Individual,couples/family, and group therapy can all be effective in helping the perpetrator become more aware of their patterns, the effect on themselves and others and on their relationships. Anger management training can help the perpetrator learn more effective ways of dealing with their emotions.
If the perpetrator is unwilling to seek counseling, than the victims can utilize counseling to identify the aggressive patterns and effective/non-effective responses, and build ego strength. The fact that someone can be passive aggressive doesn’t mean the source of their anger is unjustified. Their method of dealing with it is destructive. Counseling can also offer the victim an opportunity to explore the issues that lead to this behavioral pattern. As I said earlier, it can be helpful to point out to the perpetrator that they seem upset. This can eliminate the hidden agenda and minimize the level of anger by helping them understand that their feelings are recognized. The problem is their reaction is a long term pattern and the only way that can be changed is with more self awareness and the impact of their behavior on their lives.
Passive aggressive behavior does not go away by itself.