Ennio Ammendola, M.A.

Three years ago, I started taking professional drum lessons with the expectations (better framed as illusions) that I was going to become a good drummer with just one hour a week of practice.

This illusion went on for quite some time until I realized that I was not improving, and so I was ready to quit my lessons. One day, I was talking to my teacher Matt, and I told him that I felt I was not improving and I was getting frustrated to the point that I was seriously considering not going to his lessons. Then Matt asked me what I had learned so far and I replied:

1. I have learned to understand time and basic counting.
2. I have learned how to hold the drumsticks.
3. I have learned that I have to hit the cymbals on 1 and 3 and the snare on 2 and 4.

I left the lesson still not convinced about the three points I had learned, and when I arrived home, I turned on the TV and the movie Karate Kid was playing the scene when Ralph Macchio (the Kid) was amazingly practicing everything Mr. Miyagi told him to practice.

It took me some time to realize that Matt was referring to the fact that I had learned some skills, but I was not practicing them and this was the reason I felt I was not making any progress. Since that day, I have understood that practice was the missing piece—the most important piece.

What is the point I am trying to make here? Simply this: If you are using REBT, do not forget to practice what you have learned in therapy. Allow me to guide you through the following truly unscientific parallelism and then tell me if I am right or wrong:

1) Going to see Matt once a week = Going to see the therapist once a week
2) Learning drum time and basic count = Learning REBT principles
3) Learning how to hold the drumsticks = Learning the ABCs
4) Hitting the cymbals on 1 and 3 = Identify my irrational beliefs
5) Use the snare on 2 and 4 = Identify my rational beliefs

What is missing now? Come on, you know! Practice.

1) Practice in formulating your ABCs
2) Practice in identifying your IB
3) Practice in disputing your IB
4) Practice in rehearsing your RB
5) Practice in recognizing your healthy negative emotions
6) Practice all of your homework

As an extern at the AEI, I practice REBT, but we all surely need to practice it more!

May the practice be with you!