Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)

Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT), previously called rational therapy and rational emotive therapy, is an active-directive, philosophically and empirically based psychotherapy, the aim of which is to resolve emotional and behavioral problems and disturbances and to help people to lead happier and more fulfilling lives.^[rx][rx]REBT posits that people have erroneous beliefs about situations they are involved in and that these beliefs cause a disturbance, but can be disputed and changed.

Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) developed by psychologist Albert Ellis. REBT is an action-oriented approach that’s focused on helping people deal with irrational beliefs and learn how to manage their emotions, thoughts, and behaviors in a healthier, more realistic way. When people hold irrational beliefs about themselves or the world, problems can result. The goal of REBT is to help people recognize and alter those beliefs and negative thinking patterns to overcome psychological problems and mental distress.1

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is a style of short-term Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) that was developed in the 1950s by a doctor named Albert Ellis (The Albert Ellis Institute, n.d.).

Ellis trained as a clinical psychologist but found the options for treating his patients lacking. His dissatisfaction with the results he was seeing drove him to develop his brand of therapy that emphasized action instead of talk.

Read on to dive deeper into the theory behind REBT and look at some of the techniques and interventions that you might practice with this type of therapy.

A Brief Look at the Theory

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy is based on the idea that it is not the things that happen to us that cause our problems; it is our thoughts and thinking patterns that lead to the cognitive, emotional, and behavioral issues that challenge us (Dryden, David, & Ellis, 2010).

This idea is captured in the acronym ABC:

A – The activating event or adversity
B – Our beliefs about the event, ourselves, and the world in general
C – The consequences of our emotions and behaviors

Ellis believed that far too much emphasis was placed on the activating events and that most of the consequences were determined by our beliefs (Albert Ellis Institute, n.d.).

This was a significant shift from the prevailing ideas of the day, and it gave new hope to clients who were frustrated with their lack of results from traditional therapy; after all, if our beliefs are the real culprit rather than the events, then we have much more control over the consequences than we may have thought.

REBT practitioners believe there are two categories of cognition: hot and cold. Cold cognition refers to the way we initially think about and understand what happens to us, while hot cognitions are evaluations of our cold cognitions (Turner, 2016).

We don’t have much control over our cold cognitions, as those are formed early on and are generally not consciously understood; however, we can influence how we evaluate those cold cognitions.

Further, REBT distinguishes between healthy negative emotions (or HNEs) and unhealthy negative emotions (or UNEs). Hess follows from adverse events that we approach with rational beliefs and adaptive behaviors, while UNEs stem from irrational beliefs and maladaptive behaviors (Turner, 2016). REBT aims to help clients reduce these irrational beliefs and replace them with rational beliefs.

Grounded in these innovative ideas, REBT was designed as a practical approach to help people learn techniques that would allow them to overcome their obstacles and cope with life’s challenges more effectively.

What Techniques Does REBT Use?

Many techniques fall within the realm of REBT, but there are three main types of techniques that clients will learn:

• Problem-solving techniques
• Cognitive restructuring techniques
• Coping techniques (Raypole, 2018)

Each category of technique corresponds to part of the ABC model, giving clients techniques to use at each step.

Problem-solving techniques

Problem-solving techniques are intended to help clients address the A in the ABC model, addressing the activating event or adversity head-on. Popular problem-solving methods include:

• Problem-solving skills
• Assertiveness
• Social skills
• Decision-making skills
• Conflict resolution skills

Cognitive restructuring techniques

Cognitive restructuring techniques are focused on helping the client change irrational beliefs (Clark, 2013).

Techniques include:

• Logical or rationalizing techniques
• Guided imagery and visualization
• Reframing
• Using humor and irony
• Exposing yourself to whatever you fear
• Disputing irrational beliefs

Coping techniques

When a client can’t change the event and is struggling even though they are using rational thinking, coping techniques can help.

These techniques can include:

• Relaxation
• Hypnosis
• Meditation
• Mindfulness
• Breathing exercises

Examples of REBT in Action

In a typical REBT session, the therapist will likely go over the “ABCs” with the client.

