Anger cycle (Novaco's model)
Map one round of anger: the trigger, the hot thoughts and the body's heat that feed each other, what you do, and how its consequences can set off the next round.
Written by Tarun Vermani, Trainee Clinical Psychologist Last reviewed
Assign and Download open signup, then return you to this worksheet. No card required. Resource access depends on your plan or trial. Already have an account? Sign in
Worksheet preview
Anger cycle (Novaco's model)
PreviewLive preview — type in any field to try it. Nothing is saved here.
How anger builds and plays out
Anger often follows a pattern. Something happens, and the hot thoughts about it and the heat in your body feed each other. Together they drive what you do, and what happens next can set off the next round. This map follows one round. Fill it in with your therapist, starting from a recent time you got angry.
Your anger cycle
Start with the trigger and follow the arrows round.
If your anger ever leads to hurting someone, or you worry it might, tell your therapist. If anyone is in danger, call 999.
Based on Novaco (1975): adds the consequences, which feed the next trigger.
Trigger
Hot thoughts
Body and urge
What I do
Consequences
How the boxes connect
- Trigger: leads to Hot thoughts.
- Trigger: leads to Body and urge.
- Hot thoughts: leads to What I do.
- Body and urge: leads to What I do.
- Body and urge: two-way link with Hot thoughts.
- What I do: leads to Consequences.
- Consequences: Keeps going, to Trigger.
What keeps it going
Some habits can quietly keep anger alive between episodes, or make the next flare-up more likely. Noticing these is not about blame - it is about finding the places where things could change.
Over to you
Try it here — nothing you type is saved. Sign up to assign it and let clients complete it on any device.
When to use ‘Anger cycle (Novaco's model)’
‘Anger cycle (Novaco's model)’ is an interactive cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) formulation model. It draws on core CBT skills used right across the model, with presentations including depression, anxiety, OCD, trauma and low self-esteem, rather than being tied to a single diagnosis.
It is designed to be used within therapy rather than as a standalone self-help tool: a therapist and client complete the model together and make sense of what it surfaces. You can preview the full formulation above, then assign it digitally for clients to revisit between sessions on any device or download it as a print-ready PDF.
How it works
Most people work through it in around 15 minutes. It moves through four short steps:
- How anger builds and plays out: Anger often follows a pattern. Something happens, and the hot thoughts about it and the heat in your body feed each other. Together they…
- Your anger cycle: Start with the trigger and follow the arrows round. If your anger ever leads to hurting someone, or you worry it might, tell your…
- What keeps it going: Some habits can quietly keep anger alive between episodes, or make the next flare-up more likely. Noticing these is not about blame - it is…
- Over to you
Completed on the Formulate platform, your client's answers are saved automatically and shared straight back to you, so you can review them before the next session rather than waiting for a paper copy to come back.
The CBT approach behind it
In common with other CBT methods, ‘Anger cycle (Novaco's model)’ works by mapping how the parts of a problem connect and keep it going (formulation). The aim is not positive thinking but a clearer, shared understanding of what keeps a difficulty going and practical, testable ways to change it.
Because it is a CBT tool it stays focused on the here-and-now links between thoughts, feelings, the body and behaviour, and it works best as one part of a wider course of therapy rather than as advice or a diagnosis.
Evidence & sources
This formulation is grounded in established cognitive behavioural therapy theory and practice. Key sources include:
- Novaco, R.W. (1975). Anger Control: The Development and Evaluation of an Experimental Treatment. Lexington, MA: Lexington Books.
- Novaco, R.W. (2007). Anger dysregulation. In T. A. Cavell & K. T. Malcolm (Eds.), Anger, Aggression, and Interventions for Interpersonal Violence (pp. 3-54). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.
For use alongside professional support
Formulate provides educational CBT resources for use with a qualified therapist. They are not a substitute for professional assessment, diagnosis, or crisis care.
If you need urgent help now:
- Emergency services: 999 — if you or someone else is in immediate danger
- NHS 111 (NHS 24 in Scotland): 111 — choose the mental health option for urgent help, in England, Scotland and Wales (in Wales, press 2)
- Lifeline: 0808 808 8000 — for urgent help in Northern Ireland, free, day or night
- Samaritans: 116 123 — free, day or night, 365 days a year
- Shout: 85258 — text SHOUT, free, day or night
- SANEline: 0300 304 7000 — 4pm–10pm, every day
More General CBT Skills worksheets
View all General CBT Skills worksheets →General CBT Skills
Cross-sectional formulation (five-part model)
Map how thoughts, emotions, physical sensations and behaviour affect each other in one situation, using the CBT five-part model.
General CBT Skills
Safety Plan
A structured 6-step safety plan for crisis intervention and suicide prevention.
General CBT Skills
Longitudinal formulation (Beck's cognitive model)
Map how early experiences, core beliefs, rules for living, a critical incident and the cycle that keeps a problem going fit together, using Beck's cognitive model.
General CBT Skills
5-Column Thought Record
The classic cognitive restructuring tool. Identify automatic thoughts, evaluate the evidence, and develop more balanced alternatives.
General CBT Skills
7-Column Thought Record
The full extended thought record with evidence for and against, balanced thought, and re-rating of emotion.
General CBT Skills
Cognitive Distortions Checklist
Identify common cognitive distortions present in your automatic thoughts.
Want to assign this to a client?
Create a free therapist account to use the homework and library download tools. Clients can complete assigned homework online or use a blank PDF. See how the homework workflow works.
No card required. The Free plan includes 10 worksheet uses a month. Check plan access and limits.