One valid criticism I receive in regard to my blog, aside from the apparent notion that my writing is unclear and my grammar is atrocious, concerns the idea that I tend to write about negativity more than positivity. I can’t logically and reasonably argue against this fair critique.
Much of what I do when practicing Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) in my personal and professional life tends to relate to use of the ABC model as a means of resolving the matter of self-disturbance. Thus, I focus on negativity and demonstrate how to address this experience.
Generally, for whatever reason, the more positive content of my writing is expressed in the electronic dance music (EDM) category of my blog. The current post is no exception to this claim. For context, in an entry entitled This is a Fallible Human Being (1/20/2025), I stated:
I’ll see clients, work on poorly written blogposts, and pay attention to whether or not Trump will honor his promises for which people elected him.
Pardoning people associated with January 6th, except for Ray Epps and the like, to include pardons for Ross Ulbricht, Edward Snowden, Julian Assange, Lauren Chen, Liam Donovan, the non-federal informants associated with the Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot, and others.
President of the United States (U.S.) Donald Trump didn’t promise to pardon all of the people listed in that post, as I was expressing a matter of wishful thinking. Nevertheless, Trump did pledge to pardon people who were caught up in the January 6th debacle and Ulbricht.
According to one source, “President Donald Trump on Tuesday [1/21/2025] defended the pardons and commutations of roughly 1,500 defendants charged with crimes connected to the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol, including some convicted of assaulting police officers.”
Promise made, promise kept! I emphatically applaud this decision, because January 6th was never an insurrection, it didn’t serve as a terroristic occurrence, and it was nowhere close to the events of an attack on Pearl Harbor and the September 11 attacks, to which it was compared.
Many people who failed to think rationally—that which is in accordance with both logic and reason—fell for the absurd sociopolitical and legacy media-driven narratives regarding the events of January 6, 2021. Fortunately, rationally-thinking people likely weren’t deceived.
I watched livestreams of the January 6th event, evidence that has since reportedly been deleted. What I saw was a legal protest that had enclaves of violent behavior which arguably may’ve been provoked by the authorities. Unhelpfully, politicians used the event for power and control.
According to a separate source, “U.S. President Donald Trump on Tuesday [1/21/2025] pardoned Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht, who was sentenced to life in prison for running an underground online marketplace where drug dealers and others conducted more than $200 million in illicit trade using bitcoin.”
Promise made, promise kept! I thoroughly applaud this decision, because receipt of a life sentence for providing a medium by which people engaged in free market trade was a miscarriage of justice. Apparently, some people irrationally disagree with this stance.
When thinking about the Trump pardons addressed herein, I’m reminded of an EDM song that was released during my senior year of high school. House music duo Planet Soul dropped “Set U Free” (1995) and lyrics included “setcha freeeeee, setcha freeeeee...”
Unlike self-disturbance that occurs when unfavorable beliefs about an event are used to produce unpleasant outcomes (e.g., anger), I favorably believe that the Trump pardons were warranted and the consequential effect of this helpful belief is satisfaction (i.e., joy and pleasure).
Congratulations to those who received justice after having been subject to unjust treatment! I hope that you’ll utilize favorable versus unfavorable beliefs when reflecting upon the unpleasant events of your past. May you find peace now that you’ve rightfully been set free.
If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help you understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.
As the world’s foremost EDM-influenced REBT psychotherapist—promoting content related to EDM, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues 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:
Colton, E. (2024, March 12). House GOP report alleges Jan 6 committee ‘deleted records and hid evidence.’ FOX News Network, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.foxnews.com/politics/house-gop-report-alleges-jan-6-committee-deleted-records-hid-evidence
Donovan, L. (@TheLiamDonovan). (n.d.). Liam Donovan [Official X profile]. X. Retrieved from https://x.com/theliamdonovan?mx=2
Doyle, K. (2025, January 21). Trump defends Jan. 6 pardons of violent criminals. NBCUniversal Media, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-defends-jan-6-pardons-violent-criminals-rcna188669
Hollings, D. (n.d.). Blog – Categories: EDM and REBT. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/blog/categories/EDM-and-rebt
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 13). False equivalence. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/false-equivalence
Hollings, D. (2023, October 12). Get better. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/get-better
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. (2023, January 8). Logic and reason. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/logic-and-reason
Hollings, D. (2024, November 6). Media. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/media
Hollings, D. (2023, September 3). On feelings. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/on-feelings
Hollings, D. (2023, February 4). Provocation. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/provocation
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. (2025, January 15). Satisfaction. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/satisfaction
Hollings, D. (2022, November 1). Self-disturbance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/self-disturbance
Hollings, D. (2025, January 2). The distinction between law and justice. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/the-distinction-between-law-and-justice
Hollings, D. (2024, December 25). The order. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/the-order
Hollings, D. (2025, January 20). This is a fallible human being. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/this-is-a-fallible-human-being
Hollings, D. (2025, January 9). Traditional ABC model. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/traditional-abc-model
Planet Soul – Topic. (2021, July 21). Set U Free [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/Ip6OmReVmIY?si=FptZvBE2ArSqQp-y
Raymond, N. (2025, January 22). Trump pardons Silk Road founder Ross Ulbricht for online drug scheme. Reuters. Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/world/us/trump-pardons-silk-road-founder-ulbricht-online-drug-scheme-2025-01-22/
Senate Democrats. (2022, January 6). Majority leader Schumer floor remarks on the first anniversary of the January 6th insurrection of the U.S. Capitol. Retrieved from https://www.democrats.senate.gov/newsroom/press-releases/majority-leader-schumer-floor-remarks-on-the-first-anniversary-of-the-january-6th-insurrection-of-the-us-capitol
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Attack on Pearl Harbor. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Attack_on_Pearl_Harbor
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Donald Trump. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Donald_Trump
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Edward Snowden. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_snowden
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping plot. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gretchen_Whitmer_kidnapping_plot
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Wikipedia. (n.d.). Julian Assange. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julian_assange
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Lauren Chen. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lauren_Chen
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Planet Soul. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Planet_Soul
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Ray Epps (military veteran). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Epps_(military_veteran)
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Ross Ulbricht. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ross_Ulbricht
Wikipedia. (n.d.). September 11 attacks. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11_attacks
Wikipedia. (n.d.). Silk Road (marketplace). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silk_Road_(marketplace)
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