In my personal and professional life, I practice Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) which is a form of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) developed by the late psychologist Albert Ellis.
While CBT serves as an overarching behavioral health care medium under which a number of psychotherapeutic modalities are centered, REBT is an active-directive set of techniques designed to help people get better rather than to merely feel better.
REBT theory uses the ABC model to illustrate how when Activating events (“Actions”) occur and people maintain irrational Beliefs about the events, these unhelpful assumptions – and not the actual occurrences – are what create unpleasant cognitive, emotive, bodily sensation, and behavioral Consequences.
In particular, there are four predominate irrational beliefs which people use: demandingness, awfulizing, low frustration tolerance, and global evaluations. Addressing these, the ABC model incorporates Disputation of unhelpful assumptions in order to explore Effective new beliefs.
From a psychological standpoint, people disturb themselves using a Belief-Consequence (B-C) connection. Of course, this isn’t to suggest that in the context of the naturalistic or physical world there is no Action-Consequence (A-C) connection.
As an example, if accidentally drop an egg onto the floor (Action), the shell may shatter upon impact (Consequence). Still, if you unproductively Believe, “That shouldn’t have happened,” then you’ll likely disturb yourself into an upset disposition (Consequence).
Thus, I help people to stop upsetting themselves through use of B-C connections, though I can’t fully resolve their A-C connections. If there were a mathematical formula for the ABC model, it would be something like: Action + Belief = Consequence ÷ Disputation = Effective new belief.
Recently, I was asked about the difference between confrontation – which is a term generally used in psychoanalysis – and disputation used in REBT. According to one source:
“Confrontation is a direct technique in which the counselor challenges clients to face themselves realistically,” and confrontation is described as “an authoritative, direct statement instructing the client to control specific drives or modify certain behaviors. The statement is always followed by the question, ‘What do you think or feel about what I said?’ This confrontation method is intended to help clients explore their willingness to comply with the analyst’s advice and to evaluate client controls.”
Although confrontation and disputation are often used synonymously, these terms have specific meanings depending on which modality is used. The aforementioned example illustrates the confrontation technique from a psychoanalytic perspective.
When elaborating on the process of disputation, one prominent REBT practitioner states:
[T]he ABC framework is used in REBT as an assessment tool to help clients understand the factors involved in their psychologically disturbed responses to adversities and what would constitute psychologically healthy responses to the same adversities. When moving from assessment to therapy, the REBT therapist adds D and E to the ABC framework.
Traditionally, D stands for ‘disputing’ beliefs (both irrational and rational) and E stands for the ‘effects’ of the disputing process. I have never cared for the term ‘disputing’. It has an adversarial ‘feel’ about it. It can mean ‘debating’, but it can also mean arguing vehemently. What it does not conjure up is a process where two people stand back and examine the attitudes of one of them.
For this reason, I prefer to use the term ‘examining’ when it comes to the therapist and client considering the client’s attitudes (both rigid and extreme and flexible and non-extreme). To examine something means to inspect it thoroughly in order to determine its nature or condition. In my opinion, this best approximates what the therapist and client do in what was previously called ‘disputing’.
In order to preserve the letter D, I formally use the term ‘dialectically examining attitudes’. The term ‘dialectical’ is particularly apt here since it means trying to resolve a conflict between opposing views, and rigid/extreme and flexible/non-extreme are opposing ways of evaluating adversities.
Semantically, I don’t mind if a person refers to the ‘D’ in the ABC model as disputing, debating, detangling, disambiguating, or dialectics. What matters is the process of challenging unproductive beliefs. The ‘D’ is merely a step regarding an overall helpful tool.
Thus, the difference between confrontation and disputation is that the former is a psychoanalytic term relating to a specific technique while the latter relates to REBT and serves as a method of examining whether or not a belief best serves an individual’s interests and goals.
Furthermore, and leaving aside semantics, REBT uses the technique of unconditional acceptance to relieve suffering. This is accomplished through use of unconditional self-acceptance, unconditional other-acceptance, and unconditional life-acceptance.
Additionally, foundational components incorporated into REBT relate to Stoicism—a philosophical practice valuing four virtues (wisdom, courage, temperance or moderation, and justice) as a means of achieving eudemonia—a life well-lived, as well as humanism—the process of healing oneself.
As well, REBT is influenced by existentialist principles—essentially positing that each of us will inevitably die and that we can search for purpose and meaning as a method of living a well-lived existence. Importantly, all of these techniques require frequent (and I mean daily) practice.
Herein, I hope to have cleared up the difference between confrontation and disputation. Ultimately, the CBT-based psychotherapeutic modality of REBT aims to help people reduce self-disturbance and get better through the careful examination of unhelpful beliefs.
If you’re looking for a provider who works to help you understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.
As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.
At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply helping you to feel better, I want to help you get better!
Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW
References:
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