Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy or shortly called REBT is a comprehensive, cognitive active-directed therapy developed by American psychologist Albert Ellis in the mid 1950s. The therapy focuses on resolving behavioral and emotional problems and can be used as a tool, which minimizes mind disturbances and allows individuals to live freely more fulfilling lives. REBT goal is to reduce importance on negative events that happen and can do a lot of damage to individual in life by restructuring core irrational beliefs.

ABC Model

The core part of the therapy is understanding the ABC model, which describes the relation of human mind to events that happen in life. ABC is a short term which stands for adversities (events), beliefs and consequences. The ABC model describes the relation that adversities do not have direct effect on consequences (which most of us might perceive and think), but instead beliefs determine consequences of our emotions. Understanding the basic concept of the ABC model is the most important aspect of the rational emotive behavior therapy.

To demonstrate this with an example: Ross lost a job and he experiences a lot of negative emotions and turmoil in the situation. Job loss is the adversity (event) in this situation, consequence is his bad negative emotion, which is not caused by the event, but instead by his belief that is awful to lose a job.

We could make another linear relation at this point: the more irrational belief is, the more bad emotional consequences we experience. If we put absolutistic beliefs – musts on ourselves that tell always to do absolute best and do not allow any failure, it will make us think and feel how bad the situation is when specific thing happens in life.

REBT shows how to reframe and restructure irrational beliefs and make it more rational to gain better performance and feeling in all negative-perceived situations. It requires both practice and experience for the patient to be able to detect, find and later reframe his irrational beliefs about his possible life adversities.

Once we are able to have good self-behavioral and emotional awareness, we are able to reprogram ourselves. Training the mind takes time and it does not occur by night. By the proper approach and self-awareness we can get to the general better-feeling and productivity instead of emotional turmoil and irrational environmental analysis. REBT is a great cognitive tool, when used systematically and it has proven great results on many self-destructive individuals.