Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy

Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) is designed to confront a client’s irrational beliefs (Corey 2017). First created by Albert Ellis, REBT emphasizes the importance of assessing, deciding, and thinking about one’s own cognitive process. Therapists who use this technique often confront a client’s irrational thoughts directly; the therapist encourages new, more beneficial ways of thinking. The current client is suffering from feelings of anxiety and inadequateness brought on by her father’s disapproval; many of the thoughts she has are irrational and she constantly blames herself for her father’s actions and beliefs about her. REBT would be beneficial to her situation because it would help identify
According to Corey (2017), cognitions, behaviors, and emotions have a rigid cause and effect relationship: If one thinks negative thoughts, they are more likely to behave negatively. Through the therapeutic process of REBT, therapists attempt to help the client gain the skills needed to analyze and pinpoint irrational thoughts and what triggered them. A key component and goal of this therapy is to replace irrational beliefs and ways of thinking with productive, healthier cognitive processes (Corey 2017). This approach refutes the thoughts behind “should” and “must” because it often leaves the client feeling trapped within these phrases and unable to overcome them. REBT opposes a rigid
The therapist encourages the client to replace the irrational thoughts with more rational ones (Corey 2017). Beliefs that require the client to think they “must” are rigid and constricting, and often leave the client feeling depressed or trapped within their own life. As aforementioned, this therapeutic technique holds strong to the notion that the client contributes to their problems, and therefore, can contribute to solutions/changes. Therapists who apply this theory have four specific guidelines, or steps, that are helpful in conducting therapy. The first step is to help the client understand his or her irrational thoughts and how they have included the phrases “should” and “must” into their cognitive vocabulary. Not only is the first step to help the client understand the presence of these debilitating thoughts, but also to inspire the client to alter their thought patterns in a way that excludes those phrases and ideas (Corey 2017). The second step in this process is to help the client understand how they have control over their emotional states and responses; continuing to think illogical or irrational thoughts aggravates and encourages the psychological problems. After helping the client understand their role in irrational thinking, the third step involves the therapist aiding the client in creating new, more healthier ways of thinking; the goal is not to