Chapter 5
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
Authors: Albert Ellis and Debbie Joffe Ellis
Key Points and Terms
Overview
► Practical and symptom-focused
► Philosophically-based, but techniques have empirical support
► patient collaboration
► Patients change through identification of irrational thought processes.
► Patient’s behavior and thought processes are evaluated and criticized when necessary.
Basic Propositions of REBT
► People have the potential to be rational or irrational,
► Culture and family can perpetuate irrational thinking.
► Humans perceive, think, emote and behave simultaneously.
► All psychotherapies are not equally effective.
► A warm therapeutic relationship is not sufficient condition for change.
► focus is not symptom removal but cognitive change.
► Neurotic thinking is the result of unrealistic, illogical thinking.
► The causes of an individual’s problems are how the individual perceives them.
► REBT focuses on three insights.
Insight 1: Adversity – belief about adversity – disturbed consequences
Insight 2: People are upset now because they keep actively reinforcing irrational
beliefs.
Insight 3: Only hard work and practice will correct irrational beliefs.
Comparing REBT to Other Therapies
REBT Compared with Psychoanalysis
► REBT does not focus on free association, complex history taking, dream analysis or
sexual conflicts.
► Transference is seen in REBT (irrational beliefs)
► REBT employs persuasive and directive techniques.
REBT Compared with Adler’s Theory
► Considerable similarities between approaches as Adler wrote about individuals
developing fictional beliefs, which is a concept similar to Ellis’s irrational beliefs.
► Departs from emphasis on past memories, social interest.
► REBT is more future-oriented and behavioral.
,REBT Compared to Jungian Therapy
► There are lots of commonalities : holistic view of individuals.
► REBT views the Jungian focus on dreams, fantasies, symbols or archetypes as a “waste
of time.”
REBT Compared to Person-Centered Therapy
There are lots of commonalities between the two approaches.
Both emphasize importance of unconditional positive regard, which REBT labels as full
acceptance or tolerance.
REBT Compared to Cognitive Therapy
CT REBT
Thoughts Labeled Dysfunctional Irrational
Type of Reasoning Used Inductive Deductive
Beliefs Associated with Cognitive specificity for each Core set of irrational beliefs
Psychopathology disorder
View of the Problem Functional; pathology arises Philosophical; pathology arises from
from multiple cognitive “shoulds,” “musts,” and “oughts”
distortions
Therapist’s Approach More collaborative More confrontational
Emphasis Psychoeducation an early and Higher reliance on psychoeducation
critical component of treatment
Focus “Hot cognitions” critical, but More aggressive focus on emotional-
obtained in a less aggressive evocative methods; core set of
manner irrational beliefs
REBT Compared to Behavior Therapy
► commonalities between the two approaches.
► REBT has a strong focus on the cognitive aspects.
► More similar to cognitive therapy and multimodal therapy than BT.
History of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
► Albert Ellis, Ph,D.
► Berne, Frank, Kelly, Low, Phillips Rotter, and Wolpe were all influential.
► Asian and Stoic philosophers, Alfred Adler, Paul DuBois, persuasive forms of
psychotherapy, Herzberg, Bernheim, Salter, Thorne, Alexander, French, Dollard, Miler,
Stekel, Wolberg.
► In 1957, Ellis wrote How to Live with a “Neurotic.”
, ► In 1975, Ellis wrote A New Guide to Rational Living, which continues to be one of the
most popular self-help books to date.
► In 1977, Ellis wrote Handbook of Rational-Emotive Therapy.
Current Status of REBT
► In 2005, Society of Clinical Psychology members listed Carl Rogers, Albert Ellis and
Sigmund Freud, in that order, as the most influential in the history of psychotherapy.
► Albert Ellis Institute established in 1959 teaches principles of healthy living.
► Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive Behavior Therapy reports latest findings.
► Research supports several REBT premises:
Thoughts and feelings are not two disparate processes.
Beliefs are more important than events.
Metathought occurs (often captured in images).
Changing thoughts, behaviors, or emotions changes other modalities.
Ellis’s Theory of Personality
“Basic tenet of REBT is that emotional upsets, from irrational beliefs.
