Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT)is a theory of personality and
a method of psychotherapy developed in the 1950's by Albert Ellis, a clinical
psychologist. Ellis believes that when highly charged emotional consequences
follow a significant event, the event actually does not necessarily cause the
consequences. Instead, they are largely created by the individual's belief system.
When undesirable emotional consequences occur, such as severe anxiety, Ellis
believes that when irrational beliefs are effectively disputed by challenging them
rationally and behaviourally the disturbed consequences are reduced.   The
goal of REBT, consequently, is to help clients examine and change their basic
values - particularly those keeping them disturbed – and reduce underlying
symptom producing propensities.
REBT views cognition and emotion integratively, with thought, feeling,
desires and action interacting with each other. Ellis stresses that
personality change can occur in both directions. Therefore the therapist can talk
with people and try to change their mind so they will behave differently, or can
help clients to change their behaviour and thus modify their thinking. REBT
theorists believe that humans rarely change a profound self-defeating belief
unless they act against it.
REBT holds that people are born with the potential to be rational as well
as irrational. They not only have a predispositions to be self-preserving and
actualize their potential for life and growth; but also to be self-destructive, and
short-range hedonists. They avoid thinking things through, procrastinate, repeat
the same mistakes, are superstitious, intolerant, perfectionistic, grandiose and
avoid actualizing their potential for growth. They have a tendency to irrational
thinking and self-damaging habituations, exacerbated by both culture and the
family group. They rarely act without perceiving, thinking and emoting because
these provide reasons for acting. Both normal... [continues]

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