The emphasis is on skill building . Pfeiffer says his approach works especially well in Growth Groups. Groups tend to make people feel less isolated. Pfeiffer currently has two active groups of 8-10 patients each for binge eating and anger control. He'll be starting an assertiveness group soon.
Participants sign an agreement to pay for any missed sessions.
Each session of Pfeiffer's short-term programs focuses on a particular exercise. They imagine what the day would be like, who would notice, and what their behavior would be like. Participants also keep an anger log to keep track of situations where they feel the strongest anger. He's been marketing his programs in local weekly papers and on the Internet. A lot of people out there have these problems.