Albert Ellis: Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy



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.



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