Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy

963 Words2 Pages

Gerald Corey in Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy explains at times thoughts and feelings can be all consuming for people weather they are positive or negative. Unfortunately the negative thoughts have a way of permeating our views of ourselves. There are three thoughts that Albert Ellis would say everyone believes. One being we must do well and win the approval of others for my performances or else I am no good” (269). Second “Other people must treat me considerately, fairly, kindly, and in exactly the way I want them to treat me. If they don't, they are no good and they deserve to be condemned and punishment. Lastly people believe “I must get what I want, when I want it; and I must not get what I don't want. If I don't get what I want, its terrible, I cant stand it, and life is no good for depriving me of what I don't have”. (269) The ABC framework is the backbone of the theory stating that events influence beliefs that influence our thoughts. This model suggests that thoughts not only precede our feelings but they influence them as well. The therapist's goal is to help the client reframe their thoughts in order to change their emotions. When the client complies and begins to think differently their emotions will also change.
REBT therapists work to identify their clients distorted thoughts and help the client reframe their thoughts using various interventions that engage the mind. Therapists often point out the words such as “should”, “ought”, and must because they are irrational absolutes that add to negative thinking. Gently showing the client their distorted thoughts allows the client to make connections of how their thoughts influence their emotions. Those working in a REBT model usually use rapid an...

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... around them. When the carry out each task and others repsond in a typical fashion the clients sees that others are not especially interested in their daily actions. Ellis belived that if we could convince ourselves that it is not important to others if we do something that is not considered normal then we can reduce our instinces of shame.
The REBT theory using the A-B-C framework can be applied in many settings including work with individual, group, and couples. It can be applied across those settings as a Brief Therapy as Ellis created it as a shorter alternative to the psychotherapy that was being offered at the time. Ellis believed that the use of interventions quickly taught the clients methods they could use on their own.

References
Corey, Gerald (2013) Postmodern Approaches, Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy (263-277) Andover:Cengage

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