Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy REBT

1. Rational Emotive Behavior TherapyREBT Albert Ellis

2. Rational Emotive Behavior TherapyREBT • REBT—interrelation of thought, feeling, and behavior • Human thinking and emotion are not two different processes—our thinking, emoting, and acting all interact together • REBT is based on the concept that emotions and behaviors result from cognitive processes

3. Rational Emotive Behavior TherapyREBT • REBT seeks to help people understand that it is not past or present events that “cause” emotional disturbances • It is the individual’s belief system about the event, self, others and the world that cause such disturbances—what Ellis called irrational beliefs

4. Rational Emotive Behavior TherapyREBT • Unhealthy functioning occurs when a person places unrealistic and absolutist demands on self and others—musturbatory thinking (e.g., “I must be able to always get what I want”; “I must be able to do everything perfectly”) • These demands often lead to feelings of unhealthy anger, rage, guilt, depression, anxiety or shame

5. Rational Emotive Behavior TherapyREBT • Irrational Beliefs are beliefs that are unrealistic, illogical, absolutist • They arise from taking a sensible preference or desire and raising it to a grandiose, absolutist must or demand • It is a person’s irrational beliefs that lead to great anxiety, depression, shame, anger, guilt, not the event which he/she is experiencing

6. Rational Emotive Behavior TherapyREBT • People continuously reindoctrinate themselves with these irrational beliefs, upsetting themselves, making themselves feel miserable • Because it is easy for people to make themselves miserable and hold on to self-defeating thoughts, feelings and behaviors, one can overcome such disturbances by vigorously disputing them

7. #1—The idea that you must have, or that you need, love or approval from everyone, or from all the people you find significant It is irrational because . . . It is more rational to . . . Irrational Beliefs

8. #2—The idea that you must prove thoroughly competent, adequate, and achieving in all possible respects (or in one particular area) to consider yourself worthwhile It is irrational because . . . It is more rational to . . . Irrational Beliefs

9. #3—The idea that if something seems dangerous or fearsome, you must preoccupy yourself with it, keep dwelling on the possibility of its occurring, and make yourself anxious about it It is irrational because . . . It is more rational to . . . Irrational Beliefs

10. The A-B-Cs of Disputing Irrational Beliefs A. Activating Event: B. Beliefs: C. Consequences: D. Disputing: E. Effect: