“When kids at school used to tease me, I felt embarrassed and
trapped. I thought the only way they would stop was if I hit or
kicked them. But once I started, I couldn’t stop. I got so angry that
I kept fighting until the other kid was too hurt to fight back.”*

“In seventh grade, a fight with a girl my age got so bad that I broke
her nose. I had been suspended for fighting three times before, but
this time the principal said that I wouldn’t be allowed to return to
school. Then, a counselor told my mom about CFGC’s Aggression
Replacement Therapy.”*

Aggression Replacement Therapy (ART) uses role playing and empathy building
exercises to offer teens with anger issues a whole new way to cope with difficulties.
Teens who fight and rage with peers or aggressively oppose authority figures
are often labelled trouble makers. In truth, out-of-control anger and aggression
is often a sign of depression, trauma or other emotional issues.

ART combines three 10-week components to form a powerful experience that
changes the way at-risk kids deal with anger and aggression. As a Licensed
Therapist, I work with small groups of teens to identify skills they can use to
diffuse situations, like listening and asking to explain. Then, the group “role
plays” the situations and has a chance to “practice” making healthier choices
under their most difficult circumstances. ART is proven to teach youth how to
form healthy relationships with friends, teachers, parents and communities.

Christina Moreno, LMFT | CFGC Therapist

If you know a teenager who struggles to cope with anger, CFGC can help!

YOU CAN SUPPORT CFGC’s AGGRESSION REPLACEMENT THERAPY (ART) PROGRAM BY BECOMING A MEMBER

For daily positive coping tips, follow us on Twitter @CFGCtips.

*Fictional depiction of a client’s experience