REBT 101: The Philosophy of Emotional Health

Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (REBT) is built on a radical premise: you largely create your own emotional disturbance. Not because you're flawed, but because you hold irrational beliefs that amplify suffering unnecessarily.

"People are disturbed not by things, but by the views they take of them." — Epictetus

The Core Philosophy

REBT, developed by Albert Ellis in 1955, identifies three core irrational beliefs that cause most emotional disturbance:

• Demandingness: Turning preferences into rigid demands ("I must...", "You should...", "The world has to...")
• Awfulizing: Catastrophizing when demands aren't met ("It's terrible!", "I can't stand it!")
• Self/Other Rating: Globally rating yourself or others based on specific behaviors ("I'm worthless", "They're horrible")

REBT vs Positive Thinking

REBT isn't about being positive. It's about being rational. That means:

• Acknowledging when things are bad without catastrophizing
• Accepting reality as it is, even when we don't like it
• Having preferences without rigid demands
• Rating behaviors without globally rating people

The ABCDE Model

REBT uses an extended version of the ABC model:

• A — Activating Event
• B — Belief (rational or irrational)
• C — Consequence (emotional/behavioral)
• D — Disputing (challenging irrational beliefs)
• E — Effective new outlook (more rational perspective)

FAQ

What is REBT?

REBT (Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy) is a form of psychotherapy created by Albert Ellis in 1955. It's based on the idea that our emotional disturbances are largely caused by irrational beliefs, and by identifying and disputing these beliefs, we can achieve greater emotional health.

What's the difference between REBT and CBT?

REBT is actually the predecessor to CBT and focuses more specifically on identifying and disputing irrational beliefs, particularly "musts" and "shoulds." CBT is broader and includes more behavioral techniques. Both share the core idea that thoughts influence emotions.