Page 39 of The REBT Therapist’s Pocket Companion invites Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) practitioners to periodically ascertain what clients find helpful and unhelpful about REBT. Personally, I find that this process of eliciting feedback helps inform how I tailor psychotherapy for each client with whom I work.
Although REBT has its own underlying theory and standard mechanisms (e.g., ABC model, unconditional acceptance, etc.), each person I see for therapy is a unique individual. There is no one size fits all approach I’ve discovered that adequately addresses every client I’ve seen.
Therefore, I practice REBT as a foundational approach and rely on helpful feedback from clients to guide each person in their independent treatment or management. Suppose client X tells me she finds it helpful to dispute her irrational beliefs, I capitalize on this by incorporating into negotiated homework more disputation.
Likewise, if client X says that she doesn’t find it useful to take personal responsibility and accountability for her reactions to unpleasant situations, I take a moment to explore the practicality of a proposal whereby others are presumably in control or have significant influence over her.
When discovering feedback, I remain mindful not to reinforce client X’s problems, which would be antithetical to the practice of REBT. Of this, page 40 of The REBT Therapist’s Pocket Companion reminds REBT practitioners to remain problem-focused.
For instance, if client X irrationally believes that matters for which she is personally responsible and accountable are somehow the burden of other people to accommodate, this is a problem that can be addressed by disputation—an element of therapy she finds helpful.
We could then negotiate homework that tests her hypothesis so that she may receive direct evidence that disputes her belief. In essence, we combine one element of REBT the client finds helpful with another element she finds unhelpful.
Focus on the problem, despite helpful feedback received from client X, promotes the practice of REBT. Thus, the therapeutic alliance can remain intact while my client strengthens her skills.
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:
Dryden, W. and Neenan, M. (2003). The REBT Therapist’s Pocket Companion. Albert Ellis Institute. ISBN 0-917476-26-3. Library of Congress Control Number: 20031044378
Hollings, D. (n.d.). Blog – Categories: Disputation. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/blog/categories/disputation
Hollings, D. (2022, May 17). Circle of concern. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/circle-of-concern
Hollings, D. (2022, March 15). Disclaimer. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/disclaimer
Hollings, D. (2023, September 8). Fair use. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/fair-use
Hollings, D. (2023, October 12). Get better. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/get-better
Hollings, D. (n.d.). Hollings Therapy, LLC [Official website]. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/
Hollings, D. (2023, May 18). Irrational beliefs. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/irrational-beliefs
Hollings, D. (2023, September 19). Life coaching. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/life-coaching
Hollings, D. (2022, November 7). Personal ownership. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/personal-ownership
Hollings, D. (2022, March 25). Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rational-emotive-behavior-therapy-rebt
Hollings, D. (2022, November 9). The ABC model. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/the-abc-model
Hollings, D. (2024, January 11). Therapeutic alliance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/therapeutic-alliance
Hollings, D. (2022, July 11). Unconditional acceptance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/unconditional-acceptance
Macrovector. (n.d.). Chat elements [Image]. Freepik. Retrieved from https://www.freepik.com/free-vector/chat-elements_1010187.htm#query=feedback&position=0&from_view=search&track=sph&uuid=3ff92cc3-ceec-4e3b-aaf6-d1fd62d626c0
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