Therapy questions for clients: Open-ended prompts and tips
Cognitive behavioral therapy is a widely used, evidence-based therapy that can treat a variety of mental health conditions.
In this article, we explore one of the earliest forms of cognitive therapy: rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT).
You’ll learn how REBT therapy works, common REBT techniques, the difference between cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT), and the core irrational beliefs in REBT.
What is REBT?
Rational emotive behavior therapy is an early form of cognitive therapy, developed by psychologist Albert Ellis in the 1950s. According to the Albert Ellis Institute, REBT involves an action-oriented approach to managing our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.
REBT therapy is based on the idea that self-defeating thoughts about events lead to negative feelings and unhelpful behaviors. For example, “I must never make a mistake at work, or I will lose my job.”
REBT therapy works by identifying unhelpful thoughts and beliefs and replacing them with more rational thoughts and behaviors. It can be used to treat:
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Overwhelming emotions, like guilt
Low self-worth
What is the difference between REBT vs. CBT?
Cognitive behavioral therapy is an umbrella term to describe a group of therapies that share a philosophy about thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. However, there are some differences.
In REBT therapy, irrational beliefs are considered the central cause of emotional distress. Rational emotive behavior therapy focuses on changing these self-defeating beliefs into rational, adaptive ones, and changing maladaptive emotions and behaviors into functional, helpful ones.
CBT is more heavily focused on distress being caused by cognitive distortions, like black-and-white thinking, and the solutions are geared toward identifying and reframing these cognitive biases.
Common REBT techniques
Rational emotive behavior therapy treatment involves therapy techniques centered on the ABC model (also called the ABCDE model), illustrated below. These techniques involve strengthening problem-solving skills, coping strategies, and cognitive restructuring.
The ABC model works for REBT treatment by disputing irrational beliefs that lead to emotional disturbance, restructuring negative thoughts, and changing rigid beliefs into more flexible language.
Activating event: A situation, action, or event that causes an adverse reaction, like relational conflict, feedback at work, or not receiving the grade you wanted on an exam.
Beliefs: Thoughts, interpretations, or irrational beliefs about the activating event, such as: “I’m terrible at my job. My boss must think I’m stupid.”
Consequence: The emotional response to the adverse event based on these irrational beliefs. For example, obsessing about details at work, socially withdrawing, ending a relationship, ruminating about a conversation.
According to Ellis’ rational emotive behavior therapy model, when people encounter challenges (A), they experience unhealthy emotions (C) because of their irrational beliefs (B). Like other cognitive models, the ABC model assumes that to change maladaptive feelings, you must first change your irrational beliefs.
12 irrational beliefs of REBT
In rational emotive behavior therapy, irrational beliefs are extreme, rigid, or illogical beliefs. Initially, Ellis identified 12 irrational beliefs of REBT. However, these have evolved into four main categories:
Primary belief (demandingness): A core belief using absolute terms, like “should,” “must,” and “ought.” For example, “I want to be successful at school, so I must pass this exam.”
Awfulizing belief: Catastrophizing about a situation. For example, “If I do not succeed, it will be awful.”
Low frustration tolerance belief: This belief relates to being unable to tolerate a situation if they cannot achieve their goal. For example, “I cannot bear to fail.”
Global evaluation/self-deprecating belief: This belief involves a person overgeneralizing about themselves, the world, or others. This is usually expressed in an overly critical manner. For example, “If I fail this test, it means I’m a complete failure.”
According to the Ellis Institute, Ellis believed his rational emotive behavior therapy clients held around 12 irrational beliefs, including:
It is necessary to be loved or receive approval from every significant person in your community.
You should be competent to be worthwhile.
Certain people are bad, wicked, or villainous, and they must be blamed and punished for their sins.
Everything is awful or catastrophic when things don't go the way you want them to.
Unhappiness is caused by external forces over which you have no control.
If something is dangerous, you must be consumed by it and the possibility of it happening.
Avoiding difficulties and responsibilities is easier than facing them.
You need someone stronger than you to rely on.
Your past determines your current behavior indefinitely.
You must be quite upset by others' problems or disturbances.
A perfect solution exists for human problems, and if you don't find it, the consequences will be catastrophic.
You can give others a global rating as a human, and their worth is predicated on the goodness of their performances.
Whether used alone or alongside other approaches, rational emotive behavior therapy gives clients a repeatable way to catch rigid, self-defeating beliefs before they harden into lasting anxiety, anger, or low self-worth.
Sources
Albert Ellis Institute. (n.d.). REBT.
American Psychological Association. (2018). Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT).
David, D., Cotet, C., Matu, S., Mogoase, C., & Stefan, S. (2017). 50 years of rational-emotive and cognitive-behavioral therapy: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Psychology.
DiLorenzo, T. A., David, D., & Montgomery, G. H. (2007). The interrelations between irrational cognitive processes and distress in stressful academic settings. Personality and Individual Differences.
Tams, L. (n.d.). ABC's of changing your thoughts and feelings to change your behavior. Michigan State University.
Tiba, A. I. (2024). The grounded cognition foundation of the first cognitive model in cognitive behavior therapy: Implications for practice. Frontiers in Psychology.
Turner, M. J. (2016). Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT), irrational and rational beliefs, and the mental health of athletes. Frontiers in Psychology.
Young, P., & Turner, M. J. (2023). To (i)B or not to i(B), that is the question: On the differences between Ellis' REBT and Beck's CT. The Cognitive Behaviour Therapist.
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