disturbance | Hollings Therapy

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DISCLAIMER

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

1 day ago7 min read

The Secret Is to Win: The Only Sane Response to Tyranny

[DISCLAIMER] *Lee (2023) spoilers contained herein. Earlier, I posted a blog entry entitled All of Lebanon Must Burn: What Have I Done to You? (6/22/2026). In it, I encouraged readers to consider use of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) regarding healthy and unhealthy negative emotions. Specifically, I demonstrated use of the ABC model as a method of moving from negative and unhealthy self-disturbance (e.g., rage) to negative and healthy self-distress (e.g., frus

Hip Hop and REBT

Deric Hollings

Jun 2211 min read

Ataraxia: Life’s Too Short for the Bullshit

[DISCLAIMER] Three years ago, I sat with my friend “Blanca” at her residence in Virginia. Not long thereafter, for a number of reasons, we went our separate ways. Understandably, people in both my personal and professional life may experience self-distress or self-disturbance about the loss of friendship. Regarding this matter, I consider my approach to care for mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”). Specifically, I frame this topic throu

Hip Hop and REBT

Deric Hollings

Jun 2010 min read

To Offend and Endure Offense: Você Tem Chulé

[DISCLAIMER] In adolescence, I was taught to compliment females (girls and women) so that they could experience satisfying outcomes. Specifically, the matriarch of a family that invited me to live with them when I was a teenager told me about which types of accolades were most desired. “We like it when you [males (boys and men)] notice that we’ve gotten a haircut—whether or not it looks good,” she said.” “Tell us nice things, like we’re wearing a pretty dress, we smell ni

The Daily Stoic

Deric Hollings

Jun 59 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

Hip Hop and REBT

Deric Hollings

Jun 410 min read

If Your Disturbing Beliefs Persist, Then Dispute Again, Again, Again, Again, Again!

[DISCLAIMER] While stationed in Okinawa, Japan (1997-1999), I bought I-Testament (1997) by Jamaican reggae and dancehall musician Capleton. By no means was it the first or last album I’d buy associated with the Rastafari artist who’s been criticized for his views on same-sex relationships. I-Testament contained the track “Original Man” that featured vocals by lyricist Q-Tip. As well, the song featured samples of The Mohawks’ “The Champ” (1968), Grandmaster Flash and the F

Hip Hop and REBT

Deric Hollings

Jun 47 min read

Avenge, Revenge, and Vengeance: I Must Teach You a Lesson

[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, “The best way to avenge yourself is to not be like that” (page 312). For context, “avenge” is defined as e

The Daily Stoic

Deric Hollings

Jun 412 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

EDM and REBT

Deric Hollings

Apr 2617 min read

You Give Me Such a Vibe: It Feels So Good

[ DISCLAIMER ] Imagine that I told you about an electronic dance music (EDM) track to which I often danced when in South America, as I said “it was such a vibe … it felt so good,” do you think you could identify the error in that expression? If not, you aren’t alone. Many people wouldn’t be able to! As such, I invite you to consider a psychoeducational lesson on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) so that you may separate yourself from a crowd of ignorance (lacki

EDM and REBT

Deric Hollings

Apr 2110 min read

Self-Upset

[ DISCLAIMER ] Concerning this post, the term “upset” regards to trouble mentally or emotionally , or to throw into disorder. Thus, to self-upset is to cause one’s own mental, emotional, and even behavioral chaos. Given this clarification, I now turn to Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). 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

Deric Hollings

Apr 215 min read

Inner Citadel: Stuff Cannot Touch the Soul

[ 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 . For this blogpost, it’s worth noting that a citadel is a fortress that commands a city, and a fortress is a fortified place: stronghold—a place of security or survival. Given these useful

The Daily Stoic

Deric Hollings

Apr 216 min read

We Gotta Rock It, Don't Stop... Until We Die

[ DISCLAIMER ] Because I don’t have many social media apps on my smartphone , regarding most sites such as Reddit, TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and so forth, I often miss up-to-date news about celebrity deaths. This is as I prefer things to be in my life. Still, earlier today, when searching for material online for daily practice of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) I discovered that one source reports, “Influential musical artist Afrika Bambaataa died in Penn

Hip Hop and REBT

Deric Hollings

Apr 1011 min read

Worry: Would It Help?

[ DISCLAIMER ] *Spoilers for Bridge of Spies (2015) contained herein. Photo credit , property of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and 20th Century Fox, fair use I recently re-watched a film, Bridge of Spies (2015)— said to have been based on true events, that I haven’t seen in over a decade. While watching, I thought of a psychoeducational lesson on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). For context, one source states of the film: In 1957, lawyer James B. D

Tools

Deric Hollings

Mar 229 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

Anxiety: Stress Don't Affect Us, That's Just a Part of What Living Is

[ 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

Hip Hop and REBT

Deric Hollings

Feb 1414 min read

Five, Four, Three... Beliefs

[ DISCLAIMER ] When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I invite people to consider beliefs which are rational (in accordance with both logic and reason ) and healthy (subjectively beneficial to one’s own physical, mental, or emotional state). For context, 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 assumpt

Tools

Deric Hollings

Feb 137 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