I recently heard of an attack on cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy which I've heard before, although not recently. The reminder inspired me to write this column.

First, to readers unfamiliar, let me remind you of what cognitive-behavioral therapy is. It's the method of therapy which presupposes that your emotions are not necessarily facts. “Just because you feel it, doesn’t make it so.”

Some find this attitude to be cold, harsh or "uncaring."

Q: Dr. Hurd, What causes people to choose to perform an action that they know (consciously and subconsciously) to be morally wrong? I’m thinking, for example, of those who know, through the use of reason, that theft is a violation of the rights of another yet continue to steal (through shoplifting, Internet piracy, or just down to the little things like a fellow employee’s lunch)?

A: In a nutshell: Rationalization. Rationalization essentially means “rigging the conclusion.” It’s a process whereby a person uses reason to obliterate reason—pretending to be “reasonable” in the process.

"The holidays are coming. It's a time of complete emotional stress."

To say this is considered a self-evident truth. But why is it true?

I maintain that holidays, while perfectly fine and pleasant, are not necessary for happy people. Happy people enjoy their lives all year long. Happy people actually enjoy their work, and maybe even love their work. They enjoy their personal relationships, and only take part in relationships that are enjoyable and fulfilling. Of course they want to take breaks, and it's perfectly fine to do that -- on a holiday, or not.

Conclusion of yesterday’s column.

Dr. Hurd: Reverend Swarthout is right that it’s senseless to blame yourself for the suicide of another. This is because the person who kills himself wanted to do so. It was his choice and he made it. You don’t hold yourself blameless because the person had the emotional equivalent of cancer. You hold yourself blameless because you didn’t kill the loved one. The loved one did.