The Rational Emotional Behavioral Therapy

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Table of Contents

Key Concept
Therapeutic Goal
REBT Technique
Strengths of REBT
Weaknesses of REBT
References

Albert Ellis developed the psychotherapy technique known as rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT) in the 1950s. It is believed that REBT served as the foundation for the development of cognitive behavioral therapy, founded on cognitive therapy and was developed by Aaron Beck in 1976 Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) (Matweychuk et al., 2019). The letters “A,” “B,” and “C” in the ABC paradigm stand for the activating experience, belief, and emotional consequence, respectively (Ellis, 2021). Although one cannot completely control A, one can change an initial unreasonable notion by contesting “D,” which would emotionally influence “E.” The ABC model aids in analyzing and replacing irrational thoughts and beliefs with rational ones that would result in positive feelings.

Key Concept

REBT’s four fundamental concepts categorize people’s illogical thinking, awfulizing, musterbating and self-judgments are the four concepts; in this study, the idea of Awfulizing is analyzed. A bad, unfortunate, or inconvenient event is worse than bad, and it is the worst; it could be 100% bad, according to Ellis (2021) definition of awfulizing as a secondary irrational belief. In other contexts, the word “awfulizing” refers to something that is “worse than it absolutely must be,” which is defined as “101% dreadful”, the author thus places “terrible” at one extremity of a continuum of 0–100% badness (Ellis, 2021).

In contrast, he places it in a magical category at other times, going to 101% badness and beyond (Ellis, 2021). The implied fundamental requirement that “some horrible event must not exist” or “must not be as bad as it is” is thought to be the source of both 100% and 101%+ evaluations (Ellis, 2021).

There appear to be four circumstances that best describe what an awfulizing belief is trying to convey (Dryden 2022). These circumstances include: nothing could be worse; the occurrence in question is wholly negative or worse; nothing positive could result from this negative event, and this event cannot be overcome. When people awfulize, they think too negatively about a circumstance or an occurrence. A type of negative exaggeration called awfulizing occurs when, for instance, a modest setback is perceived as a great tragedy. Conversely, a feared occurrence is perceived as so terrible that it appears unimaginably painful. Awfulizing can start a domino effect of self-fulfilling ideas, emotions, and behaviors; expecting things to worsen will make them do so.

Therapeutic Goal

The REBT aims at promoting self-awareness and emotional intelligence as one of its primary therapeutic goals by teaching clients to “read” their emotions and discern between healthy and bad sentiments. The therapist will assist the client in learning how to integrate the ABC model into daily life during REBT. In order to alter such beliefs and, eventually, the person’s emotional reaction to situations, therapists would work with the patient. Recognizing the underlying assumptions that cause psychological suffering is a crucial step in this process. These frequently take the form of imperatives like “I must,” “I should,” and “I cannot.” The therapist typically discourages these assertions since they are unreasonable and unhelpful.

REBT Technique

Problem resolution is one of the REBT techniques employed to help patients recover from their respective conditions. Approaching the trigger event or the difficulty head-on is a problem-solving method. Teaching assertiveness, developing social skills, making informed decisions, and learning conflict-resolution techniques are typical problem-solving techniques. Therapists can also educate their patients on problem-solving styles, like clarifying, ideating, developing, and implementing different problem-solving types.

Strengths of REBT

One of the REBT’s major strengths is that it teaches the client how to deal with future irrational thinking and current circumstance. In contrast to other ideas, this attempt is made to help the patients prevent putting themselves in the same situations they previously had. REBT also goes a step further by, for instance, assisting clients in choosing how to apply their newly learned skills in the future instead of relying on treatment and visiting it each time something goes wrong in their lives. This skill is consistent with the APA’s idea of encouraging client autonomy.

Another strong point of REBT is that, when used in conjunction with medication, it is thought to be the most successful kind of psychotherapy for treating various clinical problems, including depression. However, due to the idea of intellectualized therapy among seriously affected populations, it is debatable whether REBT is useful in severe diseases like Personality disorders, Schizophrenia, and other Psychotic disorders.

Research shows that REBT successfully modifies behavior and reduces illogical beliefs (Turner & Davis, 2018). REBT has been used in practice in several fields, including clinical psychology, education, organizational settings, and counseling. It can be useful for various scenarios and mental health disorders because it focuses on educating and taking action. Numerous research has demonstrated the beneficial effects of this therapy, confirming REBT as a tried-and-true technique for altering negative emotions and promoting happiness.

The positive effects of REBT also appear to last even after therapy has ended. REBT was also found to be as effective as cognitive therapy and medication for the treatment of depression, with REBT being more effective than medication after six months. For instance, a study by Misdeni et al. (2019) found that REBT group counseling reduced school students’ anxiety compared to regular group counseling.

Burnout issues at work and school have been successfully addressed with REBT (Ugwoke et al., 2018). Students experiencing burnout may benefit from REBT, which is useful even months after treatment ends. Group REBT has also decreased job-related stress and burnout while boosting commitment and job satisfaction. The fact that REBT concentrates on altering the client’s unique ideas about themselves, the world, and everyone else in it is another one of its key benefits. REBT is a multifaceted therapy with the potential to provide clarity on how a client will react to commonplace events that arise in their environment. One of REBT’s stronger points is the ability to repeal and replace harmful, harmful, and unhealthy thoughts and emotions with freshly taught good thoughts and emotions (Chan et al., 2022).

