A major problem at the outset of counseling with difficult young clients involves how to get them to participate in potentially therapeutic activities when they're in a lousy mood. Many cognitive‐behavioral strategies for mood management require high levels of client motivation, interest, and cooperation, which turn out to be ironic requirements for youths who feel nasty and irritable, and are uncooperative and appear unmotivated to change. This chapter focuses on strategies and techniques that may help counselors manage and solve the irritable mood conundrum. It specifically focuses on techniques that have a good chance of rapidly changing young clients' bleak or nasty moods. Rapid emotional change techniques can be useful in pursuing several counseling goals such as increasing client involvement and interest in counseling by improving in‐session mood. Techniques described in the chapter may help increase the pace of treatment with children and adolescents.