What Is REBT (Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy) and How Does It Work?

Developed by psychologist Albert Ellis, rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) is a kind of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). REBT is a practical method for assisting people in dealing with illogical beliefs and learning to control their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in a more healthy and realistic manner. Problems might arise when people have unreasonable views about themselves or the world. REBT’s purpose is to assist people in recognizing and changing negative beliefs and thought patterns in order to alleviate psychological issues and mental anguish. Our cognition, emotions, and behavior are all linked, according to REBT. It’s critical to look at people’s beliefs about events and situations they meet throughout their lives in order to comprehend the influence of those events and situations, as well as the emotions that occur as a result of those beliefs.

What REBT Can Do for You REBT has some evidence to back up its effectiveness in a range of situations, including:

Anxiety and agitation
Depression
Children’s disruptive behavior
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a type of obsessive-compulsive (OCD)
Anxiety about social situations
Symptoms of psychosis

REBT's Advantages:

Ellis’ purpose in inventing REBT was to create a result-oriented approach to psychotherapy that helped people control their emotions, cognitions, and behaviors. REBT appears to be helpful at reducing irrational beliefs and changing behavior, according to a study.
The same outcomes may be seen in sports psychology, where REBT can help players overcome irrational beliefs and anxiety.

REBT has a number of behavioral advantages, including:

Anger, anxiety, despair, and distress are all reduced.
Better health and a better quality of life
Improved academic performance as well as social skills

Consider the following:

REBT can be a difficult procedure. Disputation might feel aggressive or confrontational to some people, and confronting illogical thought patterns can be tough because it’s difficult to admit that these beliefs are unhealthy. Changing these thoughts can be even more difficult because it may necessitate letting go of long-held beliefs.
REBT is not a passive procedure because it is designed to give you life-long skills. Reading assignments and homework may be part of your sessions, and you’ll probably have to move out of your comfort zone to reap the benefits of this type of therapy.

What are the REBT principles?

Here’s how this case exemplifies REBT’s key concepts, also known as the ABCs:
The (a)activating incident or condition that causes a negative reaction or response is referred to as a. The A, in this case, is the absence of a response.
The letter B stands for your (b)beliefs or irrational views regarding an event or scenario. The belief that they don’t want to see you anymore, or that you’ve done something wrong, and that you’ll be alone for the rest of your life is the B in the example.
C stands for the (c)consequences of irrational thoughts or beliefs, which are typically distressing emotions. This could involve emotions of worthlessness or not being good enough in this case.

REBT would focus on helping you reframe your thoughts about why the person didn’t respond in this case. Perhaps they were too preoccupied or simply forgot to react. Maybe they don’t want to meet you again; if that’s the case, it doesn’t imply there’s something wrong with you or that you’ll be alone for the rest of your life.

Where Do I Begin?

To get started with REBT, talk to your doctor about local therapist suggestions, or look for mental health specialists that provide this method in person or online.
Your therapist will most likely discuss your goals and the activating event (or events) that motivated you to seek treatment during your first session. They may wish to start using REBT techniques immediately away; because REBT is a very active and focused style of therapy, your therapist is unlikely to spend much time on casual chat.
You will most likely be given homework tasks to complete and new habits to try out during your treatment. REBT’s effectiveness is determined by your willingness to try out new beliefs and behaviors.