Albert Ellis’s Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) emphasizes the interaction between beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Belief Eye Movement Therapy, BEMT, is perfect for this pattern and ABC-DE Theory.

How can this help AOD counselors, therapists and patients with treatment?

His ABC-DE Theory and Beck’s CBT go hand in hand with BEMT. Why is this important?

Professionals and clients have told me, or complained, that treatment and recovery are not linear. I suggest they can be. They are directional and interactive as Ellis posited.

Is it the same for alcohol, other drugs and criminal thinking and conduct?

Consider “Old You” beliefs and behavior on the far left. Visualize the change process going from left, what you have and don’t want, to the right; the ideal you. The one you want. The “New You.”

To illustrate this interaction using a linear equation, we can consider each component as a variable in a mathematical expression. Here are simplified representation equations:*
B + T + F + H = R
Where:
B represents Beliefs
T represents Thoughts
F represents Feelings
H represents Behaviors
R represents the Result or Outcome
In this equation, the result R is influenced by the sum of beliefs, thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
This aligns with Ellis’s idea that these components are interrelated and can influence each other.

Properties of Math Applied:
1. Associative Property: The way in which variables are grouped does not change the result.
B + T) + (F + H) = B + (T + F) + H
This shows that changing beliefs and thoughts together can influence feelings and behaviors, and vice versa.

2. Distributive Property: A change in one variable can be distributed across others.
a(B + T) = aB + aT
For example, a significant change in beliefs A can affect both thoughts and feelings.

3. Commutative Property: The order of variables does not change the result.
B + T + F + H = H + F + T + B
This indicates that the interaction between these components is linear, flexible and can occur in any order.

By using these properties, we can see how changes in one area (e.g., beliefs) can influence other areas (e.g., thoughts, feelings, behaviors), supporting Ellis’s concept of directional and interactional change.

We need to know how to elicit, understand and change the different levels of beliefs with BEMT.

Listening intently to the language of CTC, criminal thinking and conduct, we can hear where clients are stuck. Nominalizations are clues. Offsetting these with gerunds, action verbs leading to desistence, creates Transcendence and wellness. DM me for more information.
*Equations by AI.
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Arrests have been made. Five People have been charged in connection with Matthew’s death.

As a Certified Criminal Justice Professional, and addiction counselor I often contemplate the AOD/CTC Cycle. CTC is criminal thinking and conduct.

Addiction and crime drive one another like gear wheels.

There will be no long-term behavior changes unless you change core [permission-granting] beliefs about AOD and CTC, according to Wanberg, Milkman, Beck, Marich and Dansiger. The latter calling them “blocking beliefs.”

Question: Did Matthew Perry and the five offenders have limiting, permission-granting, core beliefs?

Change is needed.

You decide, after reading the article: https://lnkd.in/gmCZ3jC5

The CBT map below applies to criminal justice organizations just like it applies to people.

What is your organization doing differently than it was 20 years ago? You are probably doing the same thing with some different people.

Every person and every organization have a next level. A better level.

Is there a need for change? Marich and Dansiger report that relapse rates are 40-60% in early treatment and 80% the year after treatment. (“Healing Addiction with EMDR.” 2023)

Matthew Perry spent $8M and half his life in treatment. What’s really going on?

If nothing changes, nothing changes.

Treatment providers could listen to their own advice. What about the Stages of Change for treatment providers and drug courts?

Precontemplation: Highlight the importance of recognizing the need for change. Look at your limiting beliefs and practices.
Contemplation: Discuss the process of acknowledging issues and considering change.
Preparation: Outline the planning phase for implementing changes.
Action: Describe the implementation of changes. Implement empowering beliefs.
Maintenance: Emphasize the importance of sustaining ABC-DE Theory changes.
Termination: Explain the final integration of changes into the organization.

I’m willing to be your sounding board. You can discuss ideas with me privately.

DM me to book an appointment.

The CBT map image is from Drug Court Treatment: The Verdict. Amazon.com
Read the Foreword before you decide to buy it.

It’s easy to sit just wishin’ and hopin’. That won’t get you to where you want to go. It sounds like a song doesn’t it. Wishin’ and Hopin.’

To meet your goals, whatever they are, you need to take massive, consistent and relentless action, as Tony Robbins has stated.

You’ll be beset by critics, both outer and inner critics. The critical voice in your head that says, “who do you think you are? You can’t do that. You’re not good enough.”

Whose voices are those? Stop. Listen. You can recognize the voices. They are your parents, neighbors, childhood friends, teachers, coaches, etc.

These are the people who started the whole thing. Beware of strangers. Stranger-danger.

That was good advice when you were a kid. Now, you need to get along in this world, work and play well with others, network, etc.

As adults or older people, you are now responsible for understanding and correcting that. If nothing changes, nothing changes.

Albert Ellis gave you instructions about how to overcome these deficits. Read about him, ABC-DE Theory, REBT and RET. You can watch and listen to him on Youtube. It will be worth the time.

