Albert Ellis and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)

Posted on September 22nd, 2006 | by admin |

Jeffrey Guterman describes the theory and practice of Albert Ellis’s Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) across the following issues: human nature, theory of problem formation, theory of change, and techniques. Topics include the ABC theory, the distinction between rational beliefs and irrational beliefs, and disputing irrational beliefs. See http://www.jeffreyguterman.com for more information. Erratum: About half way through the video (at 04:55), Jeffrey Guterman incorrectly uses the term “irrational beliefs” to refer to “preferences, wishes, hopes, desires, likes, and wants…” when it was his intention to refer to “rational beliefs.”

Duration : 0:8:5 Views : 13812.


  1. 17 Responses to “Albert Ellis and Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)”

  2. By Sagemama2006 on Sep 19, 2007 | Reply

    Thank you very much …
    Thank you very much, this video helped me understand CBT better than any lecture. Straight to the point and great examples.

  3. By sum1yum on Oct 7, 2007 | Reply

    geez, u even sound …
    geez, u even sound like albert ellis with the over exageration on the focus words.

  4. By kenshinpsych on Nov 13, 2007 | Reply

    Dr. Guterman, …
    Dr. Guterman, during 2:35 – 2:58, could you please clarify how is it one’s best interest: to think, feel, and act TOWARDS one’s goals, as well as to think, feel, and act AGAINST one’s goals and values??

  5. By jguterman on Nov 14, 2007 | Reply

    At 2:35-2:58, I say …
    At 2:35-2:58, I say: “Human nature is to think, feel, and act both in your best interest, meaning toward your goals, not only your short-term, but your long-term goals, but also against your best interests and goals and values.” [continued next post]

  6. By jguterman on Nov 14, 2007 | Reply

    REBT starts with …
    REBT starts with the client’s or individual’s own personal goals and values. So, for a simple example, if the person chooses, say, to work toward completing some project at work or school, then it would be in their best interest to do so and against their best interest to avoid the task. REBT would aim to identify and modify the thinking, feeling, and behavior that interfere with completion of the project.

  7. By alexoidztube on Nov 27, 2007 | Reply

    Can you tell me the …
    Can you tell me the best way to maintain those rational beliefs? What does a client do when he feels he’s relapsing?

  8. By jguterman on Nov 27, 2007 | Reply

    PART I:

    …
    PART I:

    Excellent question! Practice, practice, practice. According to REBT, because humans have biological, social, and psychological tendencies to think irrationally (i.e., against their best interest), despite their efforts to think and act rationally, they will, as you say, relapse from time to time.

  9. By jguterman on Nov 27, 2007 | Reply

    PART II:

    So, it …
    PART II:

    So, it is important to persist at these times and remind oneself that they are slipping back to their demands and self-defeating ways and that they need not do so. Also, it would be helpful for one not to damn themselves for their irrationality by thinking, “I must not think irrationally!” because this would be irrational, too. Instead, think, “I would prefer not to think irrationally.”

  10. By LoverboyinAfton on Feb 12, 2008 | Reply

    I can see REBT …
    I can see REBT helping in various psychopathologies like depression,anxiety, etc.
    What types of mental illness or what have you would REBT not be the best treatment modality?

  11. By jguterman on Feb 12, 2008 | Reply

    PART II: Also, the …
    PART II: Also, the model is tailored to people based on their intellectual and emotional functioning. For example, REBT is used with children and adolescents, but not in the same ways with adults. Excellent question, and further explanation can be found in many of Albert Ellis’s writings, including his self-help books.

  12. By jguterman on Feb 12, 2008 | Reply

    Like you say, REBT …
    Like you say, REBT is designed for what it considers neurotic symptoms or problems, such as depression, anxiety and, also, anger, but not psychotic symptoms, mental retardation, dementia, and the like, which it considers largely endogenous. But it holds that people with the latter symptoms often have neurotic offshoots that are largely the result of irrational beliefs that are treatable with REBT if the individual is amenable given their condition.

  13. By Zeldovich on Feb 23, 2008 | Reply

    Is t his supposed …
    Is t his supposed to be insightful. Look, whether we are dealing with internal (black box) or external behavior or stimuli, it’s all about the internal and external predictive contexts, consequences, and the temporally discounted marginal value of reinforcement at a given moment.

  14. By angelibellybean on May 12, 2008 | Reply

    Hi! I’m taking up a …
    Hi! I’m taking up a psych class right now and just stumbled upon this page. I just wanted to say how great it is that you made this video. It really helped me understand at least the basics of REBT. Thank you very much.

  15. By floravesta on Jun 21, 2008 | Reply

    I’ve been using the …
    I’ve been using the principles of REBT for over 30 years. Alas, I lost my way last year for a while and slid back into irrational thinking. I found my way back however. Where I live there is no REBT practitioner, so I’m pretty much on my own. I’m grateful to you for providing these videos and comments. They are good reminders of what one may have forgotten momentarily as in my case. I will recommend them to my friends.

  16. By ironjohnlad on Jul 21, 2008 | Reply

    Re the ABC thoery.( …
    Re the ABC thoery.(Activating event, B the way you think and believe 3) Cause emotional consequencies.My experinece contradicts this.

    i was suicidal. I had counselling and experienced strong negative feelings and thinking etc. As i worked on the feelings, so the patterns of thinking ( I am useless, I want to die I hate myself etc) simply lost their power. They becamse just curious patterns of words ! I believe that feelings sensations and emotions proceed thinking ! JOhn T

  17. By jguterman on Jul 21, 2008 | Reply

    Good point. The ABC …
    Good point. The ABC theory is a simplistic model. Ellis has always said that thinking, feeling, and behavior are not disparate. They interact and, moreover, occur simultaneously. Ellis, in his REBT, like other cognitive therapists, seems to emphasize—for better or worse—the cognitive aspect of human functioning.

  18. By ironjohnlad on Jul 22, 2008 | Reply

    I think that one of …
    I think that one of the problems with concentrating on the ‘thinking’, is that often trying to change thinking does not change feeling, but kust masks those feelings. That is why the ‘resluts’ of CBT, do not last. Real change in thinking and emotions and behaviour come when feelings change. Our body holds the key, not the way we think. JOhn T

Post a Comment