RATIONAL EMOTIVE

THERAPY (RET)
Albert Ellis 1957

Albert Ellis

COGNITIVE THERAPY
Specifically concerned with the thinking
processes.
Aims at modifying feelings and actions by
influencing the clients patterns of thought.
i.e. Cognitive Restructuring

NATURE OF MAN
ACCORDING TO ELLIS
1. Cognitive emotive behaving creature.

2. Existentialist position
Places man squarely in the center of his
universe. Man has full control over what he
feels and does. Full responsibility and full
right to choose a happy existence.

3. Perfectionist yet error-prone.

Fallible human being and therefore engages
in such anomalies as ego-esteem and
feelings of worthlessness.

Rational Emotive Therapy

Assumptions
Psychological disorders arise from faulty or
irrational thinking.
These thought patterns are preconscious,
implicit verbalizations comprising the
clients basic belief system.

Only you can upset yourself

about events--the events
themselves, no matter
how undesirable, can never
upset you

As a man thinketh, so is he.

-The Bible
Men are not worried by things, but by their ideas about things. When
we meet difficulties, become anxious or troubled, let us not blame
others, but rather ourselves, that is: our idea about things.
-Epictetus, about 60 AD

It is very obvious that we are not influenced by "facts" but by

our interpretation of the facts.
-Alfred Adler

The basic paradigm of RET

A-B-C-D-E

A=Activating event

B=Beliefs (Irrational beliefs)

C=Consequences
D=Disputing the irrational beliefs
E = Emotional Insight

Ellis talks about the three main

irrational beliefs:
1. I must be outstandingly competent, or I
am worthless.

2. Others must treat me considerately, or

they are absolutely rotten.

3. The world should always give me

happiness, or I will die.

Just, What are Irrational Beliefs?

Irrational beliefs take the form of absolute

statements. Instead of acknowledging a
preference or a desire, we make unqualified
demands on others, or convince ourselves
that we have overwhelming needs.

Irrational Beliefs: Must or

Should statements

I must be a winner every time I compete

Irrational Beliefs make

unqualified demands on others
and on self

TYPICAL THINKING ERRORS

PEOPLE MAKE
1. Ignoring the positive,

2. Exaggerating the negative, and

3. Over - generalizing

Structure of a typical RET session

1. Establish a relationship; build client
confidence in therapy. Talk freely.
2. Identify the problem; put it into the A or
C format.
3. Goal setting; changes in C & behavior.

4. Explain RET.
.
5 .Uncover irrational beliefs.
Beliefs are defined as irrational only if they

have dysfunctional consequences for the

client, not because they contain certain cue
words as must, awful, and the like
6. Dispute irrational beliefs.
7. End session with homework assignment.

The therapist uses his or her

skills to argue against these
irrational ideas in therapy, or,
even better, leads the client to
make the arguments. For
example, the therapist may
ask...

Disputing the irrational beliefs

1. Is there any evidence for this belief?
2. What is the evidence against this belief?
3. What is the worst that can happen if you
give up this belief?
4. And what is the best that can happen?

THE NEXT STEP IS TO ANSWER

THE DISPUTE
(This is the MOST IMPORTANT piece of RET)

We simply answer our disputed

question statement in a rational and
factual manner. Here are a few
examples:

I am a loser because my lover left me for another

man/woman.
O.K., That is silly. Why does losing my lover make me a
loser as a person? It does not! I am not a loser of a
person just because my lover left me.
I can't live without my lover!
Wait a minute. Who says I can't live without this
person. We are not physically attached to each
other! Yes I can live without my lover. I might not want
to live alone, but I can. It may be painful, but I can live
without him/her.

HERES WHAT YOU WILL SEE IN THE

CLINIC
Feeling: Anxiety, stress
Possible Irrational Ideas: Hurry up

or be perfect messages; failure

expectations or too high expectations.

Feeling: Sad, pessimistic

Possible Irrational ideas: Self-

criticism; hopelessness; expecting to

fail.

Feeling: Anger, irritable

Irrational ideas: Fantasies about being
mistreated; believing the other
person is evil and should be punished

Feeling: Disappointment
Irrational ideas: Expecting too much.
Thinking things should be different.

12 Irrational beliefs pointed out by Ellis

Everyone should love and approve of me

I should always be able, successful, and "on top of
things"

People who are evil and bad should be punished

severely
When things do not go the way I wanted and
planned, it is terrible and I am, of course, going to
get very disturbed. I can't stand it

External events cause most of my unhappiness.

I don't have any control over these external

factors, so I can't do anything about my
depression or other misery.
When the situation is scary or going badly, I
should and can't keep from worrying all the time.

It is easier for me to overlook or avoid thinking

about tense situations than to face the problems
and take the responsibility for correcting the
situation.

I need someone--often a specific person--to be with and

lean on
Things have been this way so long, I can't do anything
about these problems now
When my close friends and relatives have serious
problems it is only right and natural that I get very
upset too

I don't like the way I'm feeling but I can't help it. I just
have to accept it and go with my feelings
I know there is an answer to every problem. I should

Characteristics of RET
Emphasis on the here and now
Stress on working relationship rather than
empathy
Active directive therapist
Existential approach
Short term therapy

Advantages and drawbacks of

RET
ADVANTAGES
Short term
Cost effective
Tangible behavioral
change
Respect as client

DRAWBACKS
Insight must be good
Motivated
Not effective with all
disorders