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Nonconscious Distress and a Centipede
[DISCLAIMER] When undergoing graduate studies for social work (2012-2014), I’d already earned a master’s degree in counseling (2009-2011). In both graduate programs, I participated in amateur photography, as well as having used the tools of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). Regarding the photo above, I set out for an evening of nighttime photography in 2013. I wanted to capture the scenic Pennybacker Bridge in Austin, Texas—where I attended the University of Texas
Deric Hollings
Jul 1312 min read
It’s Not the Thing Itself That Troubles You, but Only Your Judgment of It
[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. The authors quote ancient Stoic philosopher and Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius, who stated, “When you are distressed by an external thing, it’s not the thing itself that troubles you, but only your
Deric Hollings
Jul 1010 min read
Nonconscious: Just Because You Can’t Detect the Belief Doesn’t Mean That It Isn’t Present
[DISCLAIMER] When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) to the clients with whom I work, I often find that some people require additional information about the conscious, preconscious, unconscious, and nonconscious conceptual functions of the mind. For clarity, I practice REBT in my personal and professional life. Thus, I subscribe to many propositions put forth in REBT theory, which was initially developed by the late psychologis
Deric Hollings
Jul 910 min read
If Your Reaction Isn’t Disturbed, Then Why Is It Disturbed-Coded?
[DISCLAIMER] When providing professional care for mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”), I predominately use Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). For those who remain unfamiliar with this psychotherapeutic modality, allow me to discuss one of its tools. REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate that when an undesirable Action occurs and you Believe an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable assumption, not the occurren
Deric Hollings
Jul 17 min read
Expectations: I've Been Sorting Through a Lot of Shit That's in My Head Now
[DISCLAIMER] The American Psychological Association defines preference as “the act of choosing one alternative over others,” expectation as “a state of tense, emotional anticipation,” and anticipation as “looking forward to a future event or state, sometimes with an affective component (e.g., pleasure, anxiety).” Of these terms, I stated in Hopeful Anticipation vs. Disturbing Expectation: Essentially, anticipation is an excited, hopeful, and open-minded looking forward to
Deric Hollings
Jun 410 min read
Break My Heart
[DISCLAIMER] As one could imagine, when providing care for mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”), predominately using Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I often work with so-called broken hearts. Describing this term, one source states: A broken heart (also known as heartbreak or heartache) is a metaphor for the intense emotional stress or pain one feels at experiencing great loss or deep longing. It is often greatly associated wit
Deric Hollings
May 2610 min read
Discomfort Anxiety: Where Are You Going?
[DISCLAIMER] In high school, after years of tolerating distorted vision, a family that invited me to live with them from the children’s home in which I was a resident took me to an optometrist. It turned out that I needed prescription eyewear. If memory serves, once I received my new glasses, I was excited about being able to see details of the leaves on a tree from a window of the optometry clinic. “See that?” the optometrist said, “That’s what you’ve been missing!” On
Deric Hollings
May 1011 min read
Negative, but Healthy Anger and Aggression
[DISCLAIMER] In 2024, progressive house supergroup Swedish House Mafia released the song “Lioness” that featured Swedish indietronica duo Niki & the Dove. It’s a subjectively phenomenal track! For the sake of familiarity, the refrain states: You can’t keep me down, I am done, I am furious Fear the lioness, paint her face black and golden [x2] The term “furious” is defined as exhibiting or goaded by anger, indicative of or proceeding from anger. Herein, I’ll make a case
Deric Hollings
Apr 2617 min read
Ain't That a Shame? Oh Well, Goodbye
[DISCLAIMER] In childhood, I enjoyed some artists and songs associated with 1950s rock and roll, as well as boogie-woogie acts, such as the late Fats Domino. For instance, I liked his song “Ain’t That a Shame” (1956) about which one source states: “Ain’t That a Shame” is a song written by Fats Domino and Dave Bartholomew. Domino’s recording of the song, originally stated as “Ain’t It a Shame”, released by Imperial Records in 1955, was a hit, eventually selling a million c
Deric Hollings
Apr 238 min read
PLUR: Addressing Sexual Assault and Rape