The therapy offers evidence-based treatment for various teenage issues, including co-occurring substance misuse and delinquency. It is provided in various settings, including substance misuse, mental health, juvenile justice, and child welfare. REBT is integrative and comprehensive. This applicability extends to all racial and ethnic groups and multiple therapy degrees, including residential, intensive outpatient, and once-weekly outpatient care.

The emphasis on altering the client’s unique ideas about themselves, the world, and everyone else in it is another key strength of REBT. A client’s response to commonplace circumstances that arise in their environment can be clarified through REBT, a multifaceted therapy. One of REBT’s greatest assets is its capacity to repeal and replace harmful, harmful, and unhealthy ideas and emotions with freshly taught good thoughts and feelings.

A variety of adolescent issues, such as co-occurring substance misuse and delinquency, are addressed through the therapy’s evidence-based approach. REBT is broad and integrative; it is provided in various contexts, including substance misuse, mental health, juvenile justice, and child welfare (Jośī & Phadke, 2021). This therapy applies to people of all races and ethnicities and can be used in various care settings, including residential treatment, intensive outpatient care, and once-weekly outpatient therapy.

When it involves the treatment of drug and alcohol addiction, REBT has proven to be very effective. Participants exposed to one type of REBT during alcohol use disorder (AUD) therapy showed a significant reduction in their frequency of alcohol use, according to research by Brice (2022). By addressing and reducing the irrational beliefs and unpleasant emotions that fuel addictive behaviors, this type of therapy aims to support sobriety and the return to health and happiness. REBT has been proven to be highly successful for those struggling with these addictions. The goal of treatment is to help these people act differently, think differently about events, and experience more pleasant emotions.

Weaknesses of REBT

In his perspective, professionals have shunned or criticized REBT because “I am a charismatic individual, with attributes which many of them find repulsive” (Guy-Evans, 2021). Ellis acknowledges that he has had a detrimental influence on REBT. He acknowledged that his public behavior, use of four-letter obscenities, and usage of the phrase “rational” might offend psychologists who value empirical research. Professionals must understand that they can adhere to the fundamental ideas of this theory, which has been applied quite effectively with adults and children without replicating Ellis’ style because it is unreasonable to expect that Ellis changes his approach.

Results from REBT may be unsuccessful if there are underlying serious psychological illnesses, such as schizophrenia and personality disorders (Stone, 2019). If there are any alternative remedies, they should be discussed with a practitioner. Additionally, as REBT is not a quick fix and does not include other influences like a person’s living situation or social circle, which may contribute to the underlying difficulties, its effectiveness largely depends on the patient’s dedication to the therapy.

Compared to other therapies, REBT takes more time to complete. REBT is still a time commitment that the client needs to be willing to make daily, even though it may seem brief compared to a treatment plan like psychoanalysis, which can take 2-3 years (Gabbard & Crisp, 2018). Depending on the client’s level of deterioration and degree of irrationality, REBT typically lasts between three and six months with weekly therapy sessions. When seen from a cultural standpoint, utilizing REBT as a type of therapy may have certain unfavorable effects. As an illustration, REBT is regarded as a western cultural therapy approach. The emphasis of REBT is on perception and belief, which may have been shaped by the client’s religious and cultural upbringing from early on. Before using a technique that can have unintended negative effects, it is crucial to grasp the client’s unique cultural background and beliefs.

References

Brice, M. (2022). Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) for Substance Abuse Near Me. American Addiction Centers. Web.

Chan, G. H., Lee, G. K., Kong, C. Y., & Lo, T. W. (2022). An innovative model of positive education with traditional Chinese moral values: An evaluation of project bridge. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(7), 3797. Web.

Dryden, W. (2022). New Directions in rational emotive behaviour therapy (1st ed.). Routledge.

Ellis, D. J. (2021). Rational emotive behavior therapy. Handbook of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Overview and Approaches (Vol. 1)., 445–463. Web.

Gabbard, G. O., & Crisp, H. (2018). Narcissism and its discontents: Diagnostic dilemmas and treatment strategies with narcissistic patients. American Psychiatric Association Publishing.

Guy-Evans, O. (2021). What is rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT)? Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)? – Simply Psychology. Web.

Jośī, A., & Phadke, K. M. (2021). Rational emotive behaviour therapy integrated. SAGE.

Matweychuk, W., DiGiuseppe, R., & Gulyayeva, O. (2019). A comparison of REBT with other cognitive behavior therapies. Advances in REBT, 47–77. Web.

Misdeni, M., Syahniar, S., & Marjohan, M. (2019). The effectiveness of rational emotive behavior therapy approach using a group setting to overcome anxiety of students facing examinations. International Journal of Research in Counseling and Education, 3(2), 82. Web.

Stone, M. H. (2019). Borderline personality disorder: Clinical guidelines for treatment. Psychodynamic Psychiatry, 47(1), 5–26. Web.

Turner, M. J., & Davis, H. S. (2018). Exploring the effects of rational emotive behavior therapy on the irrational beliefs and self-determined motivation of triathletes. Journal of Applied Sport Psychology, 31(3), 253–272. Web.

Ugwoke, S. C., Eseadi, C., Onuigbo, L. N., Aye, E. N., Akaneme, I. N., Oboegbulem, A. I., Ezenwaji, I. O., Nwobi, A. U., Nwaubani, O. O., Ezegbe, B. N., Ede, M. O., Orji, C. T., Onuoha, J. C., Onu, E. A., Okeke, F., Agu, P., Omeje, J. C., Omeke, F., Ugwu, R., … Eneh, A. (2018). A rational-emotive stress management intervention for reducing job burnout and dysfunctional distress among special education teachers. Medicine, 97(17). Web.

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