choice! Remember, it takes practice, but you've got this. I'm proud of you for working on mastering your emotions! We'll talk about how it went next time."

Script: My Anger Toolkit

Warm-Up: My Anger Meter (5 Minutes)

Counselor: "Hi [Student's Name]! Welcome to our session today. I'm really glad you're here. We're going to talk about something super important: our feelings, especially when we feel angry. To start, let's do a quick 'Anger Meter' check-in."

Counselor: "Imagine a meter from 1 to 5. A 1 means you're feeling super calm, happy, and relaxed. A 5 means you're feeling really, really angry, maybe even like you want to yell or stomp your feet. Where are you on the meter right now, from 1 to 5? And what makes you say that?"

(Allow the student to respond. Validate their feelings regardless of the number.)

Counselor: "Thanks for sharing, [Student's Name]. It's good to know where we're starting. Today, our goal is to build your very own 'Anger Toolkit' – a collection of healthy ways you can handle those big feelings, especially when your anger meter starts to go up."

Introduction: Understanding Anger (10 Minutes)

Counselor: (Transition to Slide Deck: My Anger Toolkit - Slide 1: "My Anger Toolkit: Mastering My Emotions")

Counselor: "Look at our slide today: 'My Anger Toolkit: Mastering My Emotions.' How does that title make you feel? It tells us that we're going to learn how to be in charge of our anger, not let it be in charge of us."

Counselor: (Transition to Slide 2: "What is Anger?")

Counselor: "First, let's talk about what anger is. Is anger a good feeling or a bad feeling?" (Pause for response) "That's right, it's just a feeling! Everyone feels angry sometimes – even grown-ups. It's totally normal. But what does anger feel like in your body? When you get angry, do you notice your heart beating fast, your face getting hot, or your hands clenching?"

(Listen and affirm student's physical descriptions.)

Counselor: "It's important to notice those signs, like a warning light, because they tell us our anger meter is rising. The sooner we notice, the sooner we can use our tools."

Worksheet: My Anger Triggers & Tools (15 Minutes)

Counselor: (Transition to Slide 3: "My Anger Triggers")

Counselor: "Now, let's think about what makes your anger meter go up. These are called 'triggers,' like pulling the trigger on a water gun. What are some things that make you feel angry at school? Or at home? I'm going to give you this Worksheet: My Anger Triggers & Tools, and you can write or draw some of your triggers in Part 1."

(Distribute worksheet. Offer support and prompts as the student fills out Part 1.)

Counselor: "Great job identifying your triggers. Now, let's move to Part 2, 'My Anger Tools.' When you feel your anger building, what are some healthy things you can do to calm down? Think about things that help you feel better, not worse. We talked about some on the slide (refer to Slide 4: "My Anger Tools") like taking deep breaths, counting, walking away, or talking about it. What tools can you add to your toolkit?"

(Allow student time to fill out Part 2. Offer suggestions if they struggle, e.g., "Some kids like to draw or listen to music. Does that help you?")

Counselor: "These are fantastic tools! It's like having a superhero utility belt for your feelings!"

Activity: Role-Play Solutions (10 Minutes)

Counselor: (Transition to Slide 5: "Practicing My Tools")

Counselor: "Knowing our tools is great, but practicing them makes us stronger. Let's try some role-playing using our Activity: Role-Play Solutions! I'll give you a pretend situation, and you can show me how you would use one of your anger tools to handle it. For example, 'Imagine a friend takes your pencil without asking, and you feel your anger meter going up. What would you do?'"

(Present scenarios tailored to student's triggers if possible. Provide positive feedback and gentle coaching.)

Counselor: "That's a really good way to handle that! You used your breathing tool and then you used your words. That takes a lot of strength and practice!"

Cool-Down: My Commitment Card (5 Minutes)

Counselor: (Transition to Slide 6: "My Plan for Success")

Counselor: "Wow, [Student's Name], you've done such a wonderful job today identifying your anger triggers and building your anger toolkit. You have the power to choose how you react, and that's an amazing skill!"

Counselor: "Before we finish, I have a special 'Commitment Card' for you. I want you to pick one anger tool from your worksheet that you are going to try to use this week, maybe at school or at home. You can write it or draw it on this card. This will be your reminder to practice."

(Provide card and markers. Wait for student to complete.)

Counselor: "Excellent choice! Remember, mastering your emotions is like learning to ride a bike – it takes practice, but you get better every time. I'm really proud of the work you did today. Keep this card to remind you of your power! We'll check in next time to see how it went. Great job!"