RATIONAL EMOTIVE BEHAVIOR THERAPY

Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) is a type of therapy introduced

by Albert Ellis in the 1950s. It’s an approach that helps you identify
irrational beliefs and negative thought patterns that may lead to emotional
or behavioral issues.

Once you’ve identified these patterns, a therapist will help you develop
strategies to replace them with more rational thought patterns.

REBT can be particularly helpful for people living with a variety of issues,
including:

 depression
 anxiety
 addictive behaviors
 phobias
 overwhelming feelings of anger, guilt, or rage
 procrastination
 disordered eating habits
 aggression
 sleep problems

Read on to learn more about REBT, including its core principles and
effectiveness.

What are the principles of REBT?

REBT is grounded in the idea that people generally want to do well in life.
For example, you probably want to achieve your goals and find happiness.
But sometimes, irrational thoughts and feelings get in the way. These
beliefs can influence how you perceive circumstances and events —
usually not for the better.

Imagine you’ve texted someone you’ve been dating for a month. You see
they’ve read the message, but several hours pass with no reply. By the
next day, they still haven’t replied.

You might then:

 start to think they’re ignoring you because they don’t want to see you
 worry you did something wrong when you last saw them
 tell yourself relationships never work out and that you’ll be alone for
the rest of your life

Here’s how this example illustrates the core principles — called the ABCs
— of REBT:

 A refers to the (a)ctivating event or situation that triggers a negative

reaction or response. In this example, the A is the lack of reply.
 B refers to the (b)eliefs or irrational thoughts you might have about
an event or situation. The B in the example is the belief that they
don’t want to see you anymore or that you’ve done something wrong
and that you will be alone for the rest of your life.
 C refers to the (c)onsequences, often the distressing emotions, that
result from the irrational thoughts or beliefs. In this example, that
might include feelings of worthlessness or not being good enough.

In this scenario, REBT would focus on helping you to reframe how you
think about why the person didn’t respond. Maybe they were busy or simply
forgot to respond. Or maybe they aren’t interested in meeting you again; if
so, that doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you or that you will
spend the rest of your life alone.

What techniques are used in

REBT?
REBT uses three main types of techniques, which correspond with the
ABCs. Each therapist might use a slightly different combination of
techniques depending on both their past clinical experiences and your
symptoms.

Problem-solving techniques

These strategies can help address the activating event (A).

They often include working to develop:

 problem-solving skills
 assertiveness
 social skills
 decision-making skills
 conflict resolution skills

Cognitive restructuring techniques

These strategies help you to change irrational beliefs (B).

They might include:

 logical or rationalizing techniques

 guided imagery and visualization
  reframing, or looking at events in a different way
 humor and irony
 exposure to a feared situation
 disputing irrational thoughts

Coping techniques

Coping techniques can help you better manage the emotional

consequences (C) of irrational thoughts.

These coping techniques may include:

 relaxation
 hypnosis
 meditation

Regardless of the techniques they use, your therapist will also likely give
you some work to do on your own between sessions. This gives you a
chance to apply the skills you learn in a session to your daily lie. For
example, they might have you write down how you feel after experiencing
something that usually makes you feel anxious and think about how your
response made you feel