[DISCLAIMER] The James Talarico Fiasco In my personal and professional practice of care for mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”), I sometimes encounter the unhelpful effects of stigma—which the American Psychological Association thusly defines: [T]he negative social attitude attached to a characteristic of an individual that may be regarded as a mental, physical, or social deficiency. A stigma implies social disapproval and can lead un

[DISCLAIMER] I Was Once a Girl Dad, Wife Guy, and Feminist When serving in the United States Marine Corps (1996-2007), I met a female Marine (i.e., woman) who was physically separated from her male Marine husband (i.e., man). Together, they had a daughter (i.e., girl) who was six-months-old at the time when I first met her. After finalizing her divorce, the woman proposed to me and I accepted her hand in marriage (2002). Thus, her daughter became my stepdaughter. Althou

[DISCLAIMER] When practicing Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I use personal responsibility and accountability (collectively “ownership”). For improved understanding, responsibility is defined as the quality or state of being responsible, such as a moral, legal, or mental accountability. Here, “responsible” is defined as liable to be called to account as the primary cause, motive, or agent, and being able to answer for one’s conduct and obligations—something, suc

[DISCLAIMER] The American Psychological Association defines a rule as “a guideline or standard that is used to guide responses or behavior or that communicates situational norms.” I’ll now provide a mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”) lesson on a form of rule. When practicing Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I use personal responsibility and accountability (collectively “ownership”). For improved understanding, responsibility i

[ DISCLAIMER ] Having already attained a Master of Arts in Counseling degree (2011), I sat in an office at my Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”) internship sight for the final semester when earning a Master of Science in Social Work degree (2014). I then thought about the path I’d chosen. Speaking about the field of mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “ mental health ”) with my internship preceptor (an experienced professional who mentors, trains, a

[ DISCLAIMER ] I use Reddit as a source for daily practice of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), as I recently came across a subreddit post that spawned within my mind a psychoeducational lesson on personal responsibility and accountability (collectively “ ownership ”). Before proceeding any further, it may be useful to define terms. For improved understanding , responsibility is defined as the quality or state of being responsible, such as a moral , legal ,

[ DISCLAIMER ] Yesterday (1/20/2025), I awoke and Joe Biden was President of the United States (U.S.). Today, I awoke and Donald Trump...