The ABCDEF Model - Addressing Dysfunctional Beliefs

The ABCDEF Model - Addressing Dysfunctional Beliefs

By Robbyn Wallace (2006, edited 2023)

The ABCDEF Model, developed by Albert Ellis, is a six-step plan structured to identify, assess, dispute and modify beliefs. 

Identification and description of the activating event is the first step, A, in the model. 

This is the experience that first initiates negative thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. An example experience is someone stating “my professor took off a point on my paper.” 

The second step, B, is someone’s perception or belief, be it negative, positive, or neutral, to the experience or activating event. 

A further example, including the second step, is “my professor should acknowledge my talent and is a mean person for not giving me more credit. It’s a shame I worked so hard on it, just for him to grade me so harshly.” 

Even though a person may not have control over an event or experience, they do have a choice in how they perceive the event or experience, be it rational or irrational.

The next step is C, which stands for consequences of the belief. The belief can determine the consequence. 

Irrational beliefs can lead to self-destructive or inappropriate emotions such as rage, anxiety, or depression. They can also lead to self-destructive or inappropriate behaviors such as excessive use of alcohol or drugs, blaming of self and others, or withdrawal. 

On the other hand, rational beliefs can lead to more appropriate emotions, such as disappointment or annoyance, and appropriate behaviors, such as attempting to change the situation or distracting their self in productive ways.

D, dispute, is the next step in the model, which can also be referred to as debate. To determine whether the belief is rational or irrational it is necessary to explore both the belief and the consequence. 

There are four questions that can be used to determine if the belief is irrational. 

By using logic: “Where is the logic that this should not have happened to me?” 

Next is empirical evidence: “Where is the evidence that this should not have happened to me?” 

The third is pragmatic or functional: “How will holding this belief help me achieve my goals?” 

Finally, there is constructing an alternative rational belief: “What is an alternative belief that would better help me achieve my goals?” 

The belief in the example discussed earlier is disputed in this step by the above questions.

Describing the desired outcome of the debate is the fifth step, E, which stands for effective. 

By disputing the beliefs in the example a more rational belief was formed such as: “Although I am disappointed that I received a “B” on my paper, it won’t kill me. I will try harder on my next paper and hopefully get an “A.” 

The final step, F, represents the new feelings and behaviors resulting from the effective rational beliefs. 

Expanding on the previous examples the following emotions and behaviors were reported: “I am still feeling disappointed with my grade, but it no longer makes me angry and resentful. I am confident that my next paper will receive an “A.” I will meet with my professor and verify the standards and format for an “A” paper.” 

This process is much more complicated than it may appear. It is a complex process and a challenge to change an irrational belief to a rational one. It is requires effort and practice.

Seek & Expand with RRW

An Exercise in Empathy by ~Sage Croft~

Introducing my peer in graduate school, Sage Croft. Her story is inspiring as well as courageous!! Thank you, Sage, for allowing me to share this wonderful story on my blog. ~Robbyn Wallace~

Imagine yourself going to kindergarten. You've been looking forward to going to school like a big girl, filled with excitement and dread in equal measure, and by the time that special day arrives you've built it up into something so huge you're hardly able to contain all the emotions inside. You get to the school and all the kids look so much bigger than you had expected. You feel pretty small, but you're determined to go forward. Without realizing it, your fingers clench a little tighter to your mother's hand. Belying your inner turmoil, you hold your head up so as not to miss a thing, and you walk into your very first classroom.

Everything is coming at you at once, leaving you a bit dizzy from the overload. Then the ringing in your ears is replaced with your teacher's first sentence welcoming you to her class. Only, something's not quite right; the words "little boy" are echoing in your ears. Surely she wasn't talking about you, right? After all, you are a little girl. There have been some others that have called you a boy before, but you really expected your teacher to get it right. How could this be happening?

You are directed to a group of a few other children playing. These children are playing with blocks and trucks, and the teacher is gently steering you toward them. On your way there, you see another small group of kids playing with dolls and kitchenware. You change the course of your steps to go in that direction to play with the little girls, where you belong. But no, the teacher says you are to play with the boys.

This goes on all day and again the next. In fact, it goes on every day for as long as you can possibly stand it. The heartbreak is too great, and the pressure has built to the point where you really believe your very being is sure to break in two. You aren't in any way able to express these feelings or make things right because, whenever you try, you get into trouble. Your teacher is frustrated with you. Your mom is always mad at you. Your dad doesn't know what to do with you. Nobody wants to be your friend or play with you. You are all alone with all of these bad feelings and WRONG is just growing bigger every day.

