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Displeasing: Choose How You Will Suffer
[DISCLAIMER] The American Psychological Association defines the term suffering as “the experience of pain or acute distress, either physical or psychological, in response to a physical trauma or a significant event, particularly one that is threatening or involves loss (e.g., the death of a loved one).” When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I differentiate between physical and psychological trauma, as well as separating disp

Deric Hollings
6 days ago11 min read


Owning Up to Personal and Collective Codes of Conduct
[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

Deric Hollings
May 1510 min read


Another Night, Another Dream, but Always You
[DISCLAIMER] Regarding professional care for mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”), there are many psychotherapeutic modalities available. My preferred model is Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) which aims to help people get better, not merely feel better. For instance, the American Psychological Association (APA) defines catharsis as “in psychoanalytic theory, the discharge of previously repressed affects connected to traumatic ev

Deric Hollings
May 1310 min read


What's Love Got to Do With It?
[DISCLAIMER] *What’s Love Got to Do With It (1993) spoilers contained herein. Photo credit, Property of Touchstone Pictures and Buena Vista Pictures Distribution, fair use My now-deceased mom was a fan of the late Tina Turner (born Anna Mae Bullock). As such, my mother owned a vinyl record of Private Dancer (1984) and played the song “What’s Love Got to Do with It” loudly from a stereo when cleaning our home. The chorus states: What’s love got to do, got to do with it?

Deric Hollings
May 1117 min read


Havoc: How Do You Want It, Nigga?
[DISCLAIMER] *Havoc (2005) spoilers contained herein. I recently posted a blog entry on The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026), as I stated, “I enjoyed it due to appreciating the acting of Meryl Streep, Stanley Tucci, Anne Hathaway, and Emily Blunt.” Since then, I’ve become aware of controversy surrounding Hathaway, as one source states: She’s currently riding high on the success of the hotly-anticipated sequel, The Devil Wears Prada 2. Yet Anne Hathaway’s life couldn’t have be

Deric Hollings
May 916 min read


The Cat in the Hat: Leisure Without Study Is Death
[DISCLAIMER] *The Cat in the Hat spoilers contained herein. Photo credit, property of Universal Pictures, DreamWorks Pictures, and United International Pictures, fair use In childhood, I knew next to nothing about mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “mental health”). Looking back to that period in life, I experienced quite a bit of ignorance (lack of knowledge, education, or awareness). Therefore, when having a story by Theodor “Dr. Seuss” Geisel read

Deric Hollings
May 815 min read


The Devil Wears Prada 2: Maybe We Should Just Be Not Perfect Together
[DISCLAIMER] *The Devil Wears Prada 2 (2026) spoilers contained herein. Photo credit, property of 20th Century Studios, fair use I never read the novel The Devil Wears Prada (2003)—about a young woman hired as a personal assistant to a powerful fashion magazine editor, a job that becomes challenging as she experiences difficulty trying to keep up with her boss’s schedule and disobliging expectations. All the same, I watched the comedy-drama film The Devil Wears Prada (2

Deric Hollings
May 411 min read


Embarrassment Attacking: Risk-Taking Exercises
[DISCLAIMER] There’s a tool used in Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) known as shame attacking. Regarding this useful technique, I stated in Shame Attacking: When working with clients, I find it worthy to differentiate guilt from shame. Guilt (from inside) is something I take credit for, as shame (from outside) is something others assign credit for. Regarding shame and REBT, one source states, “[S]hame attack [homework] assignments are valuable as they challenge

Deric Hollings
Apr 2516 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


A Cause for Concern Doesn't Cause Concern
[ DISCLAIMER ] I invite you to consider a psychoeducational lesson on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) which involves how I practice Stoicism regarding a current event. Although you may be tempted to pass by this post, because you don’t care about media stories, I encourage you to stay. I don’t necessarily like or love current geopolitical events, though I make an attempt to daily practice REBT—which involves facing matters for which I have little appreciati

Deric Hollings
Apr 2011 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


Objective Rationality: What Is Rational to You May Not Be Rational to Others
[ DISCLAIMER ] I recently attended a session with client X, who apparently contemplated that I’d validate this individual’s beliefs regarding a matter of disagreement with another individual, as I thought of a psychoeducational lesson on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) at the time. Before going further, it may be useful to define terms. When referring to thoughts or beliefs which are “ rational ,” I’m referencing those cognitive elements which remain in acco

Deric Hollings
Apr 212 min read


Healthy Remorse vs. Unhealthy Guilt
[ 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

Deric Hollings
Mar 2711 min read


Where Can I Get REBT Therapy in Austin, TX?
[ DISCLAIMER ] This blogpost is part of an ongoing series related to answering questions posted to artificial intelligence (AI) platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and so forth. Question: Where can I get REBT therapy in Austin, TX? Answer: According to the American Psychological Association, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is thusly defined : [A] form of cognitive behavior therapy based on the concept that an individual’s self-defeating beliefs

Deric Hollings
Mar 255 min read


What Are Common Issues Treated by REBT in Texas?
[ DISCLAIMER ] This blogpost is part of an ongoing series related to answering questions posted to artificial intelligence (AI) platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and so forth. Question: What are common issues treated by REBT in Texas? Answer: According to the American Psychological Association, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is thusly defined : [A] form of cognitive behavior therapy based on the concept that an individual’s self-defeating beli

Deric Hollings
Mar 255 min read


The House Negro and the Field Negro: Suffer Peacefully
[ 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

Deric Hollings
Mar 2418 min read


What Is Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy Used For?
[ DISCLAIMER ] This blogpost is part of an ongoing series related to answering questions posted to artificial intelligence (AI) platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and so forth. Question: What is Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy used for? Answer: According to the American Psychological Association, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is thusly defined : [A] form of cognitive behavior therapy based on the concept that an individual’s self-defeating b

Deric Hollings
Mar 235 min read


Concern With the Here and Now
[ 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

Deric Hollings
Mar 1710 min read


Blocked by Fears
[ 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

Deric Hollings
Mar 139 min read


Becoming "Must Win Losers": Take the L
[ 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

Deric Hollings
Mar 129 min read
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