Chapter 9 - Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy

Consequential feeling or behavior

Feelings one gets when they have irrational beliefs such as depression, hopelessness, isolations, suicidal ideations & attempts

People ratings

A cognitive distortion. Viewing a person as if he or she has all or none of a quality (good, bad, worthless)

Irrational Belief

A distorted, self-destructive idea or assumption that interferes with your thinking. It is not the activating event that causes us to feel poorly, it is how the event is filtered through our cognitive distortions which then, in turn, impacts the development of irrational beliefs

Step 5 - Reinforcing change and terminating the relationship

Armed with the tools of change and terminating the relationship from REBT philosophy, clients can terminate therapy and work on their own. Ultimately, the client will adopt a new style of relating to the world in which they replace irrational beliefs with rational beliefs and concurrent behaviors and feelings that go along with such beliefs.

dispute irrational beliefs

As the client begin to realize that it is not the event causing the feelings or behaviors, but the belief about the event, they are called upon to dispute the irrational belief that have been driving their emotional distress and dysfunctional behaviors.

Step one - Assess Client's situation and hypothesize how the ABC's apply

Assess Client's situation and hypothesize how the ABC's apply Assess the clients situation and come up with a hypothesis as to how the client is cognitively distorting events and causing distress. This is done with standardized tests, biographical data, client self reporting and interviewing. The assessment process allows the therapist to consider how the ABCs apply.

Rational or irrational thinking

Believing we are fallible human beings who have the potential for rational or irrational thinking is the basis for REBT's view of human nature.

Challenging clients

Challenging occurs when therapists suggest to their clients that they examine their current way of understanding their thinking, feeling, and behavioral processes. It should not be confused with heavy duty confrontation.

Step 4 - Directing the change process

Change can occur on 3 levels, Cognitive, feeling and behavioral. This occurs when using disputations. Change occurs when the client is able to dispute their irrational thoughts, dysfunctional behaviors, and their emotional distress. The therapist will then actively suggest ways in which the client can rid themselves of irrational and dysfunctional thoughts, behaviors, and feelings.

Behavioral disputations

Clients are asked to practice new behaviors that challenge irrational beliefs that are responsible for the behaviors.

Disputations

Clients are encouraged by the REBT therapists to dispute unhealthy cognitions, behaviors, and emotions and replace them with healthy ones. Disputations can occur cognitively, behaviorally, or emotionally.

Cognitive disputations

Cognitive disputations involve helping the client challenge their existing irrational beliefs. This process involves disputing their irrational beliefs and drawing out the reason in which the person behaves the way he/she does. Some examples of questions the therapist can use are: 1. What evidence do you have to support this belief? 2. How is that true? 3. Might there be another way to think about this situation? 4. Has thinking this way been productive for you? 5. What do you think is the best way to respond?

Core masturbatory or grandiose irrational beliefs

Core irrational beliefs sometimes called core masturbatory or grandiose irrational beliefs. Initially there were 12 irrational beliefs that Ellis reduced down to three 1. I must always be approved of and likes/loved by everyone. 2. You should always treat me well and act the way I think you should. 3. Life should always be fair and just.

12 irrational beliefs

Ellis came up with 12 irrational beliefs and their associated rational beliefs , that people have a tendency to embrace.

Self defeating thoughts

Ellis's REBT approach looks at how self-defeating thoughts and irrational thinking are the road to negative feelings and emotional pain, which was initially ignored, criticized, or mocked by many prominent theorists.

Cognitive distortions

Inaccurate and irrational automatic thoughts or ideas that lead to false assumptions and misinterpretations. These are developed by ones dualistic and inflexible thinking. Some cognitive distortions include absolutistic musts and shoulds, awfulizing, i-can't-stand-its, demands and people rating. These distortions are responsible for irrational thinking which makes one feel crappy.

Core irrational beliefs

Initially there were 12 irrational beliefs that Ellis reduced down to three core beliefs 1. I must always be approved of and likes/loved by everyone. 2. You should always treat me well and act the way I think you should. 3. Life should always be fair and just.

