REBTOZ

Daddy Wasn't There!  is a song featured in the film Gold Member. Mike Myers plays the role of Austin Powers, the James Bond type, man of the moment who has issues about the absentee father who was ‘never there’ at those crucial milestone moments of his formal development. Hence the song Daddy Wasn’t There! Austin had a twin brother, called Douglas Power, aka Dr. Evil who was thought to have died in a car explosion, and was subsequently adopted by a Belgian family who taught him to be evil. How this was done is of course conjecture, but I would suggest that Douglas may have been programmed to believe he was an exceptional type and people, all people, should, must defer to him and his specialness. Dr. Evil is self-absorbed, needs to be admired, and scorns those who do not revere him as he must be. He has a fragile ego and demands that others validate his status as an exceptional human being. So fragile is his ego he must destroy those perceived to be his competitors or enemi...

  Ms Prudence Putty – Nose went to a counsellor because she was flying off the handle a bit when she didn’t get what she wanted and she lasted one session. The counsellor said that her sense of her own exceptionalism, that she was a better breed of person and that others should see this and act accordingly was the cause of her high anxiety and need of approval. Ms Putty   Nose was affronted by this and could not see how she was responsible for how she felt and behaved and not the furniture, the weather, or the popularity of a teacher peer she despised and she decided that counselling wasn’t for her. She was even resentful of a teacher colleague who had cancer, as her condition was taking away precious attention from her. ‘I wish she didn’t get cancer. It’s not fair,’ she thought. "Cancer envy" is a recognized, complex, and often shame-inducing emotion where individuals may envy the attention, support, or care others receive during a cancer diagnosis.” She went back to her ...

  This presentation introduces or revisits the catastrophe scale or CS for short. The CS is a partner tool to the ET, the Emotional Thermometer, a tool that the young constructivist can learn to use to manage behaviour and emotion especially in difficult circumstances. It develops EQ capacity. Helping the early childhood constructivist to put problems into some kind of perspective will ease emotional disquiet and behavioural upset. So how is it taught? Here are some ideas. Here we visit again the story of Arthur. This story employs   Albert Ellis’ ABC Theory of Emotional Disturbance as a critical literacy tool, which we use here to analyse a text that introduces the notion that ‘it isn’t what happens to us that makes us feel and act as we do, but it's how we view, interpret the situation, our response to it.’ Epictetus 100AD In the story Arthur feels out of sorts, extremely anxious and full of self-doubt. He seeks the approval of others and tries to change the essence ...

  Walking the REBT talk is a challenge as I find myself acting and emoting in ways that suggest an absolute should or must expectation is lurking somewhere deep in my mind. At least I am aware of it and can 'cherche le should' as Dr. Ellis would say. Assume that most times when you feel anxious, depressed, or angry you are not only strongly desiring but also commanding that something go well and that you get what you want. Cherchez le should, cherchez le must! Look for your should, look for your must! Don’t give up until you find it. If you have trouble finding it, seek the help of a friend, relative, or REBT therapist who will help you find it. Persist! Albert Ellis Latterly, the idea that certain things shouldn't happen or people should act in ways I think they should give rise to uncomfortable feelings that linger and impact my quality of life. Marcus Aurelius said the quality of our thinking effects the quality of our life and this too is the REBT message, and of course...

  You Tube Video This presentation introduces or revisits the emotional thermometer or ET for short. EQ or emotional intelligence involves the ability to regulate how we feel and behave so it's useful to alert young people to the idea that how we feel, or the strength of how we feel is not only connected to what happens, the event, but also to our interpretation of what happened. The ET helps young constructivists develop a broader emotional vocabulary that represents various strengths of emotion. Let’s continue. Here we visit again the story of Franklins Bad Day. The day that he believes is bad may not be so, but his fixed ideas or fixed mindset thinking that things should be as he wants them to be, contrives against his emotional and behavioural wellbeing. This story uses the stages of Albert Ellis’ ABC Theory of Emotional Disturbance, to analyse a text that will introduce the notion that ‘it isn’t what happens to us that makes us feel and act as we do, but it's how we ...

A penny for your thoughts! This is a follow up to my last post in video form.   Marcus Aurelius said that the quality of our thoughts determines our happiness or contentment. This philosophy informs Albert Ellis' Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy which is the foundation theory of Have a Go Spaghettio!   Have a Go Spaghettio! delivers to young ones the ideas expounded by Aurelius and others and encourages them to develop quality thinking and believing.   So Have a Go Spaghettio! and Give It a Try Banana Pie!