I was reading the advice column today regarding angry outbursts and I am deeply concerned about advice suggesting people should seek out a counselor or a support group for habitual or abusive anger or temper problems. "Angry outbursts" need to be defined as abusive behavior (even without physical violence, outbursts can be used to control, intimidate, or frighten another person and are considered violence). Most people that have "outbursts" with their spouse are not in need of anger management because they have no difficulty managing their anger in the work place or in social settings. Rather, they choose to exhibit these outbursts in the presence of a significant other. Therefore, a person who has difficulty controlling outbursts with their spouse is NOT in need of anger management or counseling, they are in need of batterers treatment. If a person exhibits physical outburts, then couple's therapy is out of the question - - even if a therapist, friend, family member or clergy recommends it. Couples therapy can even be lethal by putting the victimized spouse in a position of controlling the violence and at the minimum puts the victim at an increased risk of physical and emotional injury. There is no evidence that anger management programs work for persons who lose control with a spouse, however, there is ample evidence that people who lose their temper at work and in social settings perpetrate more severe violence with an intimate partner. There is some evidence (albeit not overwhelming) that long term batterers treatment programs have limited success in treating perpetrators. Anger management and psychotherapy that do not focus on accountability, power dynamics, and consequences do not impact true long term personal change.