Albert Ellis and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)

[tski007]

Amazing explanation thanks

[jenk1024]

helped me a lot to understand rebt. thank u.

[SuperMisstish]

Is this technique effective when used with different cultures? What would that look like?

[tski007]

Excellent

[Thesocraticbreed]

@jguterman Sounds A LOT like Stoicism in scientific form rather than philosophical.

[moonfairy2010]

EXCELLENT EXPLANATION!!!

THANK YOU!

[MAY33able]

thanks so much... god bless!!

[greenrate]

Just in case (since it's easy to mis-interpret) . . . the "rational" in REBT is NOT an adjective modifying either "emotive" or "behavior".

Instead . . . "rational" is an adjective characterizing a type of therapy that is ALSO and EQUALLY emotive and behavioral.

[meohmy217]

Thanks for this. Helped alot.

[steadfastwitness]

Ellis contributed so much to human wellness. Thanks Dr. Ellis. RIP

[PersephoneSwimming]

thanks, this is really illuminating! well - explained, i learned a lot in just a little bit of time....

[meohmy217]

Thannnks for this.

[xwizdom]

Ellis approach is simple. What i like use and to live by REBT and Reality Theory!!! it works everytime..

[msmuffet1]

Well, it may work for my current problems. But blasting Phil Collins singing "I don't care anymore" also gives me some measure of comfort.

[SixT4]

By the way, if someone wanted to become a therapist using REBT or CBT, what way would you go about it? What sort of university education is required etc.?

[jguterman]

If you are talking USA, one would need to to review the state statutes to become a licensed mental health professional (e.g., psychologist, professional counselor, etc.). One can then use REBT, although I think it is best to receive good training and possibly some form of certification.

[lilangel2all]

amaizing video!!! thank you so much!

[zonaraasghar]

Wow this is an amazing video! i go to nyu and im currently taking a CBT course and i was having trouble reading the books and assigned and thought id see if there are any videos to help me understand it better and i came across this one, which turned out to be phenomenal. Thank you so much. Keep up the good work = )

[jadreemah]

Ellis ABC theory is A=actual events B=belief system about A[ctual] events C=consequences are the result of B[eliefs] is so simple and right on

[brushes9]

Windy Dryden published a great workbook, "Reason to Change: A REBT Workbook." It can be found in "limited preview" on google books.

Thank you for the video, great summary. I also recommend Susan Kodish's "Drive Yourself Sane" It goes into General Semantics and is helpful to identify our cognitive distortions (B).

[razoorsandbleach]

I have no idea what this man is talking about. He can certainly rationalise his own beliefs but they make no sense to me and are therefore irrational

[macthornberg]

REBT is not about being a non-reacting droid. As a therapist who uses it and once had an obsession regarding a noisy neighbour. Rebt helped to eliminate this completely. I blend it with other stuff constantly as an integrative therapist.

My advice is stop banging on about theory and just use it.

[MrHenk85]

REBT is bullshit, and I defy anyone to prove otherwise. Firstly, just because a person cannot/does not substantiate their belief, this does not mean their belief is irrational.

Secondly, do psychotherapists use REBT in their personal lives ? No, they don't. They jump to conclusions, have beliefs that reflect their own biases and prejudices.

Finally, re this ABC: does this mean that REBT therapists never get upset, anxious, stressed, depressed etc themselves? Yeah right !

[jguterman]

Very interesting points. I agree, some therapists do not use REBT in their personal lives, including REBT therapists. Also, therapists do become upset anxious, depressed, etc, at times, even when they apply REBT precisely because they are human and have the tendency to think irrationally and require practice. Regarding claim that REBT is BS, no model is true in an objective sense, or a panacea, or effective for all people and problems.

[SixT4]

If a person cannot state the reasons why they believe something, it doesn't automatically mean it's a false belief. However, if you can never find any reasoning or evidence for WHY you believe something, how can you continue to hold the belief as being true? I cannot prove that REBT is not bullshit (how can anyone prove a negative?) but there are scientific studies that back up its effectiveness.

[jguterman]

Good points. It could be argued that REBT is a myth; that is, there are no irrational beliefs per se. Rather, if people are persuaded to act as-if their problems are the result of so-called irrational beliefs and to think and act against them, then they can effect positive change.

[SixT4]

I'm sure in some technical philosophical way you could argue there are no irrational beliefs, but in reality, of course there are. If I believed there was an alien making love to an elephant in the room next door, wouldn't that be an irrational belief? By irrational I mean "false" or that it "stands in the face of known evidence and reason".

