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Everything Has Got to Get Better
[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 Action occurs and you Believe an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s your unfavorable assumption, n

Deric Hollings
5 days ago6 min read


It’s You That Must Change, You Must Take Full Control
[DISCLAIMER] When listening to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ Set by Lisa Marty, I heard her spin the song “Take Control” (2026) by Alexey Union and Aves Volare. The lyrics state: It’s you that must change when enough is enough You gotta get on your feet when the goin’ gets tough There’s no time to think, just the time to react Life is gone in a blink; it’s a matter of fact No one will come to save your own soul It’s not done till it’s done, you must take full control

Deric Hollings
Sep 199 min read


Stoicism, Overcompensation, and a Superiority Complex
[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. One source succinctly states of Stoicism, “It’s a philosophy designed to make us more resilient, happier, more virtuous and more wise—and as a result, better people, better parents and better prof

Deric Hollings
Jul 1716 min read


Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice: I Guess We Had a Good Run
[ DISCLAIMER ] * Mike & Nick & Nick & Alice (2026) spoilers contained herein. Photo credit , property of 20th Century Studios, Hulu, and Disney+, fair use I often share my opinions on movies, expressing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) about how I tolerate and accept outcomes of frustration, annoyance, and disappointment which stem from my beliefs. For clarity, one REBT source states (page 71): REBT conceptualizes [ distress ]

Deric Hollings
Mar 319 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


It's Just Easy Come and Easy Go: Tolerance and Acceptance
[ DISCLAIMER ] When living in a children’s home during high school, a family with whom I attended Churches of Christ services asked me to live with them. They had a daughter, who was in the same grade as I and to whom I’ll refer as “Antebellum,” who at one point drove a red Chevrolet Corsica . Whether or not Antebellum knew I was in love with her for many years remains unknown, as we fell out of contact a couple decades ago. Nevertheless, she was my first love (the firs

Deric Hollings
Mar 148 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


We All Gon' Go One Day
[ DISCLAIMER ] Irrespective of whether or not I’m working with clients on any given day, I practice Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)—even in my dreams. For instance, I continually remind myself about the importance of tolerance and acceptance regarding most conditions in life. For context, REBT uses unconditional acceptance (UA) to relieve self-induced suffering . This is accomplished through use of unconditional self-acceptance (USA), unconditional other-acce

Deric Hollings
Mar 124 min read


Unhappiness Isn't Externally Caused: You Can Hoot, Hide, and Talk That Shit
[ DISCLAIMER ] I’ve paid close attention to the 2026 Iran war , which some United States (U.S.) politicians still uncharitably refuse to categorize as a “war,” as there’s an ongoing global discussion about the potential for World War III (WW III). About this matter, one source states: World War III, also known as the Third World War, is a hypothetical future global conflict subsequent to World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). It is widely predicted that

Deric Hollings
Mar 811 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


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


The Dark One
[ DISCLAIMER ] When I was a child, my late mom visited a fortune teller (someone with the supposed ability to foretell future events and especially the details of a person’s future). While my sisters and I weren’t allowed to enter the fortune-telling establishment, my mom shared what she learned. “She told me that [my older sister] would be married and have children,” my mom gleefully stated as we sat in the parking lot. When my younger sister asked what was in store fo

Deric Hollings
Dec 12, 202515 min read


Don't Go Outside
[ DISCLAIMER ] Photo credit , fair use Halfway through my fifth grade year, my mom sent me from Amarillo, Texas, where I lived with her, to live with my dad in Aurora, Colorado. I was an overweight, white-appearing, biracial (white and black) child with a thick Texas accent, and who didn’t know any other kids at school. When enrolled in Crawford Elementary School (pictured above), I was introduced to Crips who lived in the local neighborhood. This introduction was by way

Deric Hollings
Oct 14, 20258 min read


Paying Taxes
[ DISCLAIMER ] Although she taught me how to steal from organizations such as the church congregation for which she worked as a...

Deric Hollings
Oct 1, 202510 min read


My Lil' Ol' Tie
[ DISCLAIMER ] My late stepmom used demeaning remarks when mocking people in her uniquely comical way. For context, “demeaning” is...

Deric Hollings
Sep 30, 20255 min read


A Preventative Approach to Self-Disturbance
[ DISCLAIMER ] Photo credit (edited), fair use When providing psychoeducational lessons on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)...

Deric Hollings
Aug 26, 20257 min read


Blinded by the Riches
[ DISCLAIMER ] Stop me if you’ve heard this one. President Donald Trump once said , “There’s even, uh, under consideration, a new...

Deric Hollings
Jul 4, 20256 min read


Agree to Disagree
[ DISCLAIMER ] Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) uses the ABC model to illustrate that when an undesirable A ction occurs and...

Deric Hollings
May 25, 20256 min read


I Can't Take It: It's More Than I Can Handle
[DISCLAIMER] Have you ever been exposed to a CS gas chamber? I have. In a blogpost entitled Resilience, I described my experience from...

Deric Hollings
May 19, 20256 min read


Do You Remember House?
[ DISCLAIMER ] I’m fortunate enough to have been into electronic dance music (EDM) by the time Eddie Amador released the track “ House...

Deric Hollings
Apr 16, 20255 min read
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