What Is Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy?

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is a short-term form of psychotherapy that helps
you identify self-defeating thoughts and feelings, challenge the rationality of those feelings, and
replace them with healthier, more productive beliefs. REBT focuses mostly on the present time
to help you understand how unhealthy thoughts and beliefs create emotional distress which, in
turn, leads to unhealthy actions and behaviors that interfere with your current life goals. Once
identified and understood, negative thoughts and actions can be changed and replaced with more
positive and productive behavior, allowing you to develop more successful personal and
professional relationships.

In Practice

REBT can help you with negative emotions such as anxiety, depression, guilt, and extreme or
inappropriate anger. This approach is also used to help change stressful and self-defeating
behaviors, such as aggression, unhealthy eating, and procrastination that get in the way of your
quality of life and reaching your goals.

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

What to Expect
To help you manage and overcome difficulties or achieve life goals, the therapist will work with
you to identify the beliefs and rigid thought patterns that are holding you hostage. The therapist
will help you see how irrational these thoughts are and how they harm you. Through a variety of
mental exercises, you will then learn how to reduce your negative thoughts and responses, and
replace them with healthier, more constructive and self-accepting thoughts. REBT makes use of
a variety of methods and tools, including positive visualization, reframing your thinking, and the
use of self-help books and audio-visual guides, as well as assigned homework for reinforcement
between sessions.

How It Works

REBT evolved from the work of psychiatrist Albert Ellis in the mid-1950s as the original form
of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Ellis believed that most people are not aware that many of their
thoughts about themselves are irrational and negatively affect the way they behave in important
relationships and situations. According to Ellis, it is these thoughts that lead people to suffer
negative emotions and engage in self-destructive behavior. At the same time, humans are capable
of challenging and changing their irrational beliefs, if they are willing to do the work. While
specific life events may contribute to mental health issues, REBT therapists believe that it is an
individual’s own faulty and irrational belief system that causes the most problems. By letting go
of negative thoughts and replacing them with positive beliefs, one is better able to accept one’s
self and others and, in turn, live a happier 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