As Jim Rohn says, “Don’t wait for the world to get better. Don’t wait for the soil to get better. Don’t wait for work to get better. You must get better.”

Ellis tells you how to do this. If you want help with this, contact me. Call me. Hit the call me button.

How do the Open, Blind, and Unknown of the Johari Window affect drug and alcohol use?

The Johari Window presents an interesting concept regarding us of the CJS as treatment providers, counselors, and therapists.

How does it apply to addressing changing limiting beliefs of staff and clients in treatment?

Regarding addiction and criminal thinking and conduct, “There will be no long-term behavior changes unless you change core permission-granting beliefs first.” Beck, Wanberg and Milkman.

The same applies to employees of the CJS

Consider the Johari Window as it pertains to us and helping clients change beliefs that keep them “stuck” or “blocked” as Marich and Dansiger explain.

The Open, Blind, Hidden, and Unknown areas can give us new perspectives about the importance of “Addressing permission-granting beliefs as soon as possible in treatment,” as Beck suggests. See the link below for a great graphic.

What is the impact of the “hidden” or “unknown” areas? We as practitioners need to know how to do this for our clients.

How soon in treatment should you address limiting beliefs? How would you do that in order to help clients get “unstuck” as soon as possible?

Otherwise, if nothing changes, nothing changes.

What are your thoughts about this? Your input is welcome. Please comment on your experiences with belief change methods. An exchange of ideas will be helpful for everyone.

Jenny Nurick did a nice job with her version of the Johari Window.

https://lnkd.in/gn6wt7Cw

I’m reaching out. DM me if you want more information.

We cannot blame our parents for everything we believe, think, do, or are. We do so much of this to ourselves with our irrational thinking and beliefs. We get “stuck.”

Contact me now if you want help getting “unstuck.”

Belief Eye Movement Therapy, BEMT, is the perfect tool to get to the solution of your problems quickly and efficiently.

Did you see the post on LinkedIn on or about June 17 with the landscape by the artist in the garage using only four basic colors and his body? Amazing!

He created imagery with the strengths, resources and skills he already has.

What a great message it is for us and our clients.

We, in the treatment field can all learn from him. I doubt he is writing grant applications every day, or telling donors we need more money.

He created a beautiful image before our eyes in minutes. We didn’t have to do anything but watch and learn from his example.

He doesn’t write voluminous reports and notes. He just creates.

Marich and Dansiger, talk about, “Concentrating on dotting all the i’s and crossing all the t’s.” They also talk about addressing “blocking beliefs” in treatment.

We all have limiting belie about something. How does that happen?

Albert Ellis stresses that beliefs we created hinder us in his RET and ABC-DE Theory. We do it to ourselves. We do it to our workplaces.

Judith S. Beck along with Wanberg and Milkman stress that, “We must change the permission-granting, core beliefs before there will be any long-term changes.

Yet, major treatment publications wait till page 150 out of 300 to address beliefs at any length. A major study guide waits till page 340, near the end of the text to address the importance of beliefs.

What’s in your beliefs change wallet?

Beck dedicates a whole chapter to imagery.

We can paint the picture of recovery for clients starting the first day and week. This image could make treatment more effective, quicker and cheaper.

This would be a great team-building and professional development program.

Creating sensory rapport with VAK, visual, auditory and kinesthetic senses can improve the treatment environment. See, hear and feel can also help create a beautiful image of recovery for the clients.

That’s how BEMT can help clients. Belief Eye Movement Therapy helps the clients dispute and replace limiting beliefs (ABC-DE Theory) while painting the recovery picture.
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Change the picture and you change the beliefs, thoughts, feelings and behaviors.

DM me if you want to have a conversation about this idea. Maybe do a podcast together.

The CBT map image is from “Belief Eye Movement Therapy” and “Drug Court Treatment: The Verdict.” Amazon.com

The goals of drug courts and treatment providers are to: 1. Reduce Recidivism, 2. Lower the Cost of Crime and Treatment, 3. Effect change.

Do drug courts and local treatment providers settle for short-term behavior changes (fake it till you make it) or do they seek long-term behavior changes?

Many drug courts use one to three years to measure results. Then they claim an 84% success rate.

The criminal justice system tells us 85% of released prisoners return to prison after 10 years. What’s really going on?

Trauma-informed experts, Marich and Dansiger (EMDR for Healing Addiction) tell us there is a high drop-out rate and there is a 40-60% relapse rate. Over 2/3 of the relapses occur early in the recovery process and 85% relapse or return to drug use within one year, (p.153) after treatment.

Why?

I’ll ask again. What is the role of desistence in your treatment protocols?

Answer: It does not play a role.

Why? Because you are not using it. You teach relapse prevention instead desistence and Transcendence. According to Marich, Dansiger and the Criminal Justice System, it is not working too well.