For example, here is a sample transcript from a session of REBT:

Client: I had a really difficult presentation at work this week, and I blew it.

Therapist: Tell me about it.

C: Well, I stumbled a little while presenting, and I just felt so stupid. In the end, there were tons of questions from management that I didn’t anticipate, and that makes me feel like I missed the mark on the whole presentation.

T: It sounds like you got your point across and engaged your audience, but maybe you didn’t give a perfect presentation. Why does that upset you so much?

C: I feel like I must not be a very good employee if I don’t hit the mark every time.

T: And so what if you don’t hit the mark every time?

C: I guess it’s not that big of a deal to miss the mark every once in a while.

T: We all make mistakes. It seems like it wasn’t giving an imperfect presentation that upset you; it was how you judged yourself afterward that made you feel down on yourself.

C: Yeah, I think you’re right. I shouldn’t feel so bad though; everyone makes mistakes.

At this point, the therapist will likely help the client come up with some statements based on their irrational belief that they must be perfect for every presentation. They might come up with statements like:

“I must ace my presentation, or I am a bad employee.”
“I must be a model employee, or I have no value at all.”
“I must present with ease, or I am incompetent.”

Next, the therapist will help the client explore some alternative beliefs, like:

“It’s okay to slip up sometimes.”
“Making a mistake doesn’t mean I’m worthless.”
“Even if I botch a presentation, I can still be a good employee overall.”

If you’re interested in seeing how the professionals apply the principles and techniques of REBT, check out this four-video series from Albert Ellis and his protégé Janet Wolfe.

Common REBT Questions

Some of the most common questions in REBT relate to how it works and how it differs from other forms of therapy. For example, below are three common questions and the corresponding answers:

• Question: How can REBT help me?
• Answer: REBT can help you learn more about yourself and the irrational beliefs that are damaging you or holding you back, and it can teach you how to address these irrational beliefs when they crop up.
• Question: Will REBT keep me from feeling emotions?
• Answer: No, REBT will not keep you from feeling emotions; however, it will help you to recognize them, accept them, and respond to or cope with them more healthily.
• Question: Do I need to go every week? For how long?
• Answer: No, you do not need to go every week. You and your therapist can work out a schedule that works best for you. You might go every week at first, but every-other-week sessions and monthly sessions are also common. Sessions are usually between 30 and 60 minutes, but this is also dependent upon you and your therapist. Whatever works for you is a good length!

To dive even deeper into REBT, check out the Albert Ellis Institute’s Frequently Asked Questions section, where they tackle further questions like:

• I’ve heard that REBT tries to do away with negative emotions altogether by making people think logically and objectively. Is that true?
• But aren’t feelings such as anger and anxiety normal and appropriate?
• With all this emphasis on “me,” doesn’t REBT encourage selfishness?
• Does REBT force its own beliefs about what’s rational on people?

A Look at REBT Interventions

If you’re wondering how REBT is put into practice with clients, this section is for you. There are tons of resources out there for practitioners or those interested in trying the techniques for themselves.

Check out the activities, exercises, and worksheets listed below.

3 REBT activities and exercises

Imagine the Worst

Catastrophizing involves “worst-case” thinking and can be an extremely common cognitive distortion. Frequently, we fear the uncertainty of potential negative events, even despite a lack of objective facts to support their occurrence (Quartana, Campbell, & Edwards, 2009).

This can help them realize that:

• The worst-case scenario is unrealistic and thus unlikely to occur.
• Even if it did occur, the worst-case scenario will probably still be tolerable.
• If it happens, they would still be able to manage the outcome and prevent it from becoming catastrophic.

Blown Out of All Proportion

This technique involves both imagery and humor, combining two cognitive restructuring techniques for maximum effectiveness. It builds on “worst-case imagery” for reasons that will become obvious.

