R.A.P. Therapy For Your Prosperity
Learn SELF-EMPOWERMENT for Positive Change
by
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One day I was asked to teach a drug education class at one of the local detention facilities. The regular teacher was out on vacation, and rather than canceling the class I agreed to cover for the teacher. As was the regular custom the inmates came into the classroom, briefly congregated around the coffee pot, poured themselves a cup or two, and then found a seat. I immediately started the meeting by asking, “How many of you think that you are in here because of your substance abuse problem?” Almost every hand shot up in the air. I then asked the group how many people do you think have substance abuse problems in the
I concluded this portion of the session by reporting to them that according to USA Prison records, that it has been estimated that approximately 57% of those incarcerated have drug related charges (Rose, Pens, Wright, 1998), which means that out of the 2.1 million people incarcerated in our penal system, approximately 1.197 million are in there because of drugs. “If this is true, all of you that think you are in here only because of your substance problems have been misled. The reason being is that it has been reported that approximately 54 million people in the
Brief silence fell on the room, as the inmates took a minute to digest the information just given to them. No one could argue against the logic of the statement that I made. The crutch that many of them had held to so tightly had been kicked out from under them.
One inmate in the back on the room defiantly stated, “Well that might be true, but I have a disease”. (He was referring to the term for those that are plagued with substance abuse addiction). I then asked this inmate if he knew the etiology of the term “disease” in the context of substance abuse, because I felt that he did not totally understand. He proudly stated that he had been going to Alcohol Anonymous meeting for several years, and they often refer that those who are addicted to alcohol suffer from a disease. I then told him that this is only partially true.
I think that many times a half-truth can be just as damaging as a whole lie. There are many people running around blaming their relapses on this faulty assumption that some disease over which they have no control plagues them.
At this point I explained to the class what is meant when someone refers to “disease” in refers to alcoholism and substance abuse. Dorland’s Medical Dictionary 1965 defines disease as, “A definite morbid process having a characteristics train of symptoms; it may affect the whole body or any of its parts, and its etiology, pathology, and prognosis may be known or unknown.” I further explained in the late 1940’s, E.M. Jellinek began to study alcoholism in over thousand members of Alcoholics Anonymous. He found that alcoholism had a characteristic set of si
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About the Book
WHAT IS THE R.A.P. THERAPY?
R.A.P. is an eclectic approach to behavior modification. This form of therapy is existential in that incorporates spiritual principles, along with cognitive behavioral therapeutic applications. R.A.P. is designed to assist clients in realizing their true God-given potential. This behavioral modification approach has proven to be effective in self-empowerment and positive change.
R.A.P. is based on the premise that each individual is responsible for his or her actions. As a result, each person will ultimately be held responsible for the outcome of the choices that he or she makes. This is a simple concept; however, there are many people who fail to grasp this principle. Because of this, these individuals live their lives in an external locus of control, which means they allow outside circumstances to control them. R.A.P. teaches that we should live our lives from an internal locus of control, which means that we realize that we have the ability to overcome the circumstance in which we find ourselves. This mindset takes us from being victimized to becoming victorious. According to the Bible, God created mankind in His image and likeness and decreed that mankind would have dominion over the earth (Gen 1:27-28). If this is true, then it stands to reason that each individual has the ability to be in control over the circumstances in which they find themselves.
When the principles of responsibility, accountability, and purpose are inculcated into a person’s cognitive processes an environment is created that empowers, motivates, and regulates one’s behavior. This sense of empowerment is vital for an individual to take charge of his or her life. If you don’t like where your life is at, then it time to use R.A.P.!
About the Author
Keith E. Jackson, M.A. was employed as a correctional counselor for the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department. He provided psycho-educational programs for the inmate population. Prior to this position, he was a juvenile probation officer for twenty years. During his twenty years as a probation officer, Mr. Jackson as a trainer of trainer in the area of gang and cultural awareness. He also was an adjunct instructor, in the field of juvenile justice, at