[ DISCLAIMER ] Employing the psychotherapeutic technique known as professional use of self , I recently spoke with client X about my past attendance at electronic dance music (EDM) concerts , music festivals , and raves . This individual, significantly younger than I, also attends similar events. Perhaps it’s comprehensible for a current younger raver to dismiss the lived experience of an older person who used to rave in the ‘90s and ‘00s as being passé or even unbeliev
Deric Hollings
Apr 1313 min read
Sumthin' Wicked This Way Comes
[ DISCLAIMER ] When I was in high school, R&B group TLC (singer Tionne “T-Boz” Watkins , singer Rozonda “Chilli” Thomas , and the late singer and rapper Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes ) released their second studio album CrazySexyCool (1994). It was my favorite anthology by the group! On the album was the song “ Sumthin’ Wicked This Way Comes ” that featured lyricist André 3000 (of Outkast fame). Noteworthy, the song’s namesake is derived from William Shakespeare ’s The Trage
Deric Hollings
Apr 1111 min read
Real Terrorism: Operation Eternal Darkness
[ DISCLAIMER ] When serving in the United States (U.S.) Marine Corps (1996-2007), I was taught that terrorism was the use of violence against noncombatants to achieve political or ideological aims. Generally, such terroristic action involves intention (a determination to act in a certain way). To draw a meaningful distinction, I invite you to consider two hypothetical scenarios. Scenario one: A U.S. Marine expeditionary force deliberately targets a village of civi
Deric Hollings
Apr 910 min read
You'll Always Be the Place I Belong, but I'm Letting Go
[ DISCLAIMER ] When listening to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by Xenia Torino (UA) , I heard her spin the track “ After Love ” by Anyma , from his album Genesys II (2024), featuring vocals by Delilah Montagu . The second verse states: Where does the feeling go when it’s gone? Will it reappear? When it finds its storm ? You’ll always be the place I belong, But I’m letting go . I’m not that strong. When contemplating these lyrics, I can relate from both a per
Deric Hollings
Apr 87 min read
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
Apr 510 min read
9 PM (Till I Come): Accepting What Once Was
[ DISCLAIMER ] When listening to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by Mila Rubio , I heard her spin the track “ 9 PM (Till I Come) ” by trance music German DJ and producer ATB from his debut studio album Movin’ Melodies (1999). That track brought back a lot of pleasant memories! Hearing one of the EDM tracks I spun when DJing in the ‘90s and ‘00s, I thought of a relatively brief psychoeducational lesson on Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT). Now, I invi
Deric Hollings
Apr 56 min read
Trolley Problem: Distress or Disturbance
[ DISCLAIMER ] When providing professional care for mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “ mental health ”), I practice Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). In this blogpost, I’ll discuss one of the major techniques regarding this psychotherapeutic modality . REBT uses the ABC model to illustrate that when an undesirable A ction occurs and you B elieve an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable assumption , not the occurrence
Deric Hollings
Mar 1411 min read
There's a War Goin' on Outside, That's Just the Way It Is
[ 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
Deric Hollings
Mar 217 min read
Cold Feet: Can You Stand Them?
[ DISCLAIMER ] Photo credit , fair use Years ago, I spoke with client X whose wife had recently departed. He reminded me of an important lesson about the distinction between low frustration tolerance (LFT) and high frustration tolerance (HFT)— Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) concepts. I now share his example with you. In common parlance, tolerance is defined as the capacity to endure pain or hardship. Additionally, according to the American Psychological Asso
Deric Hollings
Feb 108 min read
Adaptive and Maladaptive Emotions and Behavior
[ DISCLAIMER ] When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I find it useful to discuss concepts which are accepted due to common knowledge (something that many or most people know). Often, what one presumes to know isn’t truly known by others. According to one source , regarding game theory , common knowledge may be described as “the idea that something is not merely known by all the players in the game, but is also known to be
Deric Hollings
Feb 810 min read
Imagine Doing a Good Deed Without Telling Others About It
[ DISCLAIMER ] As a resident of a children’s home in 1992, I comprehended exploitation (the action of making use of and benefiting from resources). Specifically, I voiced my grievance to houseparents about social oppression, though I didn’t have the terminology to describe it as well as one source does: A common conception of social oppression is seen as when a single group in society unjustly takes advantage of, and exercises power over, another group using dominance
Deric Hollings
Jan 308 min read
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