In a session, the therapist would ask the client to imagine that the thing they fear happening the most happened. However, instead of allowing the client to visualize it realistically, the therapist will guide them in visualizing it to an extreme, blowing it entirely out of proportion (Froggatt, 2005).

When things are this exaggerated, they become funny. Laughing at their blown-up fears will help the client get control over them. This exercise isn’t right for every fear, but it can be extremely useful in many cases.

You’ll find this intervention, with examples, in the Imagine The Worst PDF above.

Disputing Irrational Beliefs (DIBS) Handout

One of the most popular cognitive restructuring techniques is called disputing irrational beliefs (DIBS) or simply disputing (Ellis, n.d.). The point of DIBS is to question yourself on some of your limiting or harmful beliefs and essentially “logic” them out of existence.

Here are the questions to ask yourself, outlined in our Disputing Irrational Beliefs Handout:

1. What is the self-defeating irrational belief I would like to dispute and reduce?
2. Am I able to support this belief with objective facts?
3. What proof is there that this belief is false?
4. Is there any proof that this belief is true?
5. What is the worst possible outcome that could occur if I fail to get what I believe I must? What’s the worst possible outcome if I do get what I believe I mustn’t? What other negative things could happen to me?
6. What positive things could I cause to happen if my undesirable scenarios pan out?

Although this technique can be highly effective for irrational beliefs, it will not always work for your deepest or long-held beliefs. These are harder to dispute but not impossible; Ellis recommends recording your irrational belief and several disputes to the belief, then listening to it repeatedly and even allowing your therapist, therapy group, or loved ones to listen to it with you.

This technique has been adapted from Techniques for Disputing Irrational Beliefs by the Albert Ellis Institute into a client handout (Ellis, n.d.). For a more detailed exercise, check out our Challenging Questions Worksheet below.

3 REBT Worksheets (incl. PDF)

Worksheets can make a great addition to REBT for clients or a satisfactory substitute for therapy in people with milder issues.

Check out these three worksheets on REBT techniques below.

1. Increasing awareness of cognitive distortions

Although it’s not necessarily an REBT-exclusive technique, this worksheet can fit in nicely with an REBT focus. It guides the user through identifying the cognitive distortions (irrational beliefs) that they hold.

First, the worksheet lists 11 of the most common cognitive distortions:

• All-or-nothing thinking
• Overgeneralizing
• Discounting the positive
• Jumping to conclusions
• Mind reading
• Fortune telling
• Magnifying (catastrophizing) or minimizing
• Emotional reasoning
• Should statements
• Labeling and mislabeling
• Personalization

Once the user reads through the common cognitive distortions and some examples, they can move on to the worksheet. It’s split into three columns with instructions for each:

1. Feelings – Write down what feelings you are experiencing; these can include emotions and physical sensations.
2. Thoughts – Notice what thoughts are associated with your feelings and write those down here.
3. Cognitive distortions – Analyze your thoughts; is there a cognitive distortion there, or are your thoughts rational?

Take a few minutes each day to complete a row in this worksheet for at least one week, and you will improve your ability to identify your irrational beliefs, which is the first step toward correcting them.

2. Leaving the Comfort Zone

This worksheet will help educate the user on the four zones and motivate them to step outside of their comfort zone.

First, it defines the four zones:

1. Comfort zone: the space in which we feel safe and in control; things are easy, and we know what to do.
2. Fear zone: an uncomfortable space marked by uncertainty; we don’t know what to expect or what to do.
3. Learning zone: another uncomfortable space, but not as bad as the fear zone; we begin to acquire new skills and expand our comfort zone.
4. Growth zone: when we stay in the learning zone long enough, it becomes the growth zone, where we become comfortable with our new skills and experience.

Next, it directs the user to identify a comfort zone situation. It should be something coming up that will require the user to step out of the comfort zone and into the fear zone.

Once the user has identified a situation, they are instructed to identify the signs of fear or symptoms of their experience with fear.

In addition to noting the signs of fear, the user should identify what they would lose out on by not stepping into the fear zone. What opportunities or new potential benefits would they miss out on?

