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Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and Techniques

REBT is a multimode approach, which focuses on our cognitive emotions and behavior. It suggests that we are born with both rational and irrational thinking and that emotional disturbances are a result of confusing wants with needs. Therefore, the goal of therapy is to adapt more realistic philosophy's of life and reducing blaming one's self and others for problems.

REBT Techniques

There are several techniques in REBT; the ABC's theory is one of them.

• A (active event)
• B (belief)C (emotional & behavioral consequences)
• D (disputing intervention)
• E (effect)
• F (new feeling)

The ABCs of REBT

It's not a particular Adversity (A) that causes our emotional Consequences (C). As the "post hoc, ergo propter hoc" fallacy reminds us, correlation does not imply causation. The Adversity precedes the Consequence, but although it is a necessary condition, it is not a sufficient condition.

Our Beliefs (B) about the Adversity is what mainly determines our emotional Consequences;With Low Frustration Tolerance (LFT), for example, we tend to get inordinately angry when things don't go our way. At this very moment, as a matter of fact, my neighbor's obnoxious collie is once again barking incessantly--and now I've suddenly got a hankering for Chinese food.

In a perfect world, obstreperous dogs would not distract me from important tasks that require my focused concentration. But in this world, sometimes it's just one damn thing after another. If I hold the Rational Belief (RB) that this is merely a temporary inconvenience that I would prefer not to interfere with my goals, I'll feel appropriately frustrated and annoyed. If, however, I hold the Irrational Belief (IB) that this sort of thing just should not happen, that my being inconvenienced is an outrage that is truly unbearable, and if I unreasonably demand that people and things never thwart my efforts, I'll tend to be inappropriately enraged.

REBT asks--nay, insists--that we aggressively Dispute (D) our Irrational Beliefs and replace them with Rational Beliefs. And we need to keep vigorously Disputing those Irrational Beliefs until we arrive at a new Effective philosophy (E). (As you've undoubtedly noticed, Mr. Ellis has quite an affinity for initializes--an affinity that I do not share, but what can you do?)

REBT has three specific methods of Disputing Irrational Beliefs: (1) the empirical method, in which you ask yourself, "Does this belief mesh with reality?"; (2) the logical method, in which you ask yourself, "Does this belief that I need someone or something follow from my assumption that I want her, him, or it?"; and (3) the pragmatic method, in which you ask yourself, "What practical, real-world results will likely follow from my holding this belief? Will it really help me to get more of what I want and less of what I don't want?"

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