► Problematic beliefs center around words/concepts like … “should,” “ought,” “awful,”
“must,” “I want,” and “I need.”
Ellis’s Theory of Personality
“Humans largely create their own distress.”
Albert Ellis Agrees with….
Freud that … The pleasure principle runs people’s lives.
Horney and Fromm that … Cultural and family influences impact people’s irrational thinking.
Adler that … Fictitious goals order people’s lives.
Allport that … Individuals think and act in a certain manner and have difficulty
changing.
Pavlov that … Cognitive conditioning occurs.
Frank that … People are prone to the influence of suggestion.
Piaget that … Active learning is more effective than passive.
Anna Freud that … People refuse to acknowledge mistakes and resort to defenses.
Maslow and Rogers that … Humans have great untapped resources.
Ways Individual’s Alleviate Pain
► Distraction:
Leads to less demands of others.
Individual becomes less anxious.
Palliative
► Satisfying demands
, Ultimate impact is demandingness is reinforced.
Magic and mysticism
.
Generally, magical solutions only temporarily placate the individual.
Main Goals of REBT
► achieve minimal demandingness and maximal tolerance.
► Although temporary, palliative techniques may be used in REBT; goal is for more
permanent solutions.
► Goal is minimization of musturbation, perfectionism, grandiosity, and low
frustration tolerance.
► REBT assists patients in seeing how giving up perfectionism improves their lives.
► to differentiate between desires and “musts.”
► change habits as well as cognition.
REBT Psychotherapy
Mechanisms of Psychotherapy
► No matter what feelings the patient discusses, the focus is on the patient’s irrational
beliefs.
► therapists do not hesitate to contradict the patient’s beliefs, one step ahead while showing
acceptance.
► REBT therapists may do more talking than the patients.
► Strongest philosophical approach possible is used.
► doesn’t tell the patient their beliefs are irrational, encourage the patient to see for
themselves.
Applications of REBT
► REBT is a broad based approach
Major Areas of Impact of REBT
Most effective wsingle symptom problems that also include anger management issues,
Field of education, especially regarding enhancing normative development.
Research supporting CT also supports basic premises of REBT.
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
Authors: Albert Ellis and Debbie Joffe Ellis
Key Points and Terms
Overview
► Practical and symptom-focused
► Philosophically-based, but techniques have empirical support
► patient collaboration
► Patients change through identification of irrational thought processes.
► Patient’s behavior and thought processes are evaluated and criticized when necessary.
Basic Propositions of REBT
► People have the potential to be rational or irrational,
► Culture and family can perpetuate irrational thinking.
► Humans perceive, think, emote and behave simultaneously.
► All psychotherapies are not equally effective.
► A warm therapeutic relationship is not sufficient condition for change.
► focus is not symptom removal but cognitive change.
► Neurotic thinking is the result of unrealistic, illogical thinking.
► The causes of an individual’s problems are how the individual perceives them.
► REBT focuses on three insights.
Insight 1: Adversity – belief about adversity – disturbed consequences
Insight 2: People are upset now because they keep actively reinforcing irrational
beliefs.
Insight 3: Only hard work and practice will correct irrational beliefs.
Comparing REBT to Other Therapies
REBT Compared with Psychoanalysis
► REBT does not focus on free association, complex history taking, dream analysis or
sexual conflicts.
► Transference is seen in REBT (irrational beliefs)
► REBT employs persuasive and directive techniques.
REBT Compared with Adler’s Theory
► Considerable similarities between approaches as Adler wrote about individuals
developing fictional beliefs, which is a concept similar to Ellis’s irrational beliefs.
► Departs from emphasis on past memories, social interest.
► REBT is more future-oriented and behavioral.
,REBT Compared to Jungian Therapy
► There are lots of commonalities : holistic view of individuals.
► REBT views the Jungian focus on dreams, fantasies, symbols or archetypes as a “waste
of time.”
REBT Compared to Person-Centered Therapy
There are lots of commonalities between the two approaches.
Both emphasize importance of unconditional positive regard, which REBT labels as full
acceptance or tolerance.
