Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) operates on two fundamental principles: The ABC model and unconditional acceptance. With understanding of, belief in, and practice of this psychotherapeutic technique, a person can substantially reduce self-disturbance.
Regarding the ABC model, REBT maintains that when an unfortunate Activating event occurs and a person uses an irrational Belief about the matter, the unhelpful assumption concerning the event is what causes an unpleasant Consequence (i.e., emotional, bodily sensation, or behavioral outcome).
This Belief-Consequence connection is the process by which people upset themselves. Throughout my blog, I use psychoeducation to teach people about the ABC model while providing different methods of its usefulness, per page 76 of The REBT Therapist’s Pocket Companion.
Still, some people express the mistaken assumption about how REBT supposedly minimizes the impact of unfortunate events. Regarding this matter, page 77 of The REBT Therapist’s Pocket Companion invites REBT practitioners to remind people that focus on the ABC model isn’t an attempt to imply that Activating events play an unimportant role with problems.
Importantly, Activating events contribute significantly (give something in order to achieve or provide something) to disturbance. However, these events don’t determine (cause something to occur in a particular way) self-disturbance.
For example, consider an unfortunate event relating to the dissolution of an intimate partner relationship. There is no Action-Consequence connection that causes an unpleasant outcome for either party of the breakup.
Nevertheless, the Activating event does contribute to disturbance. After all, without the unfortunate event there would likely be no unhelpful Belief about the nonexistent situation that could lead to an unpleasant Consequence.
As the ABC model relates to the first principle of REBT, use of the second principle—unconditional acceptance—is a method of resolving self-disturbance. Therefore, when people understand and believe in REBT, practice of this helpful technique can reduce suffering when one experiences unfortunate events.
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. (2022, March 15). Disclaimer. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/disclaimer
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Hollings, D. (2023, October 12). Get better. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/get-better
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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. (2024, January 1). Psychoeducation. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/psychoeducation
Hollings, D. (2022, March 24). Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT). Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/rational-emotive-behavior-therapy-rebt
Hollings, D. (2022, November 1). Self-disturbance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/self-disturbance
Hollings, D. (2022, November 9). The ABC model. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/the-abc-model
Hollings, D. (2022, December 23). The A-C connection. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/the-a-c-connection
Hollings, D. (2022, December 25). The B-C connection. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/the-b-c-connection
Hollings, D. (2022, July 11). Unconditional acceptance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/unconditional-acceptance
Hollings, D. (2024, January 16). Understanding, belief, and practice. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/understanding-belief-and-practice
Landers, L. (2023, December 19). A broken heart [Image]. Playground. Retrieved from https://playgroundai.com/post/a-broken-heart-clqcu9sla0ul4s6015oxpmvkw