Don't I Have the Right to Be Angry?: The Heart Program for Veterans and Others Who Want to Prevent Destructive Anger

Don't I Have the Right to Be Angry? is about the prevention of destructive anger for mental health professionals and their clients. It presents Dr. Lipke's HEArt Program, developed from work with combat veterans and their families, expanded for the general public.

The HEArt solutions to anger are a set of tools developed by Howard Lipke as he helped traumatized veterans learn to avoid having anger attacks. The tools are profoundly apt, helping the individual prepare for sensitive situations and providing cognitive, emotional, and physiological mechanisms to deal with those situations. The result is a HEArt-prepared individual who is not easily triggered into anger. This system works; anyone prone to angry outbursts should read this book.

Don R. Catherall, Ph.D.
Editor, Handbook of Stress, Trauma, and the Family 
(2004, Routledge)


Drawing upon over 30 years of experience working with military veterans from all eras, Dr. Lipke has written the most comprehensive and practical clinical guide available on understanding, preventing, and managing post-traumatic anger. After introducing the Hidden Emotion Articulation (HEArt) program developed and clinically tested within the VA, Lipke provides straightforward explanations and meaningful examples of the nature, causes, and prevention of destructive anger, written in everyday language so that both clinicians and clients can immediately apply lessons learned. Well-designed "real-world" exercises are presented to help clients learn effective ways to control their anger before it controls them. This book is a "must have" for all helping professionals and clients coping with traumatic stress injuries, particularly members of the warrior class including active-duty military, veterans, law enforcement, journalists, and family members.

Mark C. Russell, Ph.D., ABPP

Commander, U.S. Navy (Retired)

Director, Institute of War Stress Injuries and Social Justice, 
Antioch University Seattle


As a clinical psychologist at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center (formerly the North Chicago VA Medical Center) Dr. Lipke developed the HEArt program for service members and veterans with histories of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). It focuses on potentially destructive anger and examination of underlying emotions that one's anger may be protecting against. The HEArt program has become a key aspects of the clinical programming on the residential PTSD unit and is a strong tool for anybody recovering from the effects of PTSD.

Anthony R. Peterson, Psy.D.
Section Chief, PTSD Programs

Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center, 
North Chicago, IL


Based on clinical observation and excellent scholarship, Dr. Lipke's HEArt program fills the need for an easy-to-follow guide for understanding and managing destructive anger. Looking at anger's cognitive and emotional underpinnings, it is wonderfully written, clear, and organized, breaking anger down into manageable bites. While it is initially directed toward a veteran audience, this program would be helpful for just about everyone, including therapy groups, graduate students, and mental health professionals. It is easy to understand, a pleasure to read, and I highly recommend it!

Carolyn V. Edwards, Ph.D.

Roosevelt University, Chicago, IL


In the spring of 2012, Dr. Howard Lipke presented the core concepts of the HEArt program to twenty high school students in an evening program for students who have already dropped out of high school, or who are at risk of dropping out... I believe his program is extremely valuable for troubled adolescents. They are struggling to understand why their lives are so chaotic and how they can make them better. Giving young people real tools for behavior analysis is key to raising conscious, caring, fully functioning adults. I recommend the program with enthusiasm.

June A. Kramer
Teacher, Barrington High School, Barrington, Illinois