Abstract

Anger experience and expression have historically been framed dichotomously (anger held inside the person versus anger let out in overt expression) or in other ways that may be oversimplified and have limited applicability for women. A newer model, women's anger diversion, is applied to the case of a Caucasian woman psychotherapy client, presenting with stress-related physiological symptoms and marital dissatisfaction, to clarify its use in clinical conceptualization, using a descriptive and explanatory case study design. The procedure involved bringing the client into the process as an active participant, and employing her verbal and written feedback as a means of further developing the study. Anger diversion is illustrated in the participant's case history and verbatim reports of her anger experiences. The model is discussed with regard to related literature on women's anger, its therapeutic implications, and needs for further research in the area.