Step 3 - Demonstrating how the clients situation fits the REBT model

Once REBT is understood the client can hear how the therapist hypothesis applies to their situation. This is done by presenting the hypothesis in the ABC formulation. Sometimes a handout describing the 12 irrational beliefs and three core beliefs are distributed to clients.

Effective response

Once the irrational belief is identified, the belief is then disputed in an effort to develop a new effective response. The result is a new rational belief which results in new consequences that are less stressful and healthier.

I-cant-stand-its

One of the Cognitive Distortions. Worrying about an event to the point where it feels unbearable

Being active and directive

One of the REBT therapeutic techniques in which the therapist gathers information from a client and encourages the client to talk, in order to make an assessment on how the client distorts events and uses irrational thinking.

Absolutistic musts and shoulds

One of the cognitive distortions (REBT). Believing that one must or should act a certain way.

Awfulizing

One of the cognitive distortions in which an event is exaggerated so that it seems horrible, terrible, awful or catastrophic.

Demands

One of the cognitive distortions in which one demands him/herself or another to act in a certain manner.

Dispute

Part of the ABCDEs of Feelings and Behaviors. Once the irrational belief is identified, the REBT therapist will dispute in an effort top develop new effective responses.

Unconditional acceptance

REBT asserts that healthy function comes through acceptance of self, acceptance of others, and acceptance of life even when those are not what one would like them to be. Clients are taught how to accept themselves and not rely on others for self esteem.

Rational Beliefs (REBT)

Replaces the irrational belief that results in new consequences that are less stressful and healthier way of living.

Activating event

The A in the ABCDE model of cognitive therapy; the occurrence that initiates the sequence of mental events that may prompt illogical cognitions or beliefs

Demonstrating unconditional acceptance

The REBT therapist must demonstrate unconditional acceptance which allows the client to freely discuss their thoughts, feelings or behaviors. People sometimes exhibit behaviors that are toxic to themselves or others.

Humor

The REBT therapist often uses humor to help clients see the ridiculousness of their plight.

Psychoeducational approach

The REBT therapist teaches the client more effective ways of living in the world and helps the individual learn about his or her psychological self. This includes: Demonstrating unconditional acceptance, teaching the REBT philosophy, being active and directive, challenging clients, demonstrating the ABCs of feeling and behaving, encouraging the disputing of dysfunctional cognitions, behaviors and emotions, using humor, using metaphors and stories, and giving homework.

Demonstrating the ABC's of feeling and behaving

The REBT therapist will use the ABC's to demonstrate to clients how their irrational beliefs, not their situation, are causing them emotional distress. Activating event, irrational belief, consequential feeling or behavior

Encouraging the disputing of dysfunctional cognitions, behaviors, and emotions

The REBT therapists helps the client to learn the therapeutic process, in which they realize that many of their cognitions, behaviors, and emotions have not been healthy. The therapist encourages them to dispute the unhealthy ones and replace them with healthy ones.

Giving Homework

The REBT therapists will actively encourage clients to practice techniques at home, (ex: practice disputation techniques.

ABCDE'S of feelings and behaviors

The technique in the REBT theory in which the therapist addresses the clients irrational beliefs A - Activating event - the therapists labels the activating event B- Irrational Belief - about the activating event C-Cognitive Self Statements - beliefs that result in negative feelings that are rooted from one of the twelve irrational beliefs or the three core beliefs. These are also driven by the cognitive distortiions D-Dispute - Once the irrational belief is identified, the REBT therapist will dispute in an effort to develop new effective responses. E-Effective Response - Result is new rational beliefs that result in new consequences that are

Evidence

Therapist use socratic dialogue to help the client examine their philosophical precepts (irrational thoughts). Through philosophical discourse, clients are challenged to show evidence that their irrational beliefs are true. Since this is an impossibility irrational beliefs are by their very nature false and thus disputable. Clients have no recourse but to accept the irrationality of his/her self statements.

Step 2 - Teaching the REBT

Therapists need to actively encourage clients to be open to the REBT philosophy. This is done by teaching the philosophy. To reinforce this pamphlets, books, internet resources, and other aids might be suggested.