[jguterman]

In REBT, irrational is defined as against one's self-interest, against their own goals and values, which usually also include consideration of other's goals and values because humans are social beings. Hence, a false belief, according to REBT, is not necessarily irrational. The false belief you describe above about the alien is false because it is anti-empirical. In REBT, it is not necessarily irrational although it is false. It becomes irrational if one believes, say, that, "It must not be!"

[SixT4]

Ah yes, I see your point now. Still seems like a technicality though.

[jguterman]

Many people believe things that are anti-empirical and false, and these beliefs do not necessarily result in emotional disturbance unless they are escalated into musts. The anti-empirical belief, "I will never find someone to love me" is a classic example. From REBT's perspective, challenging this anti-empirical reinforces the must, which is the main cause of the problem, "I must find someone to love me!"

[SixT4]

From what I've read, Albert Ellis would challenge that by asking "and what would be so awful about that? If you never found somebody to love you it would merely be unfortunate, never awful. Stop thinking such hogwash! Also, what makes you sure that you'll NEVER find anyone to love you etc". In this example the must would be challenged first in addition to the anti-empirical belief. Any good therapist will see this additional "must" belief as the root cause and focus on it first.

[SixT4]

I've just realised I'm now arguing with the author of the video and not the author of the original comment I replied to! :P

[MrHenk85]

Not so. I cannot prove that the Earth is round, nor explain gravity,as I am not an astronomer or astro-physicist, yet this does not mean that the Earth is flat. Nor can recall what clothes I was wearing this day 12 months ago, yet this does not mean I was naked.

This demonstrates the untenability of REBT: a person can hold onto a valid belief without showing any evidence. Likewise, REBT cannot discern irrational beliefs for this reason and therefore is untenable.

[jguterman]

Interesting points. Yes, REBT is based on a myth! The premise of REBT assumes human problems are largely caused by irrational beliefs. It's been suggested by Donald Meichenbaum, in his 1977 book, Cognitive-Behavior Modification, that there are no irrational beliefs as such that exist in the minds of people. Instead, REBT practitioners persuade clients to act as-if they hold irrational beliefs and that irrational beliefs are the main cause of emotional and behavioral problems.

[jguterman]

Part II: If people are successfully persuaded to understand their problems this way and taught to dispute their so-called irrational beliefs, then they often improve. This does not mean they ever held irrational beliefs, though. The same can be said about other beliefs.

[xwizdom]

life is relative, and the way people view things make them valuable or not. if we put too much emphasis on something it may lead to stress and other ills. people have a tendency to go from one extreme to another. the word VALID is only to the person's piont of view, therefore, irrational is just another way of saying "you thought too much or not at all about it"

[natalieanne1]

seems understandable but putting these beliefs in to practice is difficult without the help of a counsellor

[jguterman]

According to REBT, it can be difficult even with the help of a counselor. This is REBT's insight #3, that it takes hard work to change, that knowing that irrational beliefs correspond to our self-defeating feelings and behaviors is not enough to change. There are many self-help books by Albert Ellis that are helpful along these lines.

[natalieanne1]

can you please do a video on ocd as I have it very bad and although im on the counselling waiting list I would like to hear your thoughts on the subject.

[jguterman]

I just created one. I hope it helps.

[dhowerdude]

"i wish i was taught this stuff in high school or jr. high" this is a rational belief, if you were irrational, you would say "i "should" have been taught this in high school

[jguterman]

Sometimes people say should but they dont mean the irrational type of should. They mean the suggestive should, as if, It would have been better if I were taught REBT in high school, or I should have been. But they dont mean, I absolutely should have and the people who didnt expose me to it are bad, its awful that I were not taught it, etc. I should have read more Shakespeare as a kid. It would have been better for me. But I dont mean should in an Ellisian sense.

[cmanovax]

i wish i was taught this stuff in high school or jr. high

[michlfernfl]

I want all psych students to know that as an addict, and after MANY rehabs, REBT or CBT is the ONLY thing that helped my get and STAY clean. Everyone should have the ABCDE worksheet. This stuff is amazing. Thank GOD for Mr. Ellis and all who learn and practice this help others.

[mykoladuffy]

Thanks for taking the time to post this. It's been most beneficial to me.

[amoskeetoe]

Jeffrey,

It is very generous of you to make content like this freely available and so easily accessable on the internet. It is proving extremely useful to me in completing my assignment on CBT. It's much appreciated - thank you.

