REBT

development of REBT

Albert Ellis (1913-2007)

Rational therapy -> Rational Emotive Therapy -> Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy (REBT)

Albert Ellis (1913-2007)

He developed a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy known as rational-emotive therapy. His rational-emotive therapy is based on the idea that self-defeating thoughts cause psychological problems.

human nature

fundamental goals - survive, relative freedom from pain, reasonable satisfaction and content

opposing biological tendencies

self preservation, actualisation, happiness, rational thought

vs

self destruction, irrational though, perfectionism, supersistion, intolerance

rational vs irrational living

rational living helps to achieve goals, irrational living prevents this

emotion, cognition, and behaviour

ABC theory of personality

people create own emotional disturbances

A=activating event; B=belief system; C=emotional consequence; intervention: D=disputing the irrational behavior at B; E=a new emotional consequence/an effective new philosophy on life

Rational Beliefs (REBT)

cognition, ideas, beliefs, and philosophies that foster the attainment of the most basic goals

irrational beliefs (REBT)

Faulty beliefs about events that are negative and exaggerated

primary demanding beliefs and derivatives

'musturbation' - must

derivaties - awfulizing, i-can't-stand'it-itis - damning self / others

secondary demanding beliefs and derivatives

miserable about misery, C1 becomes A2

derivatives - awfulising, i-cant-stand-it-itis, damning

two categories of neuroses

ego disturbance

low frustration tolerance

ego disturbance

occurs when individuals make demands on themselves, others, and the world; if these demands are not met, they put themselves down by assigning a global negative rating to themselves and identifying themselves as bad or less worthy

low frustration tolerance

the belief that one cannot stand what one does not like

things must go well for them

acquisition of dysfunction (3)

biological tendencies, social learning, choosing irrational cognitions

maintenance of dysfunction (4)

Biological tendencies - short-range hedonism

Insufficient Scientific Thinking - lacks flexibility, testing - too absolutist

Emphasising one's 'Godawful' past - focus on past instead of present, re-indoctrination

Reinforcing consequences - operant conditioning

goals of REBT (2)

inelegant change goals

elegant change goals

inelegant change goals

symptom removal

new philosophy focused on specific issues

elegant change goals

new philosophy for life

anti-musturbatory thinking

unconditional self, other, and life acceptance

therapeutic REBT process

Active-directive structured therapy

Focus on specific issues from outset

Therapist as teacher, sets homework tasks - action is important

Weekly, 5-50 sessions

Relationship - unconditionally accepting, genuine, empathetic, appropriately humorous

Work and effort required on client's part

detecting irrational beliefs

Therapists detect irrational beliefs, musturbations and derivatives, and teach clients how to do it themselves

Cognitive - 'musts' 'shoulds' 'oughts'

Emotional - depression, guilt, anxiety

Behavioural - self-defeating actions

cognitive techniques (6)

functional, logical, empirical, philosophical, rational coping statements, cognitive homework

emotive techniques (3)

rational emotive imagery

role playing

humour

rational emotive imagery

clients are asked to vividly imagine one of the worst things that might happen to them

role playing

rehearse behaviours, work through irrational beliefs

humour

put life in perspective, take things less seriously, laugh at self-defeating ways of thinking

behavioural techniques (3)

shame attacking

assignments that challenge demandingness

reinforcement

shame attacking

Expose the client to the fear of shame by acting in a way that anticipates disapproval while engaging cog, beh, and emotional coping skills.

assignments that challenge demandingness

repeatedly do 'feared' behaviour' whilst convincing self the consequence is not awful only inconvenient, do this floodingly