[ DISCLAIMER ] Earlier, when listening to rapper Key Glock ’s sixth mixtape Son of a Gun (2020), I heard the song “ Cops N Robbers ” in which he states, “Throwin’ bullets, not knuckles. Young Glock Brady , I’ma score, yeah (Fire). Cutthroat to the core. I’ll kill a nigga with no remorse !” That’s when I thought about a psychoeducational lesson on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). For context, the American Psychological Association (APA) defines remorse as “a s

[ DISCLAIMER ] On the album Trouble & a Pair of Dice (2018), by lyricist NapsNdreds along with producer Nottz , is the track “ Blind Folds ” that features vocals by Neenah . On the chorus, Neenah sings: I know, I know you probably wear a blindfold, Because once you look, you can’t un-see anymore Tell me how does it feel to be in the dark? Will you ever see the light? As time goes by, An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind . Regarding the last line of the chor

[ DISCLAIMER ] As Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is informed by Stoic philosophy , this blog entry is part of an ongoing series regarding a book entitled The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman . Per one Stoic source , “You spend your present moment agonizing over a future tragedy that’ll likely never happen. If it does happen, you’ll have suffered twice . If it doesn’t happen, y

[ DISCLAIMER ] Message to the Grass Roots On his 2018 album I Self Lord and Master (I.S.L.A.M.) , lyricist Recognize Ali released the song “ Liftin Me Higher ” that featured a sample of the 1963 speech “ Message to the Grass Roots ” by the late black nationalist leader el-Hajj Malik el-Shabazz (better known as Malcolm X ) who said: All the revolutions that’s going on in Asia and Africa today are based on what? Black nationalism . A revolutionary is a black nationali

[ DISCLAIMER ] As Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is informed by Stoic philosophy , this blog entry is part of an ongoing series regarding a book entitled The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman . Today’s lesson on Stoicism regards opinions ( subjective , and often invalid and/or unreliable , views , judgments , or appraisals formed in the mind about a particular matter). Regardi

[ DISCLAIMER ] I practice Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), a psychotherapeutic modality developed by the late psychologist Albert Ellis . Unlike other models which focus on the past (having existed or taken place in a period before the present), I stated of REBT in It’s In the Past : The overwhelming majority of clients with whom I’ve ever worked have discussed unresolved issues of the past. While I meet with these individuals in the present, I’m unable to alte

[ DISCLAIMER ] When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I teach people about the ABC model of self-disturbance (how people upset themselves through use of irrational beliefs ). Now, I’ll address a finer point of this psychotherapeutic model of wellness . For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate how when an undesirable A ction occurs and you B elieve an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable a

[ DISCLAIMER ] When living in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil (1999-2000), my girlfriend invited me to take cityscape photos at Pedra Bonita —one of the peaks in Tijuca National Park at approximately 520 meters above sea level. Noteworthy, in the above photo, I gripped her tightly out of more than passion. This is because I had undiagnosed acrophobia, which the American Psychological Association (APA) defines as “an excessive, irrational fear of heights, resulting in the avoid

[ DISCLAIMER ] When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I teach people about the ABC model of self-disturbance (how people upset themselves through use of irrational beliefs ). Now, I’ll address a finer point of this psychotherapeutic model of wellness . For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate how when an undesirable A ction occurs and you B elieve an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable a

[ DISCLAIMER ] When recently listening to the song “ Slick Talk ” by lyricist JID , from his album DiCaprio 2 (2018), I paid close attention as he stated, “Pissed off, I done took my fifth loss this week. Big dog, I can scratch that shit off like fleas.” I then thought of a psychoeducational lesson. Before I proceed, a couple points of context may be useful. First, being “pissed off” means that one is angry , enraged , or irritated . Second, in hip hop, the phrase “take

[ DISCLAIMER ] I’ve paid close attention to the 2026 Iran war , which some United States (U.S.) politicians still uncharitably refuse to categorize as a “war,” as there’s an ongoing global discussion about the potential for World War III (WW III). About this matter, one source states: World War III, also known as the Third World War, is a hypothetical future global conflict subsequent to World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). It is widely predicted that

[ DISCLAIMER ] In 2006, hip hop duo Little Brother (lyricists Phonte and Big Pooh ) released Separate but Equal which contained the track “ Let It Go ”, produced by 9th Wonder , that featured lyricist Yasiin Bey and a sample of “ Got to Get Along ” (1976) by Jamaican reggae fusion band Third World . Notably, the hook states, “ Let it go . Ah, ah, let it go. Better let it go. Ah, just let it go. Pull it back, let it go. Ah, and let it flow, like… (All my hopes were

[ DISCLAIMER ] Over a decade ago, when attending the School of Social Work (now Steve Hicks School of Social Work) at the University of Texas at Austin, I met a Mexican woman and fellow graduate student to whom I was attracted. Eventually, we began dating. As people tend to do when involved with intimate partner relationships, we discussed our unique backgrounds, what types of music we enjoyed, and so forth. She expressed surprise at the fact that in high school I befrie

[ DISCLAIMER ] When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I teach people about the ABC model of self-disturbance (how people upset themselves through use of irrational beliefs ). Now, I’ll address a finer point of this psychotherapeutic model of wellness . For context, REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate how when an undesirable A ction occurs and you B elieve an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable a

[ DISCLAIMER ] The American Psychological Association defines relaxation as “abatement of intensity, vigor, energy, or tension, resulting in calmness of mind, body, or both” and “the return of a muscle to its resting condition after a period of contraction.” This post only vaguely relates to this term. When practicing Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) with clients, it isn’t uncommon for innuendo (an oblique allusion, especially a veiled or equivocal reflection on

[ DISCLAIMER ] Mobb Deep, Heltah Skeltah, and 2Pac Among classic tracks from the golden age of hip hop , songs with which arguably even those individuals who don’t like rap music remain familiar, are “ Survival of the Fittest ” by duo Mobb Deep (lyricists Havoc and the late Prodigy ) and “ Changes ” by the late lyricist 2Pac . Featured on Mobb Deep’s second studio album The Infamous (1995), “Survival of the Fittest” was produced by Havoc and contains a sample from th