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How Could This Happen to Me?
[ DISCLAIMER ] On the second studio album Still Not Getting Any... (2004) by Canadian rock band Simple Plan is the song “ Untitled (How Could This Happen to Me?) ”. Describing the video for the track, one source states: The music video tells a story of a car crash on a rainy evening where a young male drunk driver crashes his Toyota Camry head-on into a Trans Am driven by a female, resulting in her death. The drunk driver, however, survives relatively uninjured, and en
Deric Hollings
5 days ago10 min read
Either You Live, or You Die: It's Cut and Dry
[ 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
Deric Hollings
Apr 29 min read
Fog of War: Are Your Family's Affairs in Order?
[ DISCLAIMER ] Photo credit (edited), fair use Regarding daily practice of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), by which I search for at least one undesirable event for use of the ABC model and unconditional acceptance , I recently discovered a Reddit source , an X source , and a Substack source which all address the same topic. A letter purportedly by United States (U.S.) Marine Corps Lieutenant General Leonard F. Anderson IV to Marine reservists (an exp
Deric Hollings
Mar 289 min read
Is There No Standard Anymore?
[ DISCLAIMER ] When serving in Okinawa, Japan (1997-1999), a fellow member of the United States Marine Corps military police invited me to listen to a song on his MiniDisc player. “How are you from Texas and don’t know about this band?” he asked while handing me his headphones. My ears were then battered when listening to the song “ Walk ” by Texas-based heavy metal band Pantera , from their album Vulgar Display of Power (1992). In part, the lyrics state: [Verse 1] C
Deric Hollings
Mar 217 min read
We All Gon' Go One Day
[ DISCLAIMER ] Irrespective of whether or not I’m working with clients on any given day, I practice Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)—even in my dreams. For instance, I continually remind myself about the importance of tolerance and acceptance regarding most conditions in life. For context, REBT uses unconditional acceptance (UA) to relieve self-induced suffering . This is accomplished through use of unconditional self-acceptance (USA), unconditional other-acce
Deric Hollings
Mar 124 min read
Ghost in the Shell
[ DISCLAIMER ] Earlier, I reminisced about the past (2015) as I used to drive an hour from my home when working with veterans and their caregivers while providing services for mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “ mental health ”). I don’t miss that one-hour commute, both ways. Nevertheless, I spent a lot of time listening to new music during my drives. Specifically, I earlier listened to the album Tetsuo & Youth (2015) by lyricist Lupe Fiasco . My fa
Deric Hollings
Mar 97 min read
Accepting Unconditionally: Good Luck, Have Fun, Don't Die
[ DISCLAIMER ] * Good Luck, Have Fun, Don’t Die (2025) spoilers contained herein Photo credit , property of Constantin Film, Blind Wink Productions, 3 Arts Entertainment, and Briarcliff Entertainment, fair use Both personally and professionally, I practice Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) on a daily basis. Additionally, this helpful rehearsal sometimes continues into my sleeping hours. That’s when preparation regarding fantastical events can get pretty interesti
Deric Hollings
Feb 218 min read
An Inscription on Your Gravestone
[ 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 . Lately, how much time have you devoted to contemplation of your inevitable death? How much time have you squandered when thinking about the lives of others who are also inescapably heading
Deric Hollings
Feb 175 min read
Reasoned Choice: Someone There Is Dying
[ DISCLAIMER ] In my youth, adults convinced me that heavy metal music was satanic (of, relating to, or characteristic of Satan or Satanism—obsession with or affinity for evil : specifically, worship of Satan marked by the travesty of Christian rites). Thus, I was forbidden from listening to metal. As such, I unfortunately missed out on enjoying metal music from Metallica . All the same, I was vaguely familiar with some of the band’s songs, because they were quite popul
Deric Hollings
Feb 169 min read
Let's Talk About Death
[ DISCLAIMER ] During my elementary school years, my older sister and I would stay awake at night so that we could watch adult programs. On one occasion, we were able to witness the song “ Push It ” by hip hop trio Salt-N-Pepa being performed on television. The song dripped with sexual innuendo! Although not entirely aware of the ins and outs regarding sexual intercourse, my sister and I were able to ascertain the song’s meaning. That was my introduction to Salt-N-Pepa,
Deric Hollings
Feb 156 min read
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