Albert Ellis Revision Notes

What is the main theory that Albert Ellis developed?

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy - REBT

What is the core belief of REBT?

‘A person’s belief system is cause of emotional problems’ one of key goals of therapy is to challenge ‘validity of certain beliefs’ (Corey, 1991)

What is the goal of REBT?

'To eliminate clients’ self-defeating outlook on life and assist them in acquiring a more tolerant and rational view of life’ (Corey, 1991)

What psychological interventions does REBT depart radically from?

Person-Centered, Psychoanalytic, Psycho-Dynamic and Gestalt

What are the 5 characteristics of REBT?

1. Highly Rational

2. Persuasive

3. Interpretative

4. Directive

5. Philosophical

What are the 4 assumptions based on REBT?

1. Cognition’s

2. Emotions

3. Behaviors interacting significantly

4. Having a reciprocal cause and effect relationship

What approach does REBT quality as?

All modalities and interactions qualifies as a = Multi-modal-Integrative Approach

Where does our emotions stem from?

1. Beliefs

2. Evaluations

3. Interpretations

4. Reactions to life situations

What skills does a client develop through this therapeutic process?

Learned to give tools to identify and dispute irrational beliefs have been learned and self-constructed now maintained by self-indoctrination (Dryden, 1984)

What outcome does REBT give clients?

Clients learn how to replace such in-effective ways of thinking with effective and rational cognition’s, resulting in changing emotional reactions to situations.

Why is REBT seen as an educational process?

Therapists function as a teacher - especially regarding collaborating on homework assignments and teaching strategies for more rational thinking.

Client is the learner - Practicing skills that are being discussed in therapy in everyday life.

REVISE - Key Concepts of REBT

Ellis frequently expressed his idea that: Human beings have a basic tendency to be irrational as well as rational in their thinking.

Tendency to be: Irrational or illogical that’s rooted causing most of human unhappiness and suffering.

Central aim of REBT is to: Help client’s identify ways in which irrational thinking causes his unhappiness and further encouraging him to establish more rational and more functional ways of thinking.

Question: So, how does one go about this?

REVISE - 11 Irrational Belief Examples Outlined by REBT

1.     I must be loved by everyone, or I am not loveable.

2.     I must do everything well, or I am incompetent.

3.     I must damn others if they do not treat me well.

4.     I must damn life if things do not go well.

5.     I must control events and people because they control how I feel.

6.     I must worry about anything fearful or risky.

7.     I must avoid responsibilities and problems to be comfortable or content.

8.     I must depend on others else my life or self will fall apart.

9.     I must be controlled by my past and disturbed by anything that once disturbed me.

10.  I must damn other’s problems and be disturbed by them.

11.  I must damn life if I cannot find the perfect answers to human problems.

What age group does Ellis’ idea of irrational belief not work?

• With young people (teenagers and younger)

• Due to: use of the word ‘irrational’ leads to confusion and queries

• Instead replace with: ‘Unhelpful’

What are some irrational ideas that people tend to internalize?

• I must have love or approval from all the significant people in my life.

• I must perform important tasks competently and perfectly well.

• People must treat me considerately and fairly

• If I don’t get what I want, it’s terrible and I can’t stand it.

Easier to avoid facing life’s difficulties.

Is the ABC Model involved with REBT Theory and Practice?

Yes - It is central to REBT Theory and Practice

What is the ABC Model?

• A - Activating Event (Ellis believes that it’s not what happens here causing disturbance)

• B - Belief (Person’s beliefs about A = Where person’s own self talk or catastrophising of the event inflicts the damage)

• C - Consequence (Person’s emotional or behavioral reaction to A)

Ellis states it’s not the actual event (Point A) causing the unhappiness but instead it’s the way they think (Point B) about the event which causes the problem (Point C).

What is Automatic Discounting?

Sensitive to absorbing negative information and discounting positive information.

What is Magnification and Minimization?

• Magnification - Of one’s Imperfections.

• Minimization - Of one’s Positive Attributes.

What is Personalization?

• Egocentric Interpretation of Interpersonal Events relating to the self.

• Example = ‘2 people laughed and whispered something as I walked by: They were probably saying that I looked ‘odd’.

REVIEW - Implementing REBT

1. Identify the thoughts in the irrational thoughts in first instance.

2. Therapist encourages, persuades and directs client to engage in activities that encounter this propaganda.

3. Making client aware because client keeps re-indoctrinating themselves, largely responsible for their own neuroses/problems.

4. Get beyond mere awareness or irrational thoughts = Therapist must aid modify thinking and abandon irrational ideas by almost providing to them/ evidencing their thinking to be faulty - hence continues the self-defeating cycle.

5. Teach clients to substitute irrational or rational beliefs - re-direct to a scientific way of thinking (Cognitive Restructuring)

6. Cognitive Restructuring disproves irrational thoughts with real evidence.

7. REBT is a cognitive and directive behavioral process - minimizes intense relationship between therapist and client (Teacher-Learner relationship)

REVISED - What is addressed and How in REBT?

Cognitions	Conversation/disputing the client’s beliefs/challenging the way the client uses language/ Directly challenging the client to find proof of their irrational beliefs.   Teaching/relearning on the part of the client.
Emotions	Practising behaviours to monitor emotions/checking in on emotions in exposure exercises.
Behaviour	Role play/ Client work between sessions/ practice known as homework.

What are the 7 Techniques/Interventions used in REBT Therapeutic Approach?

1. Therapist mainly employs a persuasive methodology.

2. Techniques emphasize education - (labelled as psychoeducation approach)

3. Therapists may use absurdity & humor to confront irrationality of client’s thinking - (Teaches clients to apply scientific approach thinking) - (Challenges clients to validate their ideas)

4. Direct client

5. Challenge the client

6. Various tools used e.g., ABC Model, Cost: Benefit Analysis, Worksheets

7. Assigns Homework to client