REBT Compared to Cognitive Therapy
CT REBT
Thoughts Labeled Dysfunctional Irrational
Type of Reasoning Used Inductive Deductive
Beliefs Associated with Cognitive specificity for each Core set of irrational beliefs
Psychopathology disorder
View of the Problem Functional; pathology arises Philosophical; pathology arises from
from multiple cognitive “shoulds,” “musts,” and “oughts”
distortions
Therapist’s Approach More collaborative More confrontational
Emphasis Psychoeducation an early and Higher reliance on psychoeducation
critical component of treatment
Focus “Hot cognitions” critical, but More aggressive focus on emotional-
obtained in a less aggressive evocative methods; core set of
manner irrational beliefs
REBT Compared to Behavior Therapy
► commonalities between the two approaches.
► REBT has a strong focus on the cognitive aspects.
► More similar to cognitive therapy and multimodal therapy than BT.
History of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
► Albert Ellis, Ph,D.
► Berne, Frank, Kelly, Low, Phillips Rotter, and Wolpe were all influential.
► Asian and Stoic philosophers, Alfred Adler, Paul DuBois, persuasive forms of
psychotherapy, Herzberg, Bernheim, Salter, Thorne, Alexander, French, Dollard, Miler,
Stekel, Wolberg.
► In 1957, Ellis wrote How to Live with a “Neurotic.”
, ► In 1975, Ellis wrote A New Guide to Rational Living, which continues to be one of the
most popular self-help books to date.
► In 1977, Ellis wrote Handbook of Rational-Emotive Therapy.
Current Status of REBT
► In 2005, Society of Clinical Psychology members listed Carl Rogers, Albert Ellis and
Sigmund Freud, in that order, as the most influential in the history of psychotherapy.
► Albert Ellis Institute established in 1959 teaches principles of healthy living.
► Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive Behavior Therapy reports latest findings.
► Research supports several REBT premises:
Thoughts and feelings are not two disparate processes.
Beliefs are more important than events.
Metathought occurs (often captured in images).
Changing thoughts, behaviors, or emotions changes other modalities.
Ellis’s Theory of Personality
“Basic tenet of REBT is that emotional upsets, from irrational beliefs.
► Problematic beliefs center around words/concepts like … “should,” “ought,” “awful,”
“must,” “I want,” and “I need.”
Ellis’s Theory of Personality
“Humans largely create their own distress.”
Albert Ellis Agrees with….
Freud that … The pleasure principle runs people’s lives.
Horney and Fromm that … Cultural and family influences impact people’s irrational thinking.
Adler that … Fictitious goals order people’s lives.
Allport that … Individuals think and act in a certain manner and have difficulty
changing.
Pavlov that … Cognitive conditioning occurs.
Frank that … People are prone to the influence of suggestion.
Piaget that … Active learning is more effective than passive.
Anna Freud that … People refuse to acknowledge mistakes and resort to defenses.
Maslow and Rogers that … Humans have great untapped resources.
Ways Individual’s Alleviate Pain
► Distraction:
Leads to less demands of others.
Individual becomes less anxious.
Palliative
► Satisfying demands
, Ultimate impact is demandingness is reinforced.
Magic and mysticism
.
Generally, magical solutions only temporarily placate the individual.
Main Goals of REBT
► achieve minimal demandingness and maximal tolerance.
► Although temporary, palliative techniques may be used in REBT; goal is for more
permanent solutions.
► Goal is minimization of musturbation, perfectionism, grandiosity, and low
frustration tolerance.
► REBT assists patients in seeing how giving up perfectionism improves their lives.
► to differentiate between desires and “musts.”
► change habits as well as cognition.
REBT Psychotherapy
Mechanisms of Psychotherapy
► No matter what feelings the patient discusses, the focus is on the patient’s irrational
beliefs.
► therapists do not hesitate to contradict the patient’s beliefs, one step ahead while showing
acceptance.
► REBT therapists may do more talking than the patients.
► Strongest philosophical approach possible is used.
► doesn’t tell the patient their beliefs are irrational, encourage the patient to see for
themselves.
Applications of REBT
► REBT is a broad based approach
Major Areas of Impact of REBT
Most effective wsingle symptom problems that also include anger management issues,
Field of education, especially regarding enhancing normative development.
Research supporting CT also supports basic premises of REBT.