The doctor has given you medicine that is supposed to help you calm down. Other medicine is supposed to help you sleep. Another doctor gives you more medicine to stop the twitching. In fact, there are so many medicines that you don’t even know what they are all for anymore. All of the medicine doesn’t stop the WRONG from growing.

Now imagine, at this point, someone finally sees the real you. What if this someone, your mother perhaps, could see that you really are a little girl? What if she helped you tell your teacher, your dad, and the other kids in your class, that you are really supposed to go play with the dolls and kitchenware? Instead of taking you to the barbershop at the end of this month, she takes you to buy a pretty, pink brush. When she finds that horrible G.I. Joe t-shirt you hid under your bed again, this time your mother throws it away. Finally, when you pull her toward the pretty clothes in the store, she actually follows you!

The noise is dying down in your head. You don’t have to let a tiny bit of the bad out by throwing yourself on the floor and crying yourself to exhaustion. Your teacher smiles at you. Other kids let you play with them at recess. Daddy looks at you with wonder when you start giggling during dinner.

Soon, like the distress you had been feeling for so long, the medications begin to fall away. Each of the 14 drugs you had been forced to take in an effort to make you “normal” simply disappears. You were a walking pharmacy. But nothing was wrong with you. Society was forcing you into a mold that simply didn’t fit. They saw your penis and assumed you were a boy. It was more than you could handle and, over time, you started to come undone. Once everyone learned how to really listen to you and understand what was going on, they stopped forcing a role on you that wasn’t yours to play. With the freedom of being allowed to live authentically, the WRONG went away.

Many people have commented on how you’re a different child now. But really, you were always there. Everyone was pushing you down into this really small part of who you were. You were being buried under all the stuff they were trying to turn you into. After discontinuing your posturing and removing your disguise, you are shining, resulting in a visible change. You really do look like a different child in every way, but you always knew who you were.

Thank you for reading this far. Being exposed to stories such as this one, or through films such as Boys Don’t Cry, “can help build empathy for and understanding of the issues and prejudices faced by transgender individuals” (Gladding & Newsome, 2010, p. 87).

The particular client population that I envision advocating for is transgender children. This demographic needs advocacy for the freedom to live authentically, to bring their gender expression into congruence with their gender identity, and to no longer be pathologized, discriminated against, and dehumanized for being trans.

Promoted by Dr. Kenneth Zucker, a punitive approach was adopted in the 1970’s for treating transgender children. Zucker’s reparative therapy techniques prescribed corporal punishment for gender nonconforming behavior in children, most especially in natal males who displayed female tendencies (WPATH, 2011). The 7th edition of the Standards of Care put forth through the World Professional Association of Transgender Health (2011) no longer sanctions Zucker’s technique. There is not an established protocol for treating transgender children, but WPATH advises that clinicians adopt an individualized approach of support when treating this population group.

For those “born in the wrong bodies,” the relationship between gender identity and gender expression often results in efforts at bringing the two into congruence. Released just two years ago was the first of its kind, in-depth research on the findings of transgender specific outcomes in American society; however, even this comprehensive report failed to include research on pre-adolescent members of this population. Findings of the study reflect adolescent and adult transgender people suffer long-term consequences that are a direct result of discrimination against their transgender status in the community (Grant, et al., 2011). While scientists are starting to discover the outcomes of successful transitions in adults, as well as the problems inherent in not transitioning, there has been exceedingly little research done on any of the factors relating to transgender children.

Of the limited information that has been collected on transgender youth, being denied social acceptance for their gender identity and expression was identified as the primary contributing factor for suicidal behavior. Some of the variables that influenced the degree to which acceptance was achieved center around who the transgender person was with. Acceptance among family, friends, at school or the workplace, in a place of worship, at the doctor’s office, with a landlord, contact with police, or interacting with strangers are likely to elicit profoundly differing degrees of understanding and acceptance for the transgender person (Grant, et al., 2011).

These findings illustrate the tremendous pressure transgender children are faced with, and the potential damage such expectations for conformity can have on them as individuals and to society as a whole. Social perceptions of transgender children place a stigma on the parents during the child’s early years, and the shame shifts to the individual as he or she grows older. With the advances in the professional community that have begun promoting compassion, there is hope for increased tolerance in the general population resulting from greater understanding through continued education.

What draws me to this client population and issue? I am the lucky mother of an incredible transgender child who has taught me the true meaning of courage as she simply goes about living.

-Sage Croft 

References:

Gladding, S. T., & Newsome, D. W. (2010). Clinical mental health counseling in community and agency settings (3rd ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill.

