American clinical
psychologist Albert Ellis (1913– 2007) developed the Rational Emotive
Behaviour Therapy (REBT) in 1955. His Institute for Rational Living was founded
in 1959 to promote REBT.
The founder of cognitive
behavioural therapies(CBT) was influenced by philosophy(Epictetus, Marcus
Aurelius) and psychologists as Karen Horney, Alfred Adler, Erich Fromm and
Harry Stack Sullivan. Rational therapist Ellis also worked with sex researcher
Alfred Kinsey and elaborated on the topic of human sexuality and love in a
number of books and articles .
Rational Emotive
Behaviour Therapy is based on the belief
that the client's philosophy contributes to his emotional life. Emotional
problems occur when we refuse to accept reality.
It is the individual's
perception of reality that causes suffering.
Anxiety, guilt and
depression are caused by how people think about events. Our emotions influence
our view of ourselves and others. Each emotional tension(fear, depression,
anger, guilt, self-pity) comes from irrational thinking. Irrational thoughts
are the crucial causes for psychological problems. Negativity is caused by
rigid self talk.
The REBT method aims at
identifying non-adequate, problem causing, self defeating, irrational thoughts
to replace them with adequate, beneficial, realistic thoughts. As such the
client is able to influence his emotions and behaviour.
Critical thinking and
approaching events in a scientific, logical manner can help to accept reality. The more rational and realistic one becomes,
the less emotional anxiety will occur.
Rational analysis,
cognitive reconstruction and coping strategies are applied to change irrational
beliefs and behaviour to replace catastrophic thinking with seeing stressors as
challenges.
The essence of Rational
Emotive Behaviour Therapy is a hopeful vision on human emotion and includes
taking responsibility for psychological discomfort.
Read more about Ellis'
theory:
The Art and Science of
Love. NY: Lyle Stuart, 1960.
Reason and Emotion in
Psychotherapy. NY: Lyle Stuart, 1962.
A Guide to Rational
Living. Englewood Cliffs, N.J., Prentice-Hall, 1961.
Humanistic Psychotherapy,
NY McGraw, 1974 Sagarin ed.
