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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
1 day ago11 min read
A Special Burden
[ DISCLAIMER ] With Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), I opt for use of self about which one source states, “The term use of self in therapy refers specifically to the ways in which the therapist draws upon their own feelings , experiences or personality to enhance the therapeutic process.” As “feelings” were referenced by the aforementioned source, I find it valuable to clarify what this element represents in regard to the construct of beliefs . I say this be
Deric Hollings
2 days ago12 min read
Outcome: Victim Mentality and Playing the Victim
[ DISCLAIMER ] * Outcome (2026) spoilers contained herein. Photo credit , property of Apple Studios, Apple TV, and Strong Baby Productions, fair use When discussing mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “ mental health ”), I often discuss what it is to be a victim (an individual who is the target of another person’s violent , discriminatory , harassing, or assaultive behaviors). There’s a reason that I address this matter. I posit that there’s a di
Deric Hollings
2 days ago17 min read
Avatar: Aang, the Last Airbender - Unconditional Acceptance
[ DISCLAIMER ] * Avatar: Aang, The Last Airbender (2026), also known as The Legend of Aang: The Last Airbender (2026), spoilers contained herein. Photo credit (unofficial movie poster), property of Paramount Pictures (Paramount+), Nickelodeon Movies, and Avatar Studios, fair use When providing psychoeducational lessons on mental, emotional, and behavioral health (collectively “ mental health ”) within my blog—which predominately focuses on Rational Emotive Behavior T
Deric Hollings
5 days ago14 min read
Complex Systems vs. Complicated Systems
[ DISCLAIMER ] In order to provide this psychoeducational lesson on mental, emotional, and behavior health (collectively “ mental health ”), it may be useful to define various terms. After all, the complex and complicated topics discussed herein may not actually be as you believe they are. The term “complex” relates to a group of obviously related units of which the degree and nature of the relationship is imperfectly known. As an example, my cellphone is a complex
Deric Hollings
6 days ago14 min read
Consider Your Choices
[ 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 Epictetus who stated, “Consider who you are. Above all, a human being, carrying no greater power than your own reasoned choice , which oversees
Deric Hollings
7 days ago9 min read
Place to Hide
[ DISCLAIMER ] I thought of a psychoeducational lesson on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) when listening to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by the talented Roksana . As an aside, it would’ve been nice to have been able to dance to a Roksana set during my raving days. She goes hard! In any event, during the DJ set in focus, Roksana played the song “ Place to Hide ” by Mark Dekoda and Droplex . In repetition, the lyrics state: Tell me what you want f
Deric Hollings
Apr 147 min read
Intolerance: There's No Way That I Can Take This
[ DISCLAIMER ] I listened to a recent electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by Aneya Rose during which she spun the track “ Right Now ” (2022) by James Hurr . In part, the lyrics state, “Tell me, baby, ‘cause I want to break it down. There’s no way that I can take this no more.” With a double negative , the singer uses an unaccommodating belief that indicates intolerance—the quality or state of being intolerant—unable or unwilling to endure. Now, I’ll provide a psychoed
Deric Hollings
Apr 148 min read
You Have Choices
[ 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 Epictetus who stated, “You can bind up my leg, but not even Zeus has the power to break my freedom of choice ” (page 274). Choice is defined
Deric Hollings
Apr 145 min read
The Future's Not What It Used to Be
[ DISCLAIMER ] When listening to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by Allia Sounds and Dimitri Aless , I heard the duo open with the song “ The Future ” (2025) by Ankhoï and Luch . In repetitious order, the lyrics states: We hold hands, as if nothing has changed I go forward, you come back to me We don’t have long to rearrange The future’s not what it used to be While viewing these lyrics through the proverbial lens of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT),
Deric Hollings
Apr 135 min read
The Cartesian Crisis: What Do I Control? What Do I Influence?
[ DISCLAIMER ] Reality , as defined by the American Psychological Association (APA), is “in philosophy, that which genuinely exists , usually in contrast to that which only seems to exist .” There are many Western, Eastern, and other philosophical perspectives which address this concept. This brings me to the notion of truth (the body of real things, events, and facts : a judgment , proposition , or idea that is true or accepted as true —being in accordance with the
Deric Hollings
Apr 1215 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
Deric Hollings
Apr 1011 min read
Real Terrorism: Operation Eternal Darkness
[ DISCLAIMER ] When serving in the United States (U.S.) Marine Corps (1996-2007), I was taught that terrorism was the use of violence against noncombatants to achieve political or ideological aims. Generally, such terroristic action involves intention (a determination to act in a certain way). To draw a meaningful distinction, I invite you to consider two hypothetical scenarios. Scenario one: A U.S. Marine expeditionary force deliberately targets a village of civi
Deric Hollings
Apr 910 min read
Impermanence and Uncertainty: I Don't Know Where Tomorrow Will Take Me
[ DISCLAIMER ] On the album Freakjet (2022), rapper Vel Nine (also known as Vel the Wonder ) released the song “ Winning Team ” that featured rapper YL . Wisely , Vel Nine stated, “I don’t know where tomorrow will take me, but I know where today is.” This is a matter of uncertainty. According to the American Psychological Association, uncertainty is defined as “the state or condition in which something (e.g., the probability of a particular outcome ) is not accuratel
Deric Hollings
Apr 85 min read
How Could This Happen to Me?
[ DISCLAIMER ] On the second studio album Still Not Getting Any... (2004) by Canadian rock band Simple Plan is the song “ Untitled (How Could This Happen to Me?) ”. Describing the video for the track, one source states: The music video tells a story of a car crash on a rainy evening where a young male drunk driver crashes his Toyota Camry head-on into a Trans Am driven by a female, resulting in her death. The drunk driver, however, survives relatively uninjured, and en
Deric Hollings
Apr 510 min read
9 PM (Till I Come): Accepting What Once Was
[ DISCLAIMER ] When listening to an electronic dance music (EDM) DJ set by Mila Rubio , I heard her spin the track “ 9 PM (Till I Come) ” by trance music German DJ and producer ATB from his debut studio album Movin’ Melodies (1999). That track brought back a lot of pleasant memories! Hearing one of the EDM tracks I spun when DJing in the ‘90s and ‘00s, I thought of a relatively brief psychoeducational lesson on Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT). Now, I invi
Deric Hollings
Apr 56 min read
It Is More Human to Laugh at Life Than to Lament It
[ DISCLAIMER ] I’ve paid close attention to the 2026 Iran war (also euphemistically referred to as an operation, hostilities, conflict, etc.) which was started by the United States (U.S.) and Israel—specifically, U.S. President Donald Trump and Prime Minister [PM] of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu . In particular, I’ve observed quite a bit of propaganda ( ideas , facts , or allegations spread deliberately to further one’s cause or to damage an opposing cause). Much of what
Deric Hollings
Apr 310 min read
Either You Live, or You Die: It's Cut and Dry
[ 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
Apr 29 min read
Every Time Someone Tries to Win a War Before It Starts, Innocent People Die
[ DISCLAIMER ] * Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) spoilers contained herein. Screenshot from Avengers: Age of Ultron , property of Marvel Studios and Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures, fair use In Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015), Steve Rogers and Tony Stark discuss the latter’s mistake that results in artificial intelligence (AI) supervillain Ultron coming into existence. The former states, “Every time someone tries to win a war before it starts, innocent people di
Deric Hollings
Apr 19 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
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