Wanberg, Milkman, and Beck tell us, “There will be no long-term behavior changes unless you change permission-granting core beliefs first.”

Teach what you want: Desistence from CTC and Transcendence from SUD or addiction.

As Albert Ellis would say, “Go then, and according to how thou hast believed, be it done unto you.” Then he gave us a couple tablets describing ABC-DE Theory.

If I could show you how this worked, would you be interested in seeing how my idea will help your organization? DM me for more information.

The CBT map image is from Belief Eye Movement Therapy by Stan Dokmanus. Amazon.com.

Drug Court Treatment: The Verdict is also at Amazon.com.

Your safety could be affected by burglary, drug crimes, rape, etc. How soon should corrective measures be taken when these threats are present?

Assume that a perpetrator has been apprehended. What should we do with and for that person to help her/him stop doing crime? How soon?

Is it okay to wait for the offender to consider and maybe taper off doing crimes? Or do we want the offender to learn desistence?

What is desistence? Cease and desist! Stop! We have a zero tolerance for this behavior. We don’t want less from you. We want none.

Some will say, “Oh, the poor misunderstood person. He’s just acting out behavior due to trauma. Let’s put him in treatment.”

Others will say, “Oh, he has a drug problem. He committed the crimes under the influence of a mind-altering substance. Let’s offer him drug court.”

Both statements can be true. But neither offers an efficient, rapid, inexpensive solution. Trauma-informed treatment is great. Lengthy too.

As you can see from the CBT map image below, criminal thinking and conduct, CTC and alcohol and other drug, AOD, or substance use disorder, SUD, drive one another. Each needs to be treated.

But what is the real problem? It’s the limiting, CTC, permission-granting, core beliefs about AOD that lead to the risk to public safety. Those beliefs that allow the offender to put you or your children in danger.

Psychotherapy can take years. And lots of insurance billing. We, the public don’t want to wait years for Little Johnny to stop breaking into our houses.

Remember the image of Jack Nicholson breaking through the door? “Here’s Johhny!” We want safety now!

What’s the quickest way to change these CTC behaviors?

There will be no long-term behavior changes unless you change “blocking, limiting, permission-granting core beliefs involving AOD and crime that will impede treatment. (Marich, Dansiger, Wanberg, Milkman, and Beck.)

DM me if you want to become a community leader for creating public safety and addressing the AOD/CTC Cycle drug problems in your community.

Belief Eye Movement Therapy is the quickest way I know to change limiting beliefs. Anyone can be taught to do this. Anyone can benefit.

The CBT map image is from “Belief Eye Movement Therapy” and ‘Drug Court Treatment: The Verdict.” Amazon.com

BEMT is Belief Eye Movement Therapy. It’s used for among other things, to elicit and change limiting beliefs that keep people stuck.

Let’s tie together several key concepts in the treatment of addiction and criminal behavior, emphasizing the central role of beliefs in sustaining or altering such behaviors.

1. AOD/CTC Cycle: Wanberg and Milkman discuss how alcohol and other drug (AOD) abuse and criminal thinking and conduct (CTC) interact, reinforcing each other in a cyclical pattern. This cycle suggests that interventions need to address both AOD abuse and CTC simultaneously because each element can trigger or exacerbate the other.
2. Core Beliefs: The approach advocated by Wanberg and Milkman posits that lasting change in behavior is contingent upon altering core beliefs. This idea is consistent with cognitive-behavioral principles which posit that core beliefs influence a person’s thoughts and behaviors, and therefore, modifying these beliefs is essential for real change.
3. Permission-Granting Beliefs: Judith S. Beck’s contribution from cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) highlights the importance of tackling “permission-granting beliefs” early (ASAP) in treatment. These are beliefs that individuals hold which justify or allow continuation of harmful behaviors, such as substance use or criminal actions.
4. Blocking Beliefs: Marich and Dansiger, in their discussion on EMDR, talk about “blocking beliefs” that can impede the process of reprocessing necessary for recovery. These beliefs can prevent individuals from fully engaging in therapeutic processes that are crucial for addressing deeper psychological issues.

Conclusion: Given the above, it’s evident that similar principles apply when dealing with limiting beliefs in both addiction treatment and criminal behavior intervention. That’s the role of BEMT. In both contexts, deeply held, maladaptive beliefs must be identified and challenged to facilitate meaningful change. This indicates a shared underlying mechanism where beliefs significantly dictate behaviors, whether they are related to addiction or criminal conduct. Thus, effective treatment strategies should include techniques for identifying, challenging, and changing these, core and blocking beliefs to disrupt the cycles of addiction and criminal behavior. Integrating BEMT, focusing on eye movement therapy to reprocess trauma and change beliefs, aligns well with these broader therapeutic principles.

Do you have a specific, time appropriate belief change protocol at your treatment provider program? DM me for more information.

“Belief Eye Movement Therapy” the book, by Stan Dokmanus is available on Amazon.com.