Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

Frank North
Missouri Baptist University
November 2002
What disturbs peoples minds is not events but their
judgments on events Epictetus, 100 A.D.

Rational Emotive Behavior

Therapy
Albert

Ellis
A-B-Cs of REBT
Treatment Goals
The practice of REBT

 Born

Albert Ellis

- Pittsburgh 1913
Grew up in New York City
Undergraduate City College NY 1934
Ph.D. - Columbia University 1947
Discarded traditional psychoanalysis
Took more active role
Quicker improvement

 1959 Albert

Ellis Institute
Prolific author/editor/consultant

60 books, 725 articles,

Still in active practice today

90th

Birthday celebration 2003.

Grant

me the courage the change the things I can,

accept the things I cannot, and the wisdom to know
the difference.
Reinhold Niebuhr 20th century theologian

A-B-Cs of REBT
A Activating

Event (trigger)

Something happens
Major event
Job loss, death of loved one,

Minor build-ups
Small events adding up to the last straw

A-B-Cs of REBT
B

Beliefs

Rational
Logical
Reality based
Self-helping
Irrational
Illogical
Wishful thinking
Self-defeating

The Three Major musts

Demands

about self.

I must not make mistakes or I will be a failure

Demand

about others.

You must not be mean to me or you are a rotten

person.
Demand

about world & life.

Im surrounded by idiots, its just awful.

Musterbations

A-B-Cs of REBT
C

Consequences:

Emotional responses
What happens does not cause you to feel
You make yourself feel by your beliefs
Behavioral responses

Your reaction is for you to control

A-B-Cs of REBT
D

Dispute Irrational beliefs

If you are unhappy with C, look at B and

look into those beliefs.

Changing old habits: challenge and replace.

A-B-Cs of REBT
E

New Emotions and Behaviors

Results of replacing irrational B beliefs with

rational ones.
The As wont go away, but now they have
less impact.

Treatment Goals
To show

clients that self-defeating behaviors arise

from irrational beliefs they hold about activating
events.
To minimize emotional disturbances.
To help clients surrender irrational beliefs and
replace with more rational philosophies that will
help them behave in more constructive, selfserving ways.
To foster a more realistic philosophy of life.

The Practice of REBT

The ABC

assessment starts from the beginning

of the first session and continues.
Therapist listens to the A in depth and to the

emotional consequence, C.
Therapist challenges the beliefs B of the Client.
show me proof you cant do anything right

Client disputes the belief to form a rational

philosophy about the A event.

The Practice of REBT

Too

much warmth and understanding can

be counterproductive for the client and
counseling process.
Albert Ellis

Ellis

challenges the client with:

Role playing
Self-talk
Humor

The Practice of REBT

Active

therapist

Provide clients as quickly as possible the tools

to help them change their beliefs, thus freeing

them to confront everyday problems with new
resources.

Summary
Teaching

client to identify and discard

absolute words, musturbations and
awfulizations

Musts to Preferences
I

prefer to do well, but if I fail I can try

again.
I prefer you treat me well, but since I dont
run the world, I cannot control you.
I prefer life be easy, fair, but since it isnt I
can bear the frustration and still lead an
enjoyable life.