REBT stands for Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy, developed by psychologist Albert Ellis. It is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy that aims to change clients’ irrational beliefs. Ellis believed that the way we think has an impact on the way we feel. It also attempts to help clients change the way they think to reduce negative emotions and improve their quality of life.
Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy. Do You Need It?
You may need REBT or Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy if you’re constantly dealing with stress, anxiety, difficult emotions, or a specific mental disorder. REBT conceptualizes psychological disturbances as products of irrational thoughts or beliefs and maladaptive behaviors that were learned by an individual.
It is not only our life events but our interpretation of these events that can cause psychological disturbances. REBT is an optimistic theory and believes that since mental disorders are learned, they can be unlearned.
Who Do You Think Needs REBT?
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- David is angry about going to work, so David will be angry towards his co-workers
- Amy is pessimistic and looks at things negatively
- Jennifer didn’t get a good grade because she believed the teacher was already angry at her since the first day of school
The phrase that best matches REBT is 3. According to Albert Ellis, we are not disturbed by things, but by our view of things. Because Jennifer thought that her teacher was angry at her, she thought that this was the reason she got a bad grade in school. She did not consider that her bad grade was caused by other factors that are more relevant to the event.
If Jennifer was into REBT, the goal would be to dispute her current irrational beliefs, which is more on the line of questioning or challenging and replacing them with more sensible and rational beliefs. At the end of the therapy, Jennifer would come to realize that her bad grades were nothing more than a result of a lack of studying and not because the teacher was angry at her.
REBT As A Mental Tool
REBT has been known to effectively treat psychological problems and specific mental disorders such as:
general anxiety
- Social and specific phobias
- Self-harm and suicidal thoughts
- Depression
- Stress
- Other mental health issues
Rational emotive behavioral therapists employ different techniques to help their clients make positive changes in their lives.
These techniques fall under three categories, namely emotive (feelings), behavioral (acting), and cognitive (thinking). Cognitive techniques are used to help identify and change your irrational beliefs. These techniques are implemented to challenge and dispute these belief systems.
Behavioral techniques help clients to replace their dysfunctional and irrational behavior through:
- Relaxation techniques
- Systematic desensitization
- Journal writing
- Risk-taking exercises
Emotive techniques help clients to understand the link between their negative emotions with the various life events and their faulty beliefs behind them. This is done through the use of humor, role-playing, and shame-attacking exercises.
You can check out this video from Dr Todd Grande:
Related Links
What Are Healthy and Unhealthy Negative Emotions?
Featured Image: ThoughtCo
