Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

Yes

Yes or No: Does REBT fall under the general umbrella of cognitive behavior therapies (CBT)?

Albert Ellis

He developed Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) and referred to as the grandfather of CBT.

No

Yes or No: We learn not to adopt irrational beliefs from significant others during childhood, but rather from ourselves, and then we re-create these irrational beliefs throughout our lifetime.

True

True or False: We actively reinforce our self-defeating beliefs through the process of auto-suggestion and self-repetition, and behave in ways that are consistent with these beliefs.

1. “I must do well and be loved and approved by others.”

2. “Other people must treat me fairly, kindly, and well.”

3. “The world and my living conditions must be comfortable, gratifying, and just, providing me with all that I want in life.”

REBT’s Three Basic Musts:

A-B-C Framework

A model central to REBT Theory and practice—it provides a useful tool for understanding the client’s feelings, thoughts, events, and behavior.

A

In the A-B-C Framework, it represents the existence of an activating event or adversity, or an inference about an event by an individual.

B

In the A-B-C Framework, it stands for the person’s belief about the activating event or adversity, largely creating the emotional and behavioral consequence or reaction of the individual.

C

In the A-B-C Framework, it represents the emotional and behavioral consequence or reaction of the individual that can be either healthy or unhealthy.

D

In the A-B-C Framework, it stands for the stage that encompasses methods that help clients challenge their irrational beliefs. It is when clients learn to discriminate irrational (self-defeating) beliefs from rational (self-helping) beliefs.

1. Detecting

2. Debating

3. Discriminating

The three components of D (disputing) process:

E

In the A-B-C Framework, it stands for the stage where clients are encouraged to develop a new effective philosophy—consisting of replacing unhealthy irrational thoughts with healthy rational ones (like “Homework”).

• to help clients differentiate realistic/unrealistic goals and choose life-enhancing/realistic goals, and change dysfunctional emotions and behaviors to healthy ones.

• to develop unconditional self-acceptance (USA), unconditional other-acceptance (UOA), and unconditional life-acceptance (ULA).

REBT’s Therapeutic Goals:

• Bibliotherapy

• Changing one’s language

• Mind Anchors

REBT’s Therapeutic Techniques based on Cognitive Methods:

• Rational Emotive Imagery

• Humor

• Shame-attacking

REBT’s Therapeutic Techniques based on Emotive Methods:

• Modeling

• Graded exposure/Risk-taking

REBT’s Therapeutic Techniques based on Behavioral Methods:

Bibliotherapy

Includes reading self-help books, watching short films, listening to TED talks, and reflecting on what you learned from these materials.

Changing one’s language

Clients replace rigid, self-defeating language (“must,” “should,” “awful”) with preferences and flexible terms (“prefer,” “inconvenient”).

e.g., “It’s awful if people don’t like me.” → “It’s inconvenient and uncomfortable if people don’t like me, but I can handle it.”

Rational Emotive Imagery

a form of intense mental practice designed to establish new emotional patterns in place of disruptive ones by thinking in healthy ways. Clients vividly imagine the worst possible event and describe their disturbing feelings.

Humor

Helps clients avoid taking themselves too seriously by showing the absurdity of irrational ideas. Clients learn to laugh at their self-defeating thoughts, not themselves.

Shame-attacking Exercises

Clients deliberately engage in behaviors they normally avoid due to fear of others’ disapproval (e.g., wearing “loud” clothes, asking a silly question). These tasks increase self-acceptance, mature responsibility, and show that others’ reactions are not catastrophic.

Mind Anchors

includes having your own mantra, practicing hobbies/habits, and interacting with others—reducing fear and worry. It focuses on bringing your emotions back into balance.

Graded Exposure

This involves exposing you to the source of your fear gradually by going up the ladder one step at a time.

F

In the A-B-C Framework it stands for feeling or functional new behavior.