| Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy Daniel M. Burrello How, According to Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, Does an Individual�s Personality Become Maladjusted? Epictetus wrote in The Enchiridion, "Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them."(Epictetus, 135 A.C.E.). With this idea, the seminal thought behind Rational Emotive Therapy was spawned. Heavily influenced by Dr. Alfred Adler, Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (or REBT) was originated by Albert Ellis Ph.D. in the Mid-fifties (NACBT 2004). Ellis (1998) saw that an inherent system of irrational beliefs and philosophies, rampant in the culture were conducive to maladjustment. He believes that the normally-functioning individual behaves rationally and in tune with empirical reality. These irrational systems cause frustration and anxiety because daily events are interpreted through the filter of the individual�s person belief system. All manner of irrational prejudices and erroneous conclusions can be found in culturally programmed belief systems based on religious, social or familial structures. Unfortunately the individual is likely to feel angry or hostile toward others or they may internalize the feelings, resulting in anxiety, guilt, or depression (Butcher, Carson, & Mineka, 2000 p.663) In Ellis� 1974 work, "What Rational-Emotive Therapy Is and Is Not," he made the following point: �Anxiety is not �irrational� but an inappropriate feeling that stems largely from irrational ideas. Feelings should not be confused with ideas.� Because thoughts have casual primacy in Ellis� view, even the seemingly small irrational beliefs can have a misadjusting effect. �I should be able to win everyone�s love and respect.� Or �I should be thoroughly adequate and competent in everything I do.� Are examples of these irrational thoughts and beliefs (Butcher, Carson, & Mineka, 2000 p. 663). Ellis listed a foundation core of irrational beliefs that are specific to and usually the root of most psychological maladjustment: 1. One must be loved by everyone for everything one does. 2. Certain acts are awful and wicked and those who perform them must be punished severely. 3. It is horrible when things are not the way we would like them to be. 4. If something may be dangerous or fearsome, one should be terribly upset about it. 5. It is better to avoid life problems, if possible, that to face them. 6. One needs something stringer and more powerful than oneself to rely on. 7. One should be competent, intelligent, and achieving in all respects. 8. Because something once affected one�s life, it will do so indefinitely. 9. One must have perfect and certain self-control. 10. Happiness can be achieved by inertia and inaction. 11. We have virtually no control of our emotions and cannot help having certain feelings. What are the Goals of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy? The overall goal of Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy is to replace irrational beliefs with rational ones, thereby ceasing the internal conflicts between what is and what, according to an irrational belief, should be. According to REBT, maladaptive emotional responses and their behavioral consequences are the result of these irrational processes and therefore, changing the thought processes to rational should stop the emotional response and therefore the unwanted behaviors. The therapist seeks to help with the individual�s self-evaluation especially with respect to the �shoulds�, �Ought-to�s� and �Musts� that are preventing the individual from a more positive sense of self-worth (Butcher, Carson, & Mineka, 2000 p. 663). Unfortunately, from media exposure and many other cultural sources, the individual is bombarded with images and ideas that present a perfectionist ideal virtually impossible to achieve. From eating disorders to paranoia, a litany of maladjustment is brought about by feelings of inadequacy. Subsequent, guilt-laden feelings are culturally established and internalized by as diverse a population as; the teenager, plagued with an eating disorder to appear more like the current pop sensation; to the religious zealot, plagued by guilt for natural sexual feelings and finding them so twisted and repressed that they find strange solace in pedophilia. These are all, according to rational emotive behavior therapy, matters of irrational thought, emotionally charged, exhibiting themselves as maladjusted behaviors. The goal of therapy is to confront these irrationalities and replace them with rational ones. What Treatments or Interventions are utilized in Rational Emotive Therapy? Often the therapist uses confrontation to help the client to replace irrational thoughts. For example, the therapist may hear the client say �I am worthless, no one will ever love me.� because his wife left. The therapist may reply with �Why are you worthless because one person does not love you the way you wanted them to?� This is an attempt to get the client to identify thoughts that lead to negative emotional consequences. The REBT paradigm includes the famous A.C.B.E.D.F. method of rational self-analysis, described as follows: A. Activating event. Whatever started things off, the stimulus. B. Consequence: My reaction to the event. Emotions, behaviors. C. Beliefs: The self talk that lead me from A to C. a. Specific Thoughts relating to the current situation. b. Underlying irrational rules. E. Effect I want to achieve: How would I rather feel about this? How would I prefer to act? D. Disputation and new beliefs: What I could say to myself to help achieve the new effect. F. Further action: What will I do to avoid the same irrational and dysfunctional thinking and reactions in future? Other behavioral technique may be administered, such as self-rewarding of rational thought. Homework assignments such as repeating positivisms such as �I am doing better and better� are used. Incidentally and somewhat ironically, even if these positivisms are not factually correct, they have positive effects. To a certain extent everyone deceives themselves into maintaining self-esteem, to this is not seen, in REBT circles as the irrationality that produces disorder. Because REBT has a similar philosophy albeit considerably different technique, REBT has been compared to humanistic therapy. Both emphasize personal worth and human values. REBT seeks to clear the way toward self-actualization by destroying false beliefs that are hindrances to personal growth (Tavris & Wade, 2000 p. 627). References Butcher, J. Carson, R. & Mineka, S. (2000) Abnormal Psychology and Modern Life.(11th Ed.). Needham Heights MA : Allyn & Bacon Ellis, A. & MacLaren, C. (1998). Rational-emotive behavior therapy: A therapist's guide. California: Impact Publishers. Ellis, A. (1998). The Albert Ellis reader: A guide to well being using rational emotive behavior therapy. Secaucus, N.J. : Carol Publishing Group Epictetus (135 A.C.E.). The Enchiridion. (Trans. Elizabeth Carter) Internet classics Web site. Retrieved July 29, 2004, from the World Wide Web: http://classics.mit.edu/Epictetus/epicench.html National Association of Cognitive Behavioral Therapists. (2004). History of cognitive-behavioral therapy. Article Posted on the Web site, NACBT Online]. Retrieved August 1, 2004, from the World Wide Web: http://www.nacbt.org/historyofcbt.htm Rudolph, L. B., & Thompson, C. L. (2000). Rational-Emotive-Behavior Therapy and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy. Counseling Children. 185-214. Tavris, C & Wade, C. (2000) Psychology (6th Ed.). 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