Angry Mom, Angry Dad, Confused Kid: Understanding Anger, Preventing Abuse, and Raising Emotionally Healthy Children
August 14, 2026 | 8:30am to 10:30am Central Time | 2.0 CE credit hours
Live, interactive, and virtual (via Zoom)
**Registration for the live course closes on Tuesday, August 11, 2026 at 5pm CT**
CE/CEU credits included: 2.0 (see below for approval details). You must attend at least 90% of the live webinar to receive continuing education credits, and attendance is monitored (partial credit not awarded).
Format: Live virtual workshop via Zoom. If you are interested in the on-demand version of this course, click here.
Investment:
- Early registration: $35 (rate increases to $55 on July 25, 2026)
Presenter: Mitch Abrams, PsyD, LP (bio below)
Abstract:
Parents are often told to “manage” their anger, but traditional anger management approaches frequently miss the mark. By focusing on suppression rather than understanding, many interventions unintentionally increase the very emotional pressure they seek to reduce. When anger is ignored, shamed, or pushed underground, it often coils like a spring—building tension until it emerges in yelling, intimidation, harsh discipline, or, in some cases, physical abuse. This workshop challenges common myths about anger and offers a practical framework for helping parents harness, rather than fear, one of the most misunderstood human emotions.
Drawing upon research in emotion regulation, social learning, hostile attribution bias, frustration-aggression theory, and performance psychology (Abrams, 2010, 2025; Berkowitz, 1989; Dodge, 1980; Dollard et al., 1939; Yerkes & Dodson, 1908), participants will explore the distinctions among anger, aggression, hostility, and violence. Special attention will be given to the role of corporal punishment, parental modeling, and the ways children learn emotional responses by observing caregivers.
Using Dr. Mitch Abrams’ “Adjust the Flame” model, attendees will learn why the goal is not to extinguish anger but to regulate it. Through practical strategies including emotional labeling, intentional self-regulation, problem-solving, communication skills, and the “yell versus whisper” metaphor, participants will develop tools to help people reduce escalation, strengthen parent-child relationships, and create homes where emotions are understood rather than feared. The result is healthier parenting, safer families, and less confused children.
Objectives:
- Differentiate between anger, aggression, hostility, and violence, and explain why anger itself is a normal and often adaptive emotion that should be regulated rather than suppressed.
- Identify the pathways though which parental anger can escalate into ineffective discipline, corporal punishment, and emotional or physical abuse, including the roles of emotional suppression, hostile attribution bias, frustration, and modeling.
- Apply evidence-based emotion regulation and communication strategies, including the "Adjust the Flame" framework and the "yell versus whisper" metaphor, to reduce escalation, improve parent-child interactions, and promotion healthier behavioral outcomes for children.
Non-Discrimination:
HPC and ATAGF do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, disability, military status, sexual orientation, or age.
Conflict of Interest Statements:
There is no known commercial support for this program, nor are there any relationships between the CE sponsor, presenting organization, presenter, program content, research, grants, or other funding that could be construed as conflicts of interests. Dr. Abrams receives an honorarium for instructing this course and royalties from his books. There is no commercial support or benefits for endorsement of products (e.g., books, training, drugs).
The presenter will inform participants of the utility and validity of content discussed (including the basis for statements about utility/validity), as well as limitations of the approach and the most common and severe risks, if any, associated with program content.
Requests for Accommodations:
HPC and ATAGF are committed to accessibility and non-discrimination in all aspects of its continuing education activities. Participants with special needs should contact program organizers so reasonable accommodations can be made.
To request accommodations, contact ATAGF's Director of Continuing Education, Erin Haugen, PhD, LP, CMPC, at training@grandforkstherapy.com.
Presenter: Mitch Abrams, PsyD, LP
Dr. Mitch Abrams is a licensed psychologist and is widely recognized as one of the only sport, clinical, and forensic psychologists in the world who also actively practices forensic psychology. For over 25 years, he has worked at the intersection of psychology, athletics, and behavioral risk, helping athletes, coaches, and organizations understand how powerful emotions—particularly anger—can influence performance and behavior. His work focuses on helping athletes optimize performance while reducing athlete transgressions by teaching how anger can be effectively harnessed and directed.
Dr. Abrams is the founder of Learned Excellence for Athletes and Abrams Psychological Services, where he provides sport psychology consultation, forensic evaluations, and clinical services to athletes ranging from youth competitors to professionals.
A Fellow of both the American Psychological Association’s Division 47 (Society for Sport, Exercise & Performance Psychology) and the Association for Applied Sport Psychology (AASP), Dr. Abrams is an internationally recognized speaker who provides continuing education workshops for psychologists, coaches, and performance professionals.
Dr. Abrams developed the Abrams Model of Violence Prevention, which integrates Risk–Need–Responsivity (RNR) methodology with sport psychology and calls for comprehensive prevention, risk assessment, and targeted treatment for potential perpetrators in athletics. He serves as Chief Psychologist for University Correctional Healthcare at Rutgers, overseeing mental health services in New Jersey’s State Prisons and is also the author of the recently released, I’m Not F*cking Angry!: Adjust the Flame to Get What You Want and Need.
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Course Curriculum
Continuing Education Approvals (CE/CEU)
This webinar is available for 2.0 continuing education hours. Attendees must attend at least 90% of the webinar to receive continuing education credit; credit will not be given for partial webinar attendance.
This course is co-sponsored by Assessment and Therapy Associates of Grand Forks, PLLC.
Psychologists: Assessment and Therapy Associates of Grand Forks, PLLC is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Assessment and Therapy Associates of Grand Forks, PLLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
ND Licensed Social Workers: Assessment and Therapy Associates of Grand Forks, PLLC, is approved by the North Dakota Board of Social Work Examiners (NDBSWE) to sponsor continuing education for social workers in North Dakota (approval through 4/5/27, provider #P-217).
ND Licensed Counselors: This webinar will be submitted for approval to the North Dakota Board of Counselor Examiners (NDBCE) for 3.0 continuing education hours.
ND Licensed Addiction Counselors: Assessment and therapy Associates of Grand Forks, PLLC, is an approved continuing education provider for the North Dakota Board of Addiction Counseling Examiners (NDBACE; approval through 1/29/27).
ND Licensed Nurses: Per correspondence with the North Dakota Board of Nursing (NDBON) on 11/19/25, contact hours approved by any other health care regulatory board (e.g., board of social work examiners [NDBSWE]) within the state or out-of-state will be accepted as meeting the NDBON requirements. You are encouraged to check with them to ensure this information is still accurate.
ND Certified Peer Support Specialists: This program will be submitted for approval for continuing education credits for North Dakota Certified Peer Support Specialists.
To view our workshop policies, including refund policy, please click here.