Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) By Albert Ellis
Albert Ellis (1913 – 2007) was one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century and one of the most prominent figures in the field of psychology after his break with the psychodynamic school.
He was the creator of one of the theories that have revolutionized the foundations and methodology in the treatment of emotional and psychological problems, he has earned a position of honor among the greatest psychologists. We talk today about Albert Ellis and REBT.
Albert Ellis and Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT)
His theory (the Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy ) is very well known and although many psychologists do not share its principles, others are joining this line, finding in it a good basis to continue developing their profession and the appropriate treatment for each disorder, according to the current demands in the world. field of clinical psychology.
Albert Ellis was born in Pittsburg in 1913 and studied at Columbia University (New York), specialized in training professionals in Psychoanalysis. There he obtained his doctorate in 1947. Ellis soon realized the limitations of Sigmund Freud’s theory and, disappointed by the few results he obtained with his patients, he progressively abandoned psychoanalytic theory to begin working on his own theory. .
Already in 1953 he broke completely with psychoanalysis and began to develop a type of psychotherapy that he would call Rational Emotive Therapya type of counseling psychotherapy cognitive-behavioral.
But, What does Rational Emotive Therapy consist of? It is known that Ellis received training in the field of letters. Philosophy had a lot to do with his studies, which would serve as the primary basis for the subsequent development of his theory. Ellis considered that his theory could be summarized in the phrase of the famous Stoic Greek philosopher Epithetus, which stated that “People are not upset by facts, but by what they think about the facts.”
Ellis developed his theory by exemplifying it as shown in this graph :
Albert Ellis considered that behavioral and emotional problems could have their genesis from their three sources: thought, emotional and behavioral. He emphasized how thoughts affect psychological alterations.
Ellis (1995) asserted that people are largely responsible for their disturbed feelings, which are generated either consciously or unconsciously. Therefore, these same people have all the resources to be able to modify their thoughts and bring lasting and stable states into their lives.
The link between thought and emotion
According to Ellis, this shows how thought and emotion are related. Ellis stated that what causes emotional disturbance or difficulty is not what happens at point A, but rather that people create a belief structure at point B and reinforce these beliefs in a negative and often harmful way, which is manifested in behavioral or emotional reactions: point C, according to Ellis (1962).
This theoretical body and the therapy that emerged from it motivated much criticism from some professionals in the field of psychiatry and psychology itself, stating that it suffered from an excess of “rationalism” which caused the theory to be perceived as not very viable and unscientific. However, time gave rise to numerous studies and investigations into cases where has applied REBT, obtaining high reliability and excellent results. That is why REBT, since it was created by Albert Ellis until today, is at the forefront of psychotherapies.
The studies that Ellis developed throughout his life bore fruit. Currently, in its institute located in the city of New York, work continues on the training of psychotherapists, through talks, attention to people with family and personal problems, and with studies that make the science of psychology develop new tools day after day. for a century as demanding as the one we live in.
Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy has a clear purpose, as stated by Saranson (2006) in his book Abnormal psychopathology, the problem of maladaptive behavior where he refers to Ellis and Dryden (1977): people have to question their fundamental beliefs (in most cases, irrational), and then replace them with more constructive ones (rational).
REBT has not only been applied in the clinical field but there are several writings on the intervention in the work and educational fields. A psychotherapy that provides many opportunities in the study of the human being, emotions, thinking and mental health.
