There will be no long-term behavior changes unless limiting, hurtful, permission-granting beliefs are changed first.

This is true for all of us who desire change in some area of our lives. Drug court and mandated clients are a good example to demonstrate.

There will be no long-term behavior changes unless permission-granting, criminal thinking and conduct (CTC) beliefs about alcohol and other drugs (AOD) are changed first, in the program, and as soon as possible.

This is verified by the ABC-DE Theory of Albert Ellis. Paraphrasing, he said, “It’s not the event that determines behavior, it’s the belief about the event. He added that the belief must be disputed and replaced by an empowering belief.

To explain, it is not the event (A) that determines the behavior (C). It is the belief (B) about the event (A) that determines the behavior (C).

The limiting beliefs must be disputed (D) and replaced by empowering beliefs (E) to be effective.

I designed BEMT to help anyone learn to do this; to help anyone change limiting beliefs to empowering beliefs that will help people to get the outcomes (consequences) they want.