[ironjohnlad]

Re the ABC thoery.(Activating event, B the way you think and believe 3) Cause emotional consequencies.My experinece contradicts this.

i was suicidal. I had counselling and experienced strong negative feelings and thinking etc. As i worked on the feelings, so the patterns of thinking ( I am useless, I want to die I hate myself etc) simply lost their power. They becamse just curious patterns of words ! I believe that feelings sensations and emotions proceed thinking ! JOhn T

[jguterman]

Good point. The ABC theory is a simplistic model. Ellis has always said that thinking, feeling, and behavior are not disparate. They interact and, moreover, occur simultaneously. Ellis, in his REBT, like other cognitive therapists, seems to emphasize—for better or worse—the cognitive aspect of human functioning.

[ironjohnlad]

I think that one of the problems with concentrating on the 'thinking', is that often trying to change thinking does not change feeling, but kust masks those feelings. That is why the 'resluts' of CBT, do not last. Real change in thinking and emotions and behaviour come when feelings change. Our body holds the key, not the way we think. JOhn T

[MrYou1tuber]

I believe (and to my limited knowledge, REBT supports) that feelings can affect thoughts and thoughts can affect feelings. You can adjust your thoughts to eventually change your feelings/body's reaction to events.

The approach of allowing yourself to experience the feelings (or face the fear head on), will desensitize. Anxiety patients use this this to wear themselves out of it. But coincident with that, they are learning that their emotions can be changed, and 'think' differently as well.

[floravesta]

I've been using the principles of REBT for over 30 years. Alas, I lost my way last year for a while and slid back into irrational thinking. I found my way back however. Where I live there is no REBT practitioner, so I'm pretty much on my own. I'm grateful to you for providing these videos and comments. They are good reminders of what one may have forgotten momentarily as in my case. I will recommend them to my friends.

[angelibellybean]

Hi! I'm taking up a psych class right now and just stumbled upon this page. I just wanted to say how great it is that you made this video. It really helped me understand at least the basics of REBT. Thank you very much.

[Zeldovich]

Is t his supposed to be insightful. Look, whether we are dealing with internal (black box) or external behavior or stimuli, it's all about the internal and external predictive contexts, consequences, and the temporally discounted marginal value of reinforcement at a given moment.

[LoverboyinAfton]

I can see REBT helping in various psychopathologies like depression,anxiety, etc.

What types of mental illness or what have you would REBT not be the best treatment modality?

[jguterman]

Like you say, REBT is designed for what it considers neurotic symptoms or problems, such as depression, anxiety and, also, anger, but not psychotic symptoms, mental retardation, dementia, and the like, which it considers largely endogenous. But it holds that people with the latter symptoms often have neurotic offshoots that are largely the result of irrational beliefs that are treatable with REBT if the individual is amenable given their condition.

[jguterman]

PART II: Also, the model is tailored to people based on their intellectual and emotional functioning. For example, REBT is used with children and adolescents, but not in the same ways with adults. Excellent question, and further explanation can be found in many of Albert Ellis's writings, including his self-help books.

[alexoidztube]

Can you tell me the best way to maintain those rational beliefs? What does a client do when he feels he's relapsing?

[jguterman]

PART I:

Excellent question! Practice, practice, practice. According to REBT, because humans have biological, social, and psychological tendencies to think irrationally (i.e., against their best interest), despite their efforts to think and act rationally, they will, as you say, relapse from time to time.

[jguterman]

PART II:

So, it is important to persist at these times and remind oneself that they are slipping back to their demands and self-defeating ways and that they need not do so. Also, it would be helpful for one not to damn themselves for their irrationality by thinking, "I must not think irrationally!" because this would be irrational, too. Instead, think, "I would prefer not to think irrationally."

[jguterman]

At 2:35-2:58, I say: "Human nature is to think, feel, and act both in your best interest, meaning toward your goals, not only your short-term, but your long-term goals, but also against your best interests and goals and values." [continued next post]

[jguterman]

REBT starts with the client's or individual's own personal goals and values. So, for a simple example, if the person chooses, say, to work toward completing some project at work or school, then it would be in their best interest to do so and against their best interest to avoid the task. REBT would aim to identify and modify the thinking, feeling, and behavior that interfere with completion of the project.

[sum1yum]

geez, u even sound like albert ellis with the over exageration on the focus words.

[Sagemama2006]

Thank you very much, this video helped me understand CBT better than any lecture. Straight to the point and great examples.