Further, the user should note the long-term possibilities of staying in the learning zone. How might they transform as a person? What could they gain from being in this zone over time?

Finally, the user finishes the worksheet by reflecting on how they would feel about themselves if they stuck it out in the growth zone, and how it would affect their relationships with others.

3. Challenging questions worksheet

This worksheet can help the user question their irrational beliefs and stop them in their tracks.

First, it lists 10 common irrational beliefs that users may recognize in themselves:

1. I am only as good as what I achieve.
2. If they don’t love me, then I’m worthless.
3. Other people should follow the rules I know to be right.
4. It’s not okay to have this feeling. I should just be happy.
5. The problems in this relationship are all my fault/their fault.
6. This situation is hopeless; nothing will ever improve.
7. If this person doesn’t like me, then other people must feel the same way.
8. I must be able to do it all; if I can’t, then there’s something wrong with me.
9. My life is too hard. Life shouldn’t be this difficult and frustrating.
10. Anger is not safe; I must not let myself get angry about this.

Then, it lists 12 challenging questions the user can use to confront their irrational belief:

1. What is the evidence for or against this idea?
2. Am I confusing habit with a fact?
3. Are my interpretations of the situation too far removed from reality to be accurate?
4. Am I thinking in all-or-nothing terms?
5. Am I using words or phrases that are extreme or exaggerated like always, forever, never, need, should, must, can’t, and every time?
6. Am I taking selected examples out of context?
7. Am I making excuses? I’m not afraid; I just don’t want to go out. The other people expect me to be perfect. I don’t want to make the call because I don’t have time.
8. Is the source of information reliable?
9. Am I thinking in terms of certainties instead of probabilities?
10. Am I confusing a low probability with a high probability?
11. Are my judgments based on feelings rather than facts?
12. Am I focusing on irrelevant factors?

The worksheet leaves space for the user to pick one belief and four challenging questions to answer with a new, healthier perspective on the irrational belief.

Identifying Beliefs and Applying the ABC Model

During REBT, your therapist will help you learn how to apply the ABC model to your daily life. If you’re feeling depressed due to a conflict in your relationship, for example, your therapist may help you identify the activating event for your problem before encouraging you to figure out which beliefs led to your negative feelings. They would then work with you to change those beliefs and, ultimately, your emotional response to the conflict.

An important step in this process is recognizing the underlying beliefs that lead to psychological distress. In many cases, these are reflected as absolutes, as in “I must,” “I should,” or “I can’t.” Some of the most common irrational beliefs include:

• Feeling excessively upset over other people’s mistakes or misconduct
• Believing that you must be perfectly competent and successful in everything to be valued and worthwhile
• Believing that you will be happier if you avoid life’s difficulties or challenges
• Feeling that you have no control over your happiness; that your contentment and joy are dependent upon external forces

Holding unyielding beliefs like these makes it almost impossible to respond to activating situations in a psychologically healthy way. Possessing rigid expectations of ourselves and others only leads to disappointment, recrimination, regret, and anxiety.

Disputation

One step toward changing your beliefs is undergoing a process called disputation. During disputation, your therapist will challenge your irrational beliefs using direct methods. They may question your beliefs head-on, causing you to rethink them, or they could ask you to imagine another point of view that you haven’t considered before.

Disputation is meant to teach you life-long skills to help you manage your emotional response and overall mental health.3

Gaining Insight and Changing Behavior

An important part of the REBT process is learning how to replace your irrational beliefs with healthier ones. This process can be daunting and upsetting, and it’s normal to feel some discomfort or worry that you’ve made a mistake.

However, the goal of REBT is to help people respond rationally to situations that would typically cause stress, depression, or other negative feelings. When faced with this type of situation in the future, the emotionally healthy response would be to realize that it is not realistic to expect success in every endeavor. All you can do is learn from the situation and move on.

