Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

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Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) is the vision of Dr. Albert Ellis. Dr. Ellis, 1913 – 2007, received his masters and doctorate from Columbia University in psychology (Abrams & Abrams, n.d.). Dr. Ellis is no stranger to mental illness nor the effects that mental illness on the family unit. Dr. Ellis’s described his mother as “self-absorbed with bi-polar disorder” (Abrams & Abrams, n.d.) and his father as “emotionless and distant” (Abrams & Abrams, n.d.). Dr. Ellis parent’s inattention positioned him in the role of primary caregiver for his younger brother and sister despite his fragility. Dr. Ellis reported being hospitalized eight times between the ages of five and seven (Abrams & Abrams, n.d.). Despite his shortage of parental support, Ellis did not permit his adversities to alter his disposition.
Like most psychologists, Dr. Ellis’s early training originated with psychoanalytic perspective. The techniques and focus of psychoanalytic theory left many unanswered questions for Ellis on efficacy and scientific premise on psychoanalytic therapy (Abrams & Abrams, n.d.). Dr. Ellis believed that therapy should have scientific foundation to increase the validity of psychotherapy (Ellis, 1999). During his early career, Ellis critiqued the validity and reliability of personality tests concluding that the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory was the only valid instrument based on research (Abrams & Abrams, n.d.).
During the early portion of his career, Ellis utilized psychoanalytic techniques with his clients despite the lingering questions he possessed on efficacy and scientific premise. He sought a more effective interactive alternative means aid his clients. This initiated his pursuit for new methods and...

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