top of page
Search

I'm Unaware of a Quick Fix

  • Writer: Deric Hollings
    Deric Hollings
  • 1 day ago
  • 5 min read

Photo credit, Nickelodeon Animation Studio, fair use

 

*Avatar: The Last Airbender spoiler herein

 

There’s a scene in Avatar: The Last Airbender (ATLA) during which Avatar Aang (the only person capable of using all four bending arts: airbending, waterbending, earthbending, and firebending) defeats Fire Lord (Phoenix King) Ozai during the Battle at Wulong Forest.

 

Rather than using his ability to bend air, water, earth, or fire, Aang is able to use an energybending technique that altogether deprives Ozai of his firebending power. Also, throughout the series, Aang mentally and emotionally contends with how the encounter may end.

 

His decision for use of energybending to essentially heal Ozai of the dangerous power with which the latter seeks to wield supreme authority over the entire world is Aang’s way of non-aggressively resolving the dilemma. One would expect that choice from a monk like Aang.

 

As such, Aang uses his wits and not solely his abilities to prevail with his goal. When thinking about that pivotal scene which I consider to be the most personally meaningful animate series ever, I think about my professional practice of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT).

 

This psychotherapeutic modality uses the ABC model to illustrate that when an undesirable Action occurs and one Believes an unhelpful narrative about the event, it’s one’s unfavorable assumption and not the occurrence itself that causes an unpleasantly self-disturbed Consequence.

 

Addressing how people upset themselves with unhelpful attitudes, the ABC model incorporates Disputation of these unproductive assumptions in order to explore Effective new beliefs. To proficiently use this technique, frequent practice of the method is required.

 

Also, REBT uses the technique of unconditional acceptance (UA) to relieve suffering. This is accomplished through use of unconditional self-acceptance, unconditional other-acceptance, and unconditional life-acceptance. This tool also requires regular practice to achieve competence.

 

Unhelpfully, it isn’t uncommon for some people with whom I’ve worked to acknowledge understanding of and belief in REBT while overall neglecting practice of the ABC model and UA. It’s as though some individuals search for a quick fix like Aang’s energybending technique.

 

Such people instead rely on reiki, psychedelics, crystals, TikTok content, star alignment, the advice of friends, or other cathartic forms of supposed resolution for the problems they face. Although these elements may seem to help, I’m unaware of a quick fix to the problems of life.

 

While I enjoyed watching an animated character make use of special abilities to resolve his dilemma, I don’t think it’s practical to rely upon seemingly easy solutions in real life. Therefore, I encourage each of the people with whom I work to routinely practice REBT techniques.

 

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

 

As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.

 

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

 

 

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

 

References:

 

Avatar Legends. (2020, March 23). Aang vs. Ozai (Final battle) | Full scene | Avatar: The Last Airbender [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/kXShLPXfWZA?si=whcSKwdP5BVxG7yj

Avatar Wiki. (n.d.). Aang. Retrieved from https://avatar.fandom.com/wiki/Aang

Avatar Wiki. (n.d.). Ozai. Retrieved from https://avatar.fandom.com/wiki/Ozai

Hollings, D. (2024, November 15). Assumptions. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/assumptions

Hollings, D. (2024, November 10). Catharsis. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/catharsis

Hollings, D. (2024, October 27). Correlation does not imply causation. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/correlation-does-not-imply-causation

Hollings, D. (2022, March 15). Disclaimer. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/disclaimer

Hollings, D. (2023, September 8). Fair use. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/fair-use

Hollings, D. (2023, October 12). Get better. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/get-better

Hollings, D. (2024, April 13). Goals. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/goals

Hollings, D. (n.d.). Hollings Therapy, LLC [Official website]. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/

Hollings, D. (2023, September 19). Life coaching. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/life-coaching

Hollings, D. (2022, June 23). Meaningful purpose. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/meaningful-purpose

Hollings, D. (2024, September 27). My attitude. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/my-attitude

Hollings, D. (2023, September 3). On feelings. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/on-feelings

Hollings, D. (2023, March 20). Practice. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/practice

Hollings, D. (2023, November 23). Problems. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/problems

Hollings, D. (2023, September 15). Psychotherapeutic modalities. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/psychotherapeutic-modalities

Hollings, D. (2024, May 5). Psychotherapist. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/psychotherapist

Hollings, D. (2022, March 24). Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rational-emotive-behavior-therapy-rebt

Hollings, D. (2022, November 1). Self-disturbance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/self-disturbance

Hollings, D. (2023, September 6). The absence of suffering. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/the-absence-of-suffering

Hollings, D. (2023, April 9). The advice that never was. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/the-advice-that-never-was

Hollings, D. (2025, February 28). To try is my goal. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/to-try-is-my-goal

Hollings, D. (2025, January 9). Traditional ABC model. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/traditional-abc-model

Hollings, D. (2024, October 20). Unconditional acceptance redux. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/unconditional-acceptance-redux

Hollings, D. (2023, March 11). Unconditional life-acceptance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/unconditional-life-acceptance

Hollings, D. (2023, February 25). Unconditional other-acceptance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/unconditional-other-acceptance

Hollings, D. (2023, March 1). Unconditional self-acceptance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/unconditional-self-acceptance

Hollings, D. (2024, January 16). Understanding, belief, and practice. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/understanding-belief-and-practice

Perish. (2018, August 30). Avatar Aang took bending from Firelord Ozai [Image]. Stream. Retrieved from https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1498015642

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Aang. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aang

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Avatar: The Last Airbender. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avatar:_The_Last_Airbender

Opmerkingen

© 2024 by Hollings Therapy, LLC 

bottom of page