Grant, J. M., Mottet, L. A., Tanis, J., Harrison, J., Herman, J. L., & Keisling, M. (2011). Injustice at every turn: A report of the National Transgender Discrimination Survey, executive summary. Washington, DC: National Center for Transgender Equality and National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Retrieved from http://endtransdiscrimination.org/PDFs/NTDS_Report.pdf

WPATH (2011). Standards of care, 7th edition. World Professional Association of Transgender Health. Retrieved from http://www.wpath.org/documents/Standards%20of%20Care%20V7%20-%202011%20WPATH.pdf

Personality Changes Over A Lifespan

Personality Changes over the Lifespan

 By

 Robbyn Raquel Wallace


 Aging equates change in the form of mentally, physically and emotionally, and with such change comes the underlying questions of determining human behavior. Many variables contribute to change within a person, from genetics, family and cultural to environmental or situational triggers. What inspires or empowers, or perhaps, what tears down or demeans a person, these can be very important in truly understanding or approaching a life issue. As a person ages, growth happens. Personality can be viewed as patterns of implicit attitudes and explicit behaviors unique to each individual at any given time, but can be manipulated and/or changed by internal processes and/or external variables. There is no single perspective that can adequately explain personality over the lifespan. In developmental terms one can integrate the multilevel processes or systems of contextual influences or variables to determine not only design but the evolution of such influences. Personality is impacted by the dynamics of and between such factors as experiences, biological and cultural. From many perspectives, personality is viewed as being manipulated by concepts such as self-esteem, self-concept, or self-image. Explained from a Rogarian perspective, individuals are governed by an organismic valuing process throughout the lifespan defining the evaluation process of the individual by their subjective perception. Therefore, essentially if an individual has a low self-esteem it may cause that individual's perception of any given experience to have a more negative tone, which can lead to such problems as anti-social behavior or oppositional defiance disorder among others. On the other hand, the higher one's level of positive self-regard, it is more likely that individual received more positive regard from their parents or caregivers. Conceptually, this concept can be an intense manipulating force throughout a lifespan, which would cause fluctuations with the individual's personality. In Schultz and Schultz (2009), it is stated that Erik Erikson, developer of psychosocial model, "believed that all aspects of personality could be explained in terms of turning points, or crises, we must meet and resolve at each developmental stage (pg. 205)." Through the lens of psychosocial development model, the personality is built upon, and evolves through the life stages, with success or failure to achieve each stage of development throughout the lifespan.These stages offer an opportunity for the individual to adapt and strengthen their coping skills, or can leave the individual with stigma(s) from any stage not successfully achieved. Erikson (Schultz & Schultz, 2009) believed, "We are not victims of biological forces or childhood experiences and are influenced more by learning and social interactions than by heredity (pg. 236)." This view seems complimentary to Bandura's modeling theory (Schultz & Schultz, 2009), which emphasizes the importance of learned behaviors and the role they play in the development of personality. Behaviors of an individual may be concluded to have resulted from reinforcement over time, and, from a behavorial perspective, can be manipulated through reinforcement in effort of eliciting specific behaviors. If an individual can learn to self-reinforce specific behaviors, the individual will be more likely to successfully manipulate or change undesired behaviors into more suitable ones. An individual's self-efficacy, which is the belief in one's own abilities, is instrumental from this perspective because it establishes how and to what level the individual is motivated to fulfill their potential. As stated by Schultz and Schultz (2009), "Self-efficacy is the crucial factor in determining success or failure throughout the entire lifespan (pg. 413)." There are certain underlined qualities or traits a person may carry throughout their lifespan, though it may be displayed differently at different interjections of their life. Through the lens of trait theorist, an individual is equip with basic traits that, even though may be projected differently throughout the individual's lifespan, remain constant within the individual. Personality can be understood from multiply perspectives; however, personality is essentially the