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Section I: Theory and Practice

Putting “What If?” Ghosts to Rest

Pages 265-268
Published online: 28 Dec 2017
 
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This article describes an approach to the identification of and intervention in a type of discounting that is common in abusive and depressive behavior. This form of discounting occurs when the individual employs fantasies that begin with the phrase “What if?” in reaction to the circumstances surrounding an experience, the individual's own behavior, or the behavior of another person. These reality-altering fantasies appear in temporal forms: the past, the present, and the future. Clinical examples illustrate each of the subject areas, and an intervention model is presented.

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Author information

Eric Sigmund

Eric Sigmund has an MA in clinical psychology, is an ITAA Certified Transactional Analyst with a clinical specialty, and is in private practice on the islands of Maui and Hawaii.