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Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) may not jump out like cognitive-behavioral therapy, but it is a practice that has existed since the 1950s. It is seen as a psychological orientation created by Albert Ellis, and it focuses on your thoughts and beliefs. Ellis’ creation was a response to other therapeutic types that existed at this time. He believed that he could change the way therapy helped people.
During this span in the 1950s, many psychological theories were geared toward psychoanalysis and behaviorism. Albert began his career as a trained psychoanalyst, but his views started to shift when he saw that it could only address the surface of someone’s needs. He felt that in most cases, it only made their symptoms worse.
Albert believed that these therapies were incomplete because they did not cater to the thoughts of the patient. He thought it was a pattern of thinking that leads to the development of psychological issues like depression or anxiety. It soon became the main focal point in his orientation, which is viewed today as REBT.
Albert believed it was necessary to focus more attention on the thought process of patients. He took it a step further, however, and focused solely on their beliefs. In his vision, a belief followed two separate components:
Albert saw that patients have several beliefs that will dictate their lives. He worked to separate those beliefs into two categories, which include:
A person with negative beliefs will feel worse, and someone that views their lives more positively will have a greater sense of well-being and feel much better. Albert wanted to find a way to develop more of these rational and emotive beliefs for people – this is where the name, REBT, originates.
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The focal point of REBT is a patient’s beliefs. REBT incorporates the idea that situations and events in our lives alone won’t lead to unwanted feelings or symptoms, but the person’s beliefs about the event lead them to the consequence. REBT is deep-rooted in acknowledging what you did wrong and making the right statement.
To get a better understanding of this point, REBT incorporates an ABC model, which can also be referred to as the ABC Theory of Personality. The theory goes as follows:
According to the ABC model, the only way there can be an improvement in symptoms and functioning is if the person challenges their irrational beliefs.
When they do this, it reduces the negative influence the thought pattern has on their lives.
It will give them more room for rational thoughts to show up in their minds.
Ellis felt that each person would have some irrational beliefs, and it was nearly impossible to remove all irrational thoughts from their thinking process.
That wasn’t the goal – his goal was to dispute these beliefs by providing a reduction of significant contributors to unwanted feelings, behaviors, and thoughts.
The outcome would result in decreased symptoms. A process that disputes irrational beliefs breaks down into three steps, which includes:
When someone is facing the daunting task of recovery for their addiction to drugs or alcohol, REBT will dive deep into many of the beliefs that urged you to use in the first place. REBT will provide you with the significance of acceptance in three ways:
Zoellner, L. A., Feeny, N. C., Eftekhari, A., & Foa, E. B. (2011, July). Changes in negative beliefs following three brief programs for facilitating recovery after assault. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3138647/
National Institute on Drug Abuse. (2015, July 29). Addiction Science. Retrieved from https://www.drugabuse.gov/related-topics/addiction-science
Chanell.baylor. (2019, April 26). Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT). Retrieved from https://www.samhsa.gov/medication-assisted-treatment
Turner, M. J. (2016, September 20). Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), Irrational and Rational Beliefs, and the Mental Health of Athletes. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5028385/
Paris, J. (2017, May). Is Psychoanalysis Still Relevant to Psychiatry? Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5459228/