internal framework which interacts with environment to create one's behavior. Therefore, from a behavioral approach one might perceive the patterns of behavior as key indicators of personality, and will from that determine how to elicit change through reinforcement ending in behavioral modification. However, from a humanistic approach one may contend that a personality is tangible and is based on one's internal environment, and can be altered through unconditional positive regard, empathy and empowerment. Each stage of life deserves it's own emphasis of importance; therefore, it is essential that a counselor be prepared to approach and empower any individual, at any age, with any life issue. Counselors must remain an open-minded vessel of compassion and empathy, and able to attribute true positive regard. When it comes to elderly, there are many successful tools a counselor may need when interacting with this population. Realization, that they are people who have lived a life full of experiences and have been shaped by many forces or variables. Understanding, that each one has unique needs, desires, and/or problems. Empathizing, that you can truly put yourself in their shoes and understand from their perspective. Empowering, find what makes each individual feel adequate, in control and safe so that they can maintain some sense of independence. Sometimes understanding and validation go a long way. When working with the elderly population it becomes essential to be an advocate, making it a point to know all the resources in the surrounding area that can provide services to fulfill the individual's needs. "In this last phase of life, psychological functioning may be characterized by aspects of change and constellations of factors that are quite distinct from the causal and processual network that is operative at earlier phases of life (Baltes & Smith, 2004)." At-home-care has been a rising star for several years now, out-poring hope to not only this generation of elderly but the ones to come as well. Having worked with this population in an at-home-care outreach along with the many disciplines that unite to create an environment that empowers elderly to continue living independently, or at least in their own home, for much much longer leaves me with an embedded appreciation for all who work with this population. Each situation is so unique that one can not begin to generalize a single approach. It is crucial that assessments be made on an individual basis with the involvement of family or caregivers. Reiterating Patty Shirmbeck in the podcast interview (2006), today's elders are much more educated that yesterday's elders, leading to a new dawn in how they approach this stage of life. As stated, depression seems more pronounced as ever before, but what happened was that being more educated gave way to this population feeling less ashamed about depression and such. This generation has learned the value of the helping profession and the relief that can bring to their livelihood. Such programs as the Gatekeeper Program (Shirmbeck, 2006) provide training to individuals working in the community in professions most likely to interact with the elderly population and is a defining force of what community is capable of creating when people work together for common good. "Chronological age may provide some limited orienting information about general expectations, but at an individual level, the therapist needs to retain a data gathering perspective to understand what are the true variables (Laidlaw & Pachana, 2009)." As a counselor working with this population, it would be necessary to understanding the specific issues faced. It is important to not only be educated in technique and style but education focused on resources leading to empowerment and some depth of independence is essential in working with the elderly population. Equally important is the dynamics of gains and loses in the individual's lifespan.(Baltes & Smith, 2004) Information gathering is critical regardless of age, but when dealing with elderly one must realize the most prominent details are likely to be dealing with family dynamics, health, and finances. CBT (Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy) can be beneficial in cognitive reconstruction of negative internal scripts resulting in unhealthy behaviors or attitudes. Transitioning into elderlihood can sometimes cause the individual to have identity confusion, therefore, having to rediscover them self. (Laidlaw & Pachana, 2009) I believe every counselor would greatly benefit from I believe every counselor would greatly benefit from personal therapy. Not only will it enlighten them how it feels to be vulnerable, but will give them a greater sense of patience, understanding and empathy in the process. Self-awareness is probably the most valuable tool any counselor could obtain, and allowing oneself to explore that vulnerably with another is invaluable.



