It is simply a fallacy to think that distance learning education (online education and online classes) aren't part of the age we live in. Almost every major university in the United States has adopted some form of online or distance learning to their traditional brick and mortar programs. Schools like UCLA, Stanford and Harvard all offer programs that can be taken online.
Anger management is really no different. Most anger management providers are first trained as psychologists, marriage and family therapists or clinical social workers. Ironically, all the degrees leading to these professions can be acquired through online education. Anger management providers can also be trained online. So, the reasonable person would ask themselves, "why can't anger management classes be taken online"? The reasonable response is, "they can".
The real issue isn't whether online anger management classes are valid or invalid. The questions that should be asked prior to registering for an online class is who is offering the class? What is that person's or agency's credentials and training? How is the class presented and what is the curriculum used? Because anger management is poorly regulated it lends itself to being exploited by non trained providers. This can happen both in a live or online setting.
Consumers who wish to take an anger management class online should ask the provider the above questions before registering. They should also consider the advantages and disadvantages of either format.
Anger Class Online, for example is one of the oldest and trusted providers of online anger management classes in the nation. They aren't the cheapest and they aren't a perfect fit for every situation. Classes start at $195.00 for an 8 hour class. The programs were developed by Dr. Ari Novick, Ph.D., a licensed and trained marriage and family therapist. The curriculum used is the same curriculum that has been used to train hundreds, perhaps thousands of certified anger management professionals through Century Anger Management. The curriculum is currently approved and used by the California State Board of Corrections to train probation and correctional staff.
Unlike other online classes, Anger Class Online uses a sophisticated back-end software program to deliver the content to the user. Participants must learn the materials from taking and passing quizzes and exams throughout the class. Their are also safeguards put in place to ensure the person taking the class is the person registered. This is done through a technology linked to the persons drivers license.
Judges and courts are well aware of our program and generally accept it. If a potential consumer is concerned about the acceptability of our online class, then we strongly urge you to contact the court and find out if our specific program will meet your requirements. In general, when our credentials, curriculum, course syllabus and reputation are presented, our classes are embraced.
Not all anger management classes online are the same. Cheap doesn't mean legitimate. As a consumer, do your homework and make sure the online E-Learning class you take is a class you can trust.