Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

Basics of Theory

Albert Ellis (1913-2007) is the creator of REBT. At a young age he noticed that he often talked himself into a miserable state. By maintaining positive thought about his worth he realized that the way people think is powerful for changing their circumstances.
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy is a form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy that emerged during the second wave of behaviorism.

The basic premise is that emotions & behavior can be modified by changing your thinking
It maintains that people create their own disturbances by their thoughts

Key Concepts

Optimistic view of human nature that emphasizes our free will and choice
People have an innate drive towards actualization and self-preservation
People have an innate capacity for rational and irrational thinking, however, we are predisposed toward irrational thinking
Insight into the origins of problems is not of interest, however, insight

to see that we choose to upset ourselves,

to see that we acquire irrational beliefs, and

to see that we need to work hard to change are helpful.

The Therapeutic Process

REBT Process

ABCDEF Model Example

Part of my job is visiting high schools to talk to potential students. This week I am doing so in Western New York. Yesterday, after a full day of being in and out of schools and not talking to anyone, I was feeling pretty down. I walked into my last school of the day and before even saying hello, the college counselor looked at me and said “you are wasting your time here.” This really upset me. I had to work through a process to replace my thinking about being worthless, bad at my job, and wasting my time, by remembering that my job is to show up, not to control the outcome.

Activating Event: Being told that I was wasting my time despite the fact that I was just doing my job. It made me feel unimportant and worried that I wasn’t doing my job well enough.
Belief: “I am wasting my time in NY because nobody wants to meet with me.”
“People at work are going to think I am horrible at my job because I am not getting to meet with the same number of students as other counselors in other areas.”
Emotional Consequence: I felt very down, and disappointed, and wondered what I was doing with my life up in Rochester, New York “wasting my time.” It started a spiral of me questioning my career choices and if my job was meaningful.
Behavioral Consequence: I started to consider engaging in avoidance behaviors by trying to rearrange my flight and skip visits so I could go home earlier. My immediate reaction was ‘How can I get out’ Knowing that once I got home these feelings of wasting my time would diminish.
Dispute: Challenge the belief that you are wasting your time by considering your role and your primary responsibility when visiting high schools (Magical thinking. I am moving past logical thinking that people have to show up for me to do my job.)
Challenge your belief about being a bad employee by exploring alternative reactions from co-workers (Empirical Disputing. Look at evidence that supports that I am good at my job and why my co-workers would think this. I am showing up. I took considerable time to plan and arrange visits. I have meaningful conversations with students when they do show up)
Effective New Beliefs: “My job is to show up and allow the opportunity for students and counselors to talk to me. My effort and time in doing so is not wasted. My inherent worth and my work ethic are not determined by the quantity of students I connect with. My co-workers witnessed the care and strategy I used in planning this trip. As long as I am showing up, I am doing my job.”
Feelings: I woke up today (Wednesday) after a rough Mon/Tues feeling more relaxed, more confident in my job, and less anxious about visiting my list of high schools for the day. I have continued to repeat to myself “My job is to show up” when thoughts of inadequacy or worthlessness arise.

Therapeutic Goals:

Change or reduction in irrational beliefs and behavior
Increase awareness and acceptance of self
Increase social interest
Empower clients to accept uncertainty, be flexible, tolerate frustration, and take sensible risks
Help clients manage and deal effectively with their negative feelings

Therapist Role & Function

Be a teacher, coach, role model, confidence builder, cheerleader, motivator
Challenge absolutes
Assign meaningful homework
Communicate care and acceptance

Therapeutic Techniques and Procedures

REBT employs several techniques to help clients identify and change irrational beliefs and behavior
Disputing Strategies:

Logical Disputes: identifying leaps of logic & magical thinking
Empirical Disputes: focus on the accumulation of evidence contrary to the belief
Functional Disputes: focus on the practical consequences of one's belief
Rational Alternative Beliefs: offer a viable alternative

Disputing Styles:
- Didactic: giving info rather than using dialogue
- Socratic: using questions to promote reasoning. helpful for allowing clients to come to their conclusions
- Metaphorical: using analogies especially if they are relevant to the client's experience
- Humorous: keeping it lighthearted with caution not to offend or make fun of the client

Cognitive & Socratic Questioning Strategies:

Cost-Benefit Analysis: the process of identifying advantages & disadvantages to aid in decision-making
Journaling

Behavioral Strategies:

Shame-Attacking Exercises: participating in potentially embarrassing experiences to confront feelings of shame. Clients can learn to tolerate negative feelings
Role Playing: Clients can engage in dialogue and 'try on' new ways of thinking or consequences of varying beliefs

Emotive Strategies:

Rational Emotive Imagery: Clients will imagine a situation and the emotions that accompany it but will take on more appropriate emotions to differentiate between appropriate and inappropriate.

Self-Destructive (Inappropriate) Emotions

They are enduring, immobilizing, nonproductive, lead to negative self.

Examples: guilt, shame, jealousy, hurt, anxiety, depression, anger

Appropriate Emotions

They are transient, manageable, and enhance self-acceptance.

Appropriate does not equal positive

Examples: satisfaction, peacefulness, annoyance, regret, sadness

Application of Theory/Therapy

Anxiety: Clients learn to identify and change beliefs around fear, worry, uncertainty, and catastrophic thinking to reduce symptoms of anxiety.
Depression: Clients learn to identify and change beliefs related to hopelessness, worth, and other negative thinking patterns to lessen the emotional dysfunction and improve overall mood.
Substance Abuse: Clients learn to identify and change beliefs that contribute to their addictive behaviors. This includes the benefits of their use, the control they have over their behavior, and addressing their cravings. This can increase motivation for change and contribute to maintaining sobriety.

Application to Multicultural Clients

REBT is focused on changing 'irrational beliefs' however, what is deemed rational in one culture might not be congruent with another culture. For this reason, counselors must be culturally informed to prevent invalidating a client's lived experience or cultural values.
REBT assigns personal responsibility to the client for their change which might not align with cultures, especially those who are collectivist in nature.
The challenging and direct nature of REBT can create a barrier of trust espeically across cultural lines. Counselors should take care to develop rapport with their clients by respecting their identity.

Limitations

REBT is a direct approach which might not be suitable for all clients as it has the potential to feel invalidating if clients are not ready for their thoughts to be challenged.
The primary focus on cognition can overlook deeper emotional experiences leaving some healing to be desired.
The focus on the present brief nature of REBT encourage quick changes and might not be sustainable for clients or promote deeper healing.

MY-PHILOSOPHYOF-PSYCHOTHERAPY- Albert Ellis

Albert Ellis Institute Resource Bank

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