Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is a style of short-term Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that was developed in the 1950s by a doctor named Albert Ellis (The Albert Ellis Institute, n.d.).
Ellis trained as a clinical psychologist but found the options for treating his patients lacking. His dissatisfaction with the results he was seeing drove him to develop his own brand of therapy that emphasized action instead of talk.
Read on to dive deeper into the theory behind REBT and look at some of the techniques and interventions that you might practice with this type of therapy.
Before you continue, we thought you might like to download our three Positive CBT Exercises for free. These science-based exercises will provide you with detailed insight into Positive CBT and give you the tools to apply it in your therapy or coaching.
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy is based on the idea that it is not the things that happen to us that cause our problems; it is our thoughts and thinking patterns that lead to the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral issues that challenge us (Dryden, David, & Ellis, 2010).
This idea is captured in the acronym ABC:
A – The activating event or adversity
B – Our beliefs about the event, ourselves, and the world in general
C – The consequences of our emotions and behaviors
Ellis believed that far too much emphasis was placed on the activating events and that most of the consequences were actually determined by our beliefs (Albert Ellis Institute, n.d.).
This was a significant shift from the prevailing ideas of the day, and it gave new hope to clients who were frustrated with their lack of results from traditional therapy; after all, if our beliefs are the real culprit rather than the events, then we have much more control over the consequences than we may have thought.
REBT practitioners believe there are two categories of cognition: hot and cold. Cold cognition refers to the way we initially think about and understand what happens to us, while hot cognitions are evaluations of our cold cognitions (Turner, 2016).
We don’t have much control over our cold cognitions, as those are formed early on and are generally not consciously understood; however, we can influence how we evaluate those cold cognitions.
Further, REBT distinguishes between healthy negative emotions (or HNEs) and unhealthy negative emotions (or UNEs). HNEs follow from adverse events that we approach with rational beliefs and adaptive behaviors, while UNEs stem from irrational beliefs and maladaptive behaviors (Turner, 2016). REBT aims to help clients reduce these irrational beliefs and replace them with rational beliefs.
Grounded in these innovative ideas, REBT was designed as a practical approach to help people learn techniques that would allow them to overcome their obstacles and cope with life’s challenges more effectively.
Many techniques fall within the realm of REBT, but there are three main types of techniques that clients will learn:
Each category of technique corresponds to part of the ABC model, giving clients techniques to use at each step.
Problem-solving techniques are intended to help clients address the A in the ABC model, addressing the activating event or adversity head on. Popular problem-solving methods include:
Cognitive restructuring techniques are focused on helping the client change irrational beliefs (Clark, 2013).
When a client can’t change the event and is struggling even though they are using rational thinking, coping techniques can help.
These techniques can include:
These detailed, science-based exercises will equip you or your clients with tools to find new pathways to reduce suffering and more effectively cope with life stressors.
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In a typical REBT session, the therapist will likely go over the “ABCs” with the client.
For example, here is a sample transcript from a session of REBT:
Client: I had a really difficult presentation at work this week, and I totally blew it.
Therapist: Tell me about it.
C: Well, I stumbled a little while presenting, and I just felt so stupid. In the end, there were tons of questions from management that I didn’t anticipate, and that makes me feel like I missed the mark on the whole presentation.
T: It sounds like you got your point across and engaged your audience, but maybe you didn’t give a perfect presentation. Why does that upset you so much?
C: I feel like I must not be a very good employee if I don’t hit the mark every time.
T: And so what if you don’t hit the mark every time?
C: I guess it’s not that big of a deal to miss the mark every once in a while.
T: We all make mistakes. It seems like it wasn’t giving an imperfect presentation that upset you; it was how you judged yourself afterward that made you feel down on yourself.
C: Yeah, I think you’re right. I shouldn’t feel so bad though; everyone makes mistakes.
At this point, the therapist will likely help the client come up with some statements based on their irrational belief that they must be perfect for every presentation. They might come up with statements like:
“I must ace my presentation, or I am a bad employee.”
“I must be a model employee, or I have no value at all.”
“I must present with ease, or I am incompetent.”
Next, the therapist will help the client explore some alternative beliefs, like:
“It’s okay to slip up sometimes.”
“Making a mistake doesn’t mean I’m worthless.”
“Even if I botch a presentation, I can still be a good employee overall.”
If you’re interested in seeing how the professionals apply the principles and techniques of REBT, check out this four-video series from Albert Ellis and his protégé Janet Wolfe.
Some of the most common questions in REBT relate to how it works and how it differs from other forms of therapy. For example, below are three common questions and the corresponding answers:
To dive even deeper into REBT, check out the Albert Ellis Institute’s Frequently Asked Questions section, where they tackle further questions like:
