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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

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


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


The Shipwreck Doesn't Wreck You
[ 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 . Stoic philosopher Seneca stated, “I was shipwrecked before I even boarded . . . the journey showed me this—how much of what we have is unnecessary, and how easily we can decide to rid our

Deric Hollings
Apr 26 min read


You'll Have Suffered Twice
[ 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 . Per one Stoic source , “You spend your present moment agonizing over a future tragedy that’ll likely never happen. If it does happen, you’ll have suffered twice . If it doesn’t happen, y

Deric Hollings
Mar 267 min read


Better Let It Go
[ DISCLAIMER ] In 2006, hip hop duo Little Brother (lyricists Phonte and Big Pooh ) released Separate but Equal which contained the track “ Let It Go ”, produced by 9th Wonder , that featured lyricist Yasiin Bey and a sample of “ Got to Get Along ” (1976) by Jamaican reggae fusion band Third World . Notably, the hook states, “ Let it go . Ah, ah, let it go. Better let it go. Ah, just let it go. Pull it back, let it go. Ah, and let it flow, like… (All my hopes were

Deric Hollings
Mar 612 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


Brighter Days: I Need a Place
[ 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
Feb 158 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

Deric Hollings
Feb 1414 min read


A Gun up in Ya Face, and That's All You Can Come up With?
[ 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
Feb 1312 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

Deric Hollings
Feb 137 min read


I Just Been to War and Back, I'm Stationed in My Brain
[ 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
Feb 1210 min read


What I Was Telling Myself
[ DISCLAIMER ] “I already know what you’re going to ask me,” is a phrase that I often hear when providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) to the clients with whom I work. “You’re going to ask me what I’m telling myself,” I’m then informed. 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 assumption , not the occ

Deric Hollings
Feb 38 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


The Chemicals Between Us
[ DISCLAIMER ] In 1999, English alternative rock band Bush released their third studio album The Science of Things . The anthology contained a track called “ The Chemicals Between Us ” about which one source reports lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Gavin Rossdale as having stated: Gavin Rossdale described the song as being “all about the differences and distances between people.” He also said the song was about misunderstanding and not being able to communicate. He s

Deric Hollings
Jan 2914 min read


Y'all Police Best Be Ready!
[ DISCLAIMER ] *Unique disclaimer: Nothing expressed herein in intended to serve as a direct or indirect threat to law enforcement (LE). Likewise, nothing stated herein is meant to serve as a call to action or relate to matters of provocation . I’m merely using my First Amendment right to free speech . When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I teach people about the ABC model of self-disturbance (how people upset themselve

Deric Hollings
Jan 2119 min read


Really? Right in Front of My ABCs?
[ DISCLAIMER ] Photo credit (edited), fair use The psychotherapeutic modality I practice in both my personal and professional life is Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). Aside from the technique of unconditional acceptance , the other major tool associated with this model is aligned with the English alphabet . Specifically, 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

Deric Hollings
Jan 1510 min read


Sanctum: A Focus on Irrationality
[ DISCLAIMER ] When listening to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by Aneya Rose , my face melted off as I heard her spin the track “ Sanctum ” (2024) by Belgian DJ and record producer Charlotte de Witte , featuring vocals by Marion di Napoli . No worries, my face molded back into shape. The song reminds me of nights when raving in South America. For me, it drips with nostalgia and allows me to experience sanctum (a place where one is free from intrusion) within the

Deric Hollings
Dec 31, 202510 min read


Hypotheses and Foregone Conclusions
[ DISCLAIMER ] When listening to an episode of the DarkHorse Podcast in which biologist Bret Weinstein interviewed attorney Aaron Siri , it occurred to me that some people with whom I’ve practiced Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) may benefit from the message, as Weinstein stated: What you’re describing is foregone conclusions. Right? They [pharmaceutical companies] make a product, it is presumed safe and effective, and then scientific work is done to justif

Deric Hollings
Dec 26, 202510 min read


Imposter Syndrome: Here We Go Again
[ DISCLAIMER ] In the ‘90s, I visited Estes Park, Colorado with a small group of people. We attended local shops, spent time doing silly, playful, and unimportant things, and we took photos on 35 mm film . Back in those days, it seemed as though life was timeless. Of course, that perception was incorrect. All these years later, I look at the above photo of me pretending to play a xylophone-type of instrument while wearing a fresh Ralph Lauren polo shirt with a Universi

Deric Hollings
Dec 20, 20258 min read
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