Three key insights that REBT teaches are:3

• You are worthy of self-acceptance no matter what even when you struggle or make mistakes; there is no need for shame or guilt.
• Others are also worthy of acceptance, even when their behavior involves something that you don’t like.
• Negative things will sometimes happen in life, and that doesn’t mean that things are happening in a way they shouldn’t. Life is not positive all of the time, and there’s no rational reason to expect it to be.

While REBT uses cognitive strategies, it focuses on emotions and behaviors as well.1 In addition to identifying and disputing irrational beliefs, therapists and clients also work together to target the emotional responses that accompany problematic thoughts. Techniques that might be encouraged include:

• Meditation
• Journaling
• Guided imagery

What REBT Can Help With

REBT has some data to support its benefit in a variety of conditions, including:4

• Anxiety and distress
• Depression
• Disruptive behavior in children
• Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
• Social anxiety disorder
• Psychotic symptom

REBT has also shown promise in sports psychology, where it can be used to help athletes overcome irrational beliefs that may be negatively impacting their mental health and performance.

Benefits of REBT

When developing REBT, Ellis’s goal was to create an action-oriented approach to psychotherapy that produced results by helping people manage their emotions, cognitions, and behaviors. Indeed, research suggests that REBT is effective at reducing irrational beliefs and changing behavior.

We see the same results in sports psychology, where REBT can decrease irrational beliefs and reduce anxiety for athletes.

Overall, REBT offers several behavioral benefits, like:

• Reduced feelings of anger, anxiety, depression, and distress
• Improved health and quality of life
• Better school performance and social skills

Effectiveness

REBT has a wide range of potential applications. Because it’s focused on education and taking action, it may be effective for a variety of situations and mental health conditions. It may even lead to lasting change in those who undergo this form of therapy.4

Burnout at School or Work

Researchers have studied the impact that REBT has on professional and academic performance. One 2018 study showed that this approach was effective in reducing symptoms of burnout for undergraduate students and continued to help even months after therapy concluded.6

Another 2018 study showed similar results for nurses. Group REBT reduced their job-related stress and burnout while increasing their job satisfaction and commitment to their organization.

Depression and Anxiety

REBT may be effective in reducing the symptoms of people with depression or anxiety. The positive effects also appear to last even after therapy ends.

REBT has also shown promising results for adolescents experiencing depression. This may be due to its emphasis on teaching techniques like:

• Identifying cognitive errors
• Challenging irrational beliefs
• Separating individuals from their behaviors
• Practicing acceptance

Sports-Related Issues

REBT is quickly gaining popularity as a treatment option for athletes who are experiencing mental health issues. It can be used to restore and maintain athletes’ mental health, helping them learn how to change their outlook and manage their emotions. This often improves their athletic performance, though the goal of REBT in sports psychology is to care for the athlete’s mental well-being first and foremost.1

Recommended Books on the Topic

Given the popularity of other types of therapies, REBT has not gained the mainstream recognition that it deserves for its realistic approach and practical techniques. As such, you won’t find as many books about it as you might for Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy or Dialectical Behavior Therapy, but there are some excellent options, including a few books from the founder himself.

Check out these books to learn more:

• How to Stubbornly Refuse to Make Yourself Miserable About Anything—Yes, Anything! by Albert Ellis (Available on Amazon)

• Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy: A Therapist’s Guide by Albert Ellis and Catharine MacLaren (Available on Amazon)

• A Guide to Rational Living by Albert Ellis and Robert A. Harper (Available on Amazon)

• A Primer on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy by Windy Dryden, Raymond DiGiuseppe, and Michael Neenan (Available on Amazon)

• Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (Therapies of Psychotherapy) by Albert Ellis and Debbie Joffe Ellis (Available on Amazon)

A Take-Home Message

In this piece, we went over the basic ideas behind REBT, learned about the techniques used, and walked through a few sample exercises and activities. I hope you have a better understanding of this type of therapy and its potential to help those struggling with irrational thoughts and harmful beliefs.

What are your thoughts on REBT? Does it make sense to you? Do you believe that our thoughts about what happens to us are more important than what happens to us? Let us know in the comments.