Who would study psychology if they didn't have some kind of problem?

Chapter 186 The consultation can end now, but I want to do a little more.

Zhuang Junzhe looked at Nan Zhuren, his eyes gleaming with curiosity: "Why is that?"

This is because the counselor played a role.

Nan Zhuren smiled and began to analyze the situation for the visitor:
"First of all, when you think about these 'rational beliefs', you are refuting yourself. But your fundamental stance is 'irrational beliefs,' which means that all 'rational beliefs' are the enemy, and you naturally don't want to accept them."

Zhuang Junzhe immediately understood: "But just now, teacher, you were the one with 'irrational beliefs,' and you pulled me into the opposite position from the beginning. This time, I naturally accept 'rational beliefs.'"

Nan Zhuren nodded, revealing an expression that suggested he was a promising student.

"Secondly, it's similar to the question you asked before. The 'rational belief' you just mentioned was spoken by you to refute others, rather than just passing through your mind. Therefore, it is relatively more 'objective' and more likely to stimulate your thinking."

"Of course, this can be taken a step further and made more 'objective,' which is—"

"write down."

The student visitors were already quite adept at this, having already picked up their pens.

rustling, rustling, rustling—

This time, the content on "rational beliefs" was quite extensive, and Zhuang Junzhe spent a considerable amount of time on it.

After writing down everything that had happened during his debate with Nan Zhuren, Zhuang Junzhe reviewed the list.

He once again revealed a look of sudden enlightenment.

“What you’re writing now is called a ‘list of rational beliefs’,” Nan Zhuren said. “Strictly speaking, it’s a separate method from ‘debating irrational beliefs’ and belongs to the field of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy.”

"By mastering this method and the basic theory of Rational Belief Therapy, you will be able to deal with your irrational beliefs even when you are alone, instead of coming to a therapist."

Every counseling session should be treated as if it were the last, ensuring that the client gains something. In particular, the school's free counseling resources are limited, and the same student might not be able to book an appointment for the following week. Therefore, Nan Zhuren pays special attention to teaching methodology.

The visitor nodded repeatedly, as if he had found a treasure.

……

Having learned how to replace irrational beliefs with rational ones, Nan Zhuren prepared to move the counseling process to its second step—supervising clients to use the new methods correctly.

“As I said before, among the recent events you mentioned at the beginning, two events triggered your negative emotions; one was used to learn about Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, and the other was used to practice it.”

Nan Zhuren glanced at the wall clock: "We still have plenty of time. I will provide appropriate supervision and guidance. Try to see if you can conduct a session of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy on your own."

The student visitor nodded, looking quite confident.

Nan Zhuren looked at him with a smile.

Sure enough, this confidence faded at a visible speed, replaced by a furrowed brow and a hesitant pen.

Irrational beliefs inevitably trigger negative emotions, and re-experiencing negative emotions is an anti-instinctive behavior that will certainly cause subjective discomfort.

Then, [defense] will appear.

Just like in the previous "Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy" hosted by Nan Zhuren, Zhuang Junzhe used "distress" instead of "inferiority complex" when describing emotions.

Fortunately, most of a person's defenses are directed outwards; it's rare for someone to deceive themselves.

Looking at Zhuang Junzhe's paper from her own angle, Nan Zhuren saw that it read—

[A: The girl approached me first, then left.]

[C: Sadness, frustration, low self-esteem.]

The visitor found it particularly difficult to write down the content of [C], and there were repeated hesitations at the tip of the pen.

But as long as you put pen to paper, it's a success. What follows is the part about irrational beliefs.

[B: After she approached me, she discovered my lack of understanding due to our different family backgrounds. Once she realized my "abilities," she left me.]

From then on, a logical chain of A+B=C was formed.

It was at this point in the writing that the visitor sighed.

However, he quickly adjusted his mood and then began to list densely under [B].

She left me not because of a "cognitive gap" or "lack of ability," but because of other traits I displayed under this internal pressure.

Even without considering family background, we were fundamentally incompatible in terms of personality and values.

Other female students have expressed their feelings for me, but they are more suitable for me...

A wide variety of "rational beliefs" were mentioned, including some that were rather outrageous.

But overall, the client has mastered this treatment method.

At the same time, it can also be applied to daily life.

Consultation successful.

A consultation session is very short, and it's not easy for college students to book a free psychological counseling session at the school.

This client came with a desire for knowledge and exploration, so Nan Zhuren's consultation this time focused on imparting methodology, guiding the client's thinking, and teaching the client how to adjust themselves when encountering similar problems in the future.

It didn't take much time to soothe their emotions.

This refers to the choices made by the counselor within the limited consultation time, based on the type of problem the client has and the client's own characteristics, in order to help the client as much as possible.

In theory, this consultation should have ended by now.

But at that moment, Nan Zhuren glanced at the wall clock.

[Thirty-nine minutes have passed, and it's almost over.]

However, if necessary, it can still be extended to the maximum of sixty minutes.

Nan Zhuren recalled what the visitor had just said and the experience the visitor had just described.

Then look at the visitor who is now facing a sheet of paper filled with the "ABC theory," pondering and practicing.

He couldn't help but ask, "The question you just asked—"

The silence was broken, and Zhuang Junzhe subconsciously looked up, his gaze filled with doubt as he looked at Nan Zhuren.

"Regarding why those rational beliefs once appeared in your mind but did not stay or replace irrational beliefs, but instead disappeared in an instant," Nan Zhuren emphasized, "the two answers I just gave you are more textbook-style 'general answers'."

"But I have a third answer, which is my personal answer, based on what I've just said to you."

Having just acquired a novel method and gained the ability to solve problems independently, the visitor was quite relaxed.

The trust in Nan Zhuren reached its peak during this consultation.

Therefore, he immediately accepted Nan Zhuren's explanation, which then piqued his new curiosity.

"What is it, teacher?"

(End of this chapter)