Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) was developed by Albert Ellis in 1955 as one of the first cognitive behavioural therapies. REBT is based on the idea that emotional disturbances are caused not by events themselves but by irrational beliefs about those events. The goal of REBT is to teach clients to identify and replace irrational beliefs with rational ones in order to overcome psychological problems. REBT identifies three common irrational "musts" and two types of disturbances. The ABC model is used to help clients understand how activating events, beliefs, and consequences are connected and to dispute irrational beliefs. REBT has been found effective in treating conditions like depression and PTSD.

1. Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy: Albert Ellis
What disturbs mens' minds is not events but their judgments on events” Epictecus.
The three basic musts
. Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) is based upon the philosophical concept that individuals are not emotionally affected by unfortunate events, but rather by how
I must do well and win the approval of others or else I am no good. they construct views of reality through their beliefs and meanings of the world, themselves and others. REBT was developed in 1955 and was one of the first cognitive
Summary Behavioural Emotional behaviour therapies. Ellis believed that previous therapies failed to change the patients’ behaviour. The goal of REBT is to teach clients to identify and replace their illogical
Consequences Consequences beliefs and negative thought processes with rational ones in order to overcome psychological problems and emotional distress. REBT suggests that there are three common
Inflexible, places unrealistic Depression Depression irrational beliefs that are central to all other negative beliefs, known as the ‘Three Basic Musts’ and that people engage in two types of defeatism, known as ego and
expectations on oneself Anxiety and/or panic Anxiety and/or panic discomfort disturbances. REBT teaches people to replace irrational thinking with irrational thinking through the process of the ABC model.
Other people must do "the right thing" or else they are no good and ABC Model
deserve to be punished.
Summary Behavioural Emotional The ABC model is used to help people understand that the belief
Consequences Consequences causes
the consequence rather than the activating event.
Inflexible and unrealistic Aggression and violence Anger, rage or fury
Assumes one's authority over Bigotry and intolerance Impatience Sandra loses her job
Stage Example
others A Activating Event Sandra loses her job
Life must be easy, without discomfort or inconvenience. B Belief Sandra thinks she is a failure
Summary Behavioural Emotional C Consequence Sandra feels depressed
Consequences Consequences
Inflexible and unrealistic Low frustration Procrastination REBT teaches the patient to recognize irrational beliefs and
Over-estimates one's right to tolerance Shirking Sandra has the ability replace them with rational beliefs leading to a more positive
a trouble-free life Self-pity to choose to think Sandra feels as perspective. This includes 2 more steps.
rationally instead of though she is a
irrationally and feels rubbish person and Stage Example
happier with her life cannot see herself D Dispute Sandra understands that they are making cut
and much better finding a new job
backs at work
The two disturbances about losing her job
E Education Sandra decides to look for a new job
Discomfort Disturbance: Self-talk: Core beliefs:
Negative view of the self-due -Nobody cares, I’m no - I need to achieve/ have A
to views of how we should be good. approval from others.
& act and our achievements -I’m a failure, I should - Failure won’t stand/ lack E B
based on internal and die. of approval.
external beliefs -I haven’t improved, I
Support
should die. D C
Ellis’ REBT has been found significantly effective in
Ego Disturbance: Self-talk: Core beliefs: Sandra starts to reducing the symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress
Emphasizing power of -My life will get worse. -Discomfort and misery Sandra starts REBT
challenge her usual Disorder (PTSD) Ellis (1994).
and starts to realise
threats to safety, -I will become more are awful. ways of thinking –
she sometimes
emotion/physical pain, depressed. -Helplessness about bad maybe she didn’t lose Macaskill and Macaskill (1997) found Ellis’ REBT
interprets situations in
quality of life. -Life is too hard and will feelings is dealt with by her job because she
irrational ways when combined with antidepressant was more
get harder death. is rubbish after all
effective at treating depression than antidepressants
alone and resulted in a lower incidence of relapse.
Considering yourself Criticisms
as completely bad,
Self Rating idiotic or incompetent • REBT was one of the first cognitive behaviour therapies. One-dimensional - Focuses too much on the thought
processes of the individual and ignores larger factors
• REBT came from the clinical tradition (learning theory and psycho-analytic approaches) such as personality.
Something is awful •REBT adopts a logico-empirical approach Simplistic - as it uses only very few concepts in
Awfulising because it isn’t how it comparison to other similar theories
4 ‘should’ or ‘must’ be. • REBT stresses the importance of having evidence for your beliefs and the subjective
underlying nature of our perception of the world
thought Correlation/causation problems – do the negative
processes thoughts cause the depression or does the
•The ABC model explains how we generate our emotional responses depression cause the negative thoughts? Bower
The person believes
Demanding (1981)
everyone ‘should’ or •The ABC model explains how our emotional response impact on our behaviour and
-ness
‘must’ be a certain subsequent cognitions. Ecological - Criticised for trying to change the
way.
individual to fit social reality when in fact social
• REBT identifies 3 beliefs underlying all other beliefs; changes are needed (e.g. in stress management,
Discomfort
Intolerance Viewing certain things rather than changing source of stress people are just
as unbearable. • REBT identifies 2 forms of disturbance; ego and discomfort. taught to cope better with it)
Daniel Parker, Emily O’brien, Tomos Austin, Tasmin Lofthouse, Sharon Hickey, Doug Whyley, Kirsty Noble, Mike Chapman, and Laura Bird