Chapter 1: Intro to REBT and CT

What is cognitive therapy?

a psychotherapy in which negative patterns of thought about the self, future, and the world are challenged in order to alter unwanted behavior patterns or to treat mood disorders such as depression, bipolar, and anxiety disorder

Who introduced REBT?

Albert Ellis in 1955

What did Karen Horney believe that helped inspire REBT?

she believed that neurosis resulted from basic anxiety cause by interpersonal relationships

What did Harry Stack Sullivan believe that helped inspire REBT?

one must pay attention to the “interactional” not the “intrapsychic” and the role of the “significant other” and the “self system” (trait and early childhood affirmation)

What is REBT?

a method which stressed a more direct and active approach to treatment in which the therapist helped the client understand the underlying irrational beliefs that led to emotional and psychological distress

What is the fundamental assertion of rational emotive behavior therapy?

the way people feel is largely influenced by how they think.
when people hold irrational beliefs about themselves or the world, problems can result.

What is the goal of REBT?

to help people alter illogical beliefs and negative thinking patterns in order to overcome psychological problems and mental destress.

REBT ABC Model

a- activating event: something happens in the environment around you
b- beliefs: you hold a belief about the event or situation
c- consequence: you have an emotional response to your belief

What does the ABC model show?

shows that A does not cause C, that B causes C.

Hedonistic

major goals are to stay alive and pursue happiness

View of the person in REBT

Humans are fallible and make errors. We have a strong tendency to think irrationally, converting preferences into strong, absolutistic demands on self, others and the environment
humans have the ability to think about their thinking and choose to work toward changing irrational thinking

What are the basic principles of REBT?

people are responsible for their own actions and emotions
irrationality is somewhat innate or biologically pre-dispositioned
harmful emotions result from irrational thinking, which may be initiated by earlier experiences that are reconditioned consistently by the individual

What are the basic goals of REBT?

replace thoughts based on irrational beliefs with thoughts based on rational beliefs
more realistic views= a deeper acceptance of self and greater satisfaction in life
focus on shifting absolutistic musts to desires or preferences

What is the therapeutic relationships in REBT therapy?

effective therapeutic bond is important but not necessary
therapist strives to accept the client unconditionally
informal, humorous, active, directive, and flexible
little therapist warmth but show emotional and philosophical empathy

What are the three types of acceptance REBT therapists what their clients to achieve?

Unconditional self-acceptance, other-acceptance, and life-acceptance

REBT assessment components

therapy oriented assessment (client gets to work on problems immediately), little background information gathering, focus on irrational ideas, and assess specific activating events and associated rational and irrational beliefs

Components of REBT

identifying thoughts based on irrational beliefs, challenging the irrational beliefs, and disputing irrational beliefs

musterbation

theme of sense of duty: use of words like must, have to, should, ought to.

Types of “musts”: must #1

a demand on yourself; “I MUST do well and get approval or else I am worthless.” causes anxiety, depression, and lack of assertiveness

Types of “musts”: must #2

A demand on others; “You MUST treat me lovingly or else you’re no good.” This leads to resentment, hostility, and violence.

Types of “musts”: must #3

A demand on situations; “Life MUST be fair and easy or else it’s awful." This leads to hopelessness, procrastination, and addictions

Emotive techniques

Teach clients about differences in emotions
Humorous methods to encourage clients to not take themselves too seriously
Model rational philosophy through self-disclosure
Parables, poems, stories, and songs
Rational role reversal

Rational Role Reversal

An emotive technique in which you forcefully and dramatically take the role of the rational self and dispute beliefs.

Behavioral techniques: shame-attacking and risk-taking exercises

based on desensitization and flooding paradigms
encourages client to act in ways consistent with new rational thinking