 References:


 Baltes, P. B., & Smith, J. (2004). Lifespan Psychology: From Developmental Contextualism to Developmental Biocultural Co-constructivism. Research In Human Development, 1(3), 123-144.

 Laidlaw, K., & Pachana, N. A. (2009). Aging, mental health, and demographic change: Challenges for psychotherapists. Professional Psychology: Research And Practice, 40(6), 601-608. doi:10.1037/a0017215


Schultz, D. P., & Schultz, S. E. (2009). Theories of personality (9th ed.). Florence, KY: Wadsworth/ Cengage.


 Shirmbeck, P. (Speaker). (2006). Elder issues [Podcast Recording No. CAS038]. Kent, OH: CounselorAudioSource.net. Retrieved January 18, 2007, from http://www.counseloraudiosource.net/ feeds/cas038.mp3

Personality Examined Through Different Lenses

Personality Examined Through Different Lenses

By

Robbyn Raquel Wallace

Personality has been defined and described from numerous perspectives, theories, studies, and/or models, but from a holistic view personality is "a living, active, and purposeful organism, functioning and developing as a total integrated being (pg. 428)". As co-creators, human beings are intentional by nature's design. In other words we create our reality through intentions, whether consciously or on a subconscious level. "The individual's selection, interpretation, and use of information from the environment plays a basic role in the way in which he/she functions and develops (pg. 429)." With mental processing being with and without awareness, this makes the self-reporting part of personality more complex and incomplete. The aspects of individual psychological functioning is described with the individual as an intentional, active being, a biological being, and a social being. The biological functioning is the processes contributed to the physiological functioning of the mind and body. The social being contributes to the formation of speech and language as a tool for thoughts and communication, which leads to development of perspectives and self-perceptions. An overview of the characteristics of personality research takes a look at the approaches which have been customarily used. Fragmentation, viewed as specialization, research approaches only certain criteria or variables pertaining to personality, such as mentalistic, biological and environmental paradigms. Research that emphasizes variables is reflective of the characteristics of the average person, such as trait impact on behavior. "The trait should be considered descriptive, but not explanatory (pg. 433)." Other characteristics of personality research include prediction, unidirectional causality, dominance of methods and statistics over analysis of the phenomena, and theory versus empirical research. Unidirectional causality assumes relations such as stimulus-response (S-R), and many personality models assume relation between cognitive-motivational factors and behavior. Methods and statics lead to tests and inventories as tools for data collection. A holistic view of personality is "the whole picture has an information value that is beyond what is contained in its specific parts (the doctrine of epigenesis): "Behavior, whether social or nonsocial, is appropriately viewed in terms of an organized system, and its explanation requires a holistic analysis" (Cairns, 1979, p. 325). (pg.436)" Interaction is a fundamental principle, which can be viewed through the interplay of biological and mental variables within the individual and variables in the environment. Experience and the maturation of the individual, from a developmental perspective, change or evolve interacting factors of the person. Individuals differ to an extent due to patterns within subsystems, "such as the perceptual-cognitive-emotional system, the immune system, the coronary system, and the behavioral system (pg. 439)." Therefore, from this perspective each subsystem, within the individual, and the individual as a whole must be analyzed as to figure the total functioning of the person-environment system. Significant events, or turning points, can change initial conditions or individual positions in the developmental process. Predication, in personality research, is used as both a goal and a tool. For example, when personality prediction is used for personnel selection or in decision making. Erikson's psychosocial model is the most current holistic view. The article states "the view of individual functioning as a holistic, dynamical and complex process leads to the conclusion that such a model must include and integrate psychological and biological factors with individual and environmental-situational factors (pg. 447)", which closely describes the psychosocial model. The holistic, dynamic interactionistic view may be unrealistic to demand that each and every variable and process is necessary for all inquiry.

Reference:

Magnusson, D., & Torestad, B. (1993). A holistic view of personality. A model revisited. Annual Review of Psychology, 44, 427–452.

Inflection by Brooke King Little

Inflection
By
Brooke King Little


Look clearly, past my gown of flesh & bone, so that I may reveal myself to you. Listen intently, for we know not the message I was sent to deliver. Take me, as I am & who I'll become, I was placed in your life for a reason. One of love, without condition. WE are ever changing. I hear you, without a word whispered. I SEE you, through you, within you, around you. I, too, can taste your hunger for something more. Open your eyes & know that it lives within you. Trust, no matter what, you are EXACTLY where you are destined to be. Know that you are loved. Free yourself of flesh & bone & release your soul. There, you will find your purpose. There, you will find reason. There, you will meet yourself for the first time. There, you will meet the Divine. There, you are one, with all things, & the scales will fall from your eyes. There, you WILL findfind all you need to know. Every question you could ever asked has already been answered, within you. All you must do is find it. ~Brooke King Little~ heaven on earth. I know this to be true. Knock, & the door shall be opened. Seek & you WILL find. It's Never failing. Close your eyes, open your heart, soul, & mind, focus on whatever your question or ponderance your need answers to & still the noise in your head. Let the you within remain observant, & you will

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"We Continue On..."

We continue on… 


by Robbyn Wallace 


We continue on after heartache, even when drowning in tears.

We continue on after disappointment, even when faith becomes shaky and trust is taken.

We continue on after being released from the grip of fear, even when the shaking does not end.

We continue on after being abandoned, even when loneliness lingers within.

We continue on after loss, even when grief has crushed the soul and each breathe is a dreaded chore.

We continue on after disaster, even when giving up seems so appealing.

We continue on after overwhelming anger, even when its’ grip imprints on us in a lasting kind of way.

We continue on after failure, even when self-confidence is hindered.

We continue on after humiliation, even when our head is bowed in shame.

We continue on after illness, be it physical, mental or emotional, even when no end is in sight.

We continue on after any type struggle, even when the future seems dull and hope is no friend.



We continue on because it is the only choice. 

We continue on because something much stronger than human ego lives within us. 

We continue on because our innate desire to be loved and accepted. 

We continue on because of the hope that lies dormant, at times, deep within our subconscious. 

We continue on because this is our journey, our destiny, our fate, and our path to the other side of life.


When we continue on…

We learn to love…
We learn to live…
We learn to laugh…
We learn to be strong…


So, always continue on because ‘this too shall pass’, ‘for there is a season for all things’, and ‘what doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger’!!


PEACE, LOVE, & HAPPINESS TO ALL ♥ :)

~By Robbyn Wallace~