Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT)

Who developed REBT and when, and what earlier training influenced him?

Albert Ellis in the 1950s, building on his training in psychoanalysis, which he found too passive and slow.

What is the core focus of REBT in understanding emotional distress?

REBT emphasizes that emotional distress is largely created by irrational beliefs rather than the events themselves, focusing on changing how clients interpret situations.

What are the main aims of REBT for clients?

Clients are helped to identify irrational beliefs, dispute and replace them with rational beliefs, and develop healthier emotions and behaviors.

How did REBT evolve historically from its early beginnings?

It was first called “Rational Therapy,” then “Rational Emotive Therapy,” and finally became REBT, influencing the emergence of modern cognitive-behavioral therapy.

How does REBT relate to philosophy and cognitive theory?

It emphasizes stoic philosophy, particularly the idea that people disturb themselves through the meanings they assign to events, reflecting the cognitive principle that thinking shapes emotions and behavior.

Why did Ellis reject traditional psychoanalysis for developing REBT?

He believed psychoanalysis focused too much on the past, which is subjective and unchangeable, and argued therapy should address clients’ current relationship to the past in an active, problem-focused way.

How is REBT intended to be scientific and evidence-based?

Ellis designed it so irrational beliefs could be measured and changed through structured, active, and directive methods, making the approach systematic and practical.

Where does Ellis fall on the continuum of directiveness?

very high. ran the show. guiding sessions and challenging thinking, no one in this comparison exceeds him

How much interpretation does Ellis provide?

Ellis gives a moderate amount of —more than Rogers and Perls, but less than Freud, who provides does more.

How does Ellis rank on the continuum of therapist-client power imbalance, and who is higher or lower?

Ellis has a moderate to high power imbalance, giving him more influence than Rogers and Perls but less than Freud, who exerts the highest level of control.

What tendencies do people have at birth according to REBT?

People are born with a tendency toward rational thinking and a competing tendency toward irrational, self-defeating thinking.

How do irrational beliefs contribute to anxiety and self-defeating behavior?

Irrational thinking creates rigid “musts” and “shoulds,” allowing people to interpret situations in ways that fuel anxiety and hinder adaptive behavior.

Why is structured disputing and homework necessary in REBT?

Because irrational beliefs are not bound by logic, people can make anything fit their irrational worldview, so structured methods help challenge and change these beliefs.

According to REBT, where do emotional disturbances come from?

Emotional disturbances arise from rigid, absolutist beliefs, not from the external circumstances themselves.

What characterizes a healthy personality in REBT?

a healthy personality is flexible, self-accepting, and guided by reality-based beliefs rather than rigid or irrational ones.

What are the core concepts of REBT?

The ABC Model, Types of Beliefs, Healthy vs. Unhealthy Negative Emotions, Secondary Disturbance

What does the ABC Model in REBT describe?

It explains that A is the Activating Event, B is Beliefs about the event, and C is the emotional and behavioral Consequences; importantly, B—not A—creates C, so changing beliefs changes emotional outcomes.

What are the two main types of beliefs in REBT?

Irrational beliefs, which are rigid, extreme, and unrealistic, and rational beliefs, which are flexible preferences that lead to healthier emotions and better decision-making.

How does REBT distinguish between healthy and unhealthy negative emotions?

Unhealthy emotions like panic or rage arise from irrational beliefs, while healthy negative emotions like sadness or annoyance arise from rational beliefs and are appropriate and helpful.

What is a secondary disturbance in REBT?

It occurs when clients disrupt themselves about their original disturbance, such as feeling anxious about feeling anxious, and REBT addresses both primary and secondary disturbances.

What are the three major steps in the REBT process?

Detecting irrational beliefs, disputing irrational beliefs, and developing and practicing rational alternatives.

How does disputing irrational beliefs work in REBT?

The therapist challenges beliefs directly using logical disputing (“Does this belief make sense?”), empirical disputing (“Where is the evidence?”), and pragmatic disputing (“Is this belief helping you?”).

What mindset does an REBT therapist use when challenging beliefs?

Beliefs are treated like hypotheses rather than truths, and therapists use a scientific-method approach—gathering evidence, questioning assumptions, and testing conclusions.

How did Ellis structure his therapy sessions in terms of therapist-client interaction?

He practiced highly didactic therapy, where the therapist talks and the client listens, actively guiding the session.

What did Ellis believe about how clients develop irrational thinking?

He believed clients indoctrinate themselves into irrational beliefs, often creating self-fulfilling prophecies.

How did Ellis use homework in therapy?

was assigned to help clients actively test and challenge irrational beliefs outside of sessions, making REBT the first approach to formally integrate this method.

What are the main cognitive techniques used in REBT?

Disputing irrational beliefs, rational self-statements, cost–benefit analysis, examining absolutist language, and “awfulizing,” all emphasizing scientific thinking and using homework to challenge irrationality.

How do emotional techniques in REBT help clients?

Techniques like rational–emotive imagery, role-playing, and shame-attacking exercises reduce self-downing, increase unconditional self-acceptance, and help clients tolerate emotional discomfort.

What are some behavioral techniques used in REBT, and why are they important?

Exposure, homework, skill-building, activity scheduling, and reinforcement of new behaviors are used to support changes in actions, which in turn reinforce rational beliefs and healthier emotional responses.

What is Ellis’s view of human nature in REBT?

People can always change because thoughts, emotions, and the self are modifiable; therapy targets unrealistic expectations to develop tolerance, flexibility, and openness to uncertainty.

What healthy rational traits does REBT emphasize?

Healthy self-interest and self-direction, tolerance of mistakes, flexibility, acceptance of uncertainty, commitment to values and long-term goals, risk-taking for growth, non-utopianism, and self-acceptance without self-downing.

What are some strengths of REBT?

It is clear, structured, practical, empirically supported, emphasizes self-acceptance, teaches lifelong skills, and addresses both emotional and behavioral change.

What are some criticisms of REBT?

The approach may feel confrontational due to its directiveness, overemphasize rationality while overlooking deeper emotional needs, may not suit clients preferring exploratory or relational approaches, and can feel intellectual due to its philosophical focus.

How is REBT relevant in contemporary therapy?

It remains foundational to modern CBT, is used worldwide, aligns with brief and time-limited therapies, and continues evolving through Ellis’s later work emphasizing unconditional self-, other-, and life-acceptance, particularly for anxiety and perfectionism.

How did Ellis apply REBT in the film example with Gloria?

He identified her irrational “insane sentences,” especially self-downing and catastrophizing, reframed them with simple rational language, emphasized homework and lifelong disputing, and guided her toward self-acceptance rather than perfectionism.