Research Paper on REBT: A-B-C Theory of Personality & Solution-Oriented Therapy

Introduction

Developed by Albert Ellis, Rational Emotive Behavior Theory (REBT) is a solution-oriented, direct and brief therapy which is centered on the resolution to specific problems facing troubled individuals with irrational beliefs and thoughts (David et al, 2019). REBT is the first ever form of cognitive behavior set forth by Ellis in 1953. Notably, the basic foundation of REBT is the A-B-C theory of personality. A stands for activating events, which usually reflects challenging life circumstances. For instance, an example of activating circumstances can be a young girl being abandoned by her boyfriend. B stands for beliefs that individuals have and which results in emotional effects denoted by C.

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Therefore, C represents emotional consequences. In the case of the above example, if the belief of the girls is irrational, for instance, she believes that everyone must always like her and treat her well and the arising consequences would be depression and anger (David et al., 2019). On the other hand, rational belief would entail her having a notion that some people would like her and mistreat her. This would result in a temporary sadness as a result of the relationship. The theory is based on the concept that individuals' emotions result specifically from their beliefs as opposed to the events that occur in their lives (David et al, 2019). Therefore, it is important for individual beliefs to be rational and healthy since the results of these beliefs will be happiness, making right choices, improved thinking capability and emotional development. Consequently, when individuals' beliefs are irrational, they would undergo emotional torture and suffer from neuroses including anxiety, depression, and self-blame. Notably, REBT is an education process involving the therapist teaching clients how they can identify irrational beliefs so that they can replace them with rational ones. This would eliminate emotional difficulties and other problematic behaviors. Therefore, the paper aims to examine and analyze such aspects of Rational Emotive Behavior A-B-C Theory basic philosophies, key concepts, goals, influencers, and the therapeutic relationship.

Basic Philosophies

The basic philosophical foundation of REBT includes hedonism, humanism, and rationality. Hedonism refers to the idea of seeking pleasure and avoiding pain. Therefore, responsible hedonism should be focused on seeking long term pleasure rather than short term pleasure that can lead to pain and suffering including alcoholism and drug addiction (David, Lynn & Ellis, 2016). Ellis asserted that individuals are always hedonistic but need to concentrate on long term hedonism instead of short term. Although REBT does not clarify what individuals ought to enjoy, its practitioners' have a notion that enjoyment should be a major goal in life. This assumption cannot lead to irresponsible behavior since people with positive hedonism always evaluate the consequences of their actions on them and also to others.

Therefore, subjecting others to manipulation and exploitation should not be a long term goal for individuals. The other philosophy is humanism. According to David and Ellis (2016), human beings are viewed as holistic objective-oriented organisms that are important because they are alive. Notably, ethical humanism also had the same notion as David and Ellis. REBT focuses on human interest over deity interest which has led to controversial views and misinterpretation that Ellis was opposed to religion. On clarifying the misinterpretation, Ellis mentioned that it is not a religion but rather religiosity that causes psychopathology (David et al, 2016). Religiosity is an absolute faith that is not based on the truth. Therefore, he asserted that having faith that right and wrong exist, one should not act on the wrong way since it would automatically lead to depression, guilt, and anxiety.

The last philosophy is the concept of rationality. Rationality involves the incorporation of such aspects as logic, efficiency, flexibility and multiple scientific methods to peruse individual values and objectives (David et al, 2016). Therapy process through the incorporation of REBT reveals how people can get more of what they want in life if they are rational. This, therefore, means that they can conduct a review of their past life. Such aspects that are subject to review include religious beliefs and teachings that these individuals had accepted. In the process, individuals will be in a position of eliminating inappropriate beliefs and teaching and emulate those teaching and beliefs that result in long term happiness.

Theorists, Clinicians, Developers and Influencers

Ellis enjoyed the study of personality leading him to develop the REBT theory. He was explicitly interested in stoic clinicians and was influenced by Epictetus a roman philosopher who stipulated that "human beings are not only disturbed by things but also their views of things" (Dryden, 2015). Besides, he was also influenced by European theorists such as Immanuel Kant, Baruch Spinoza and Friedrich Nietzsche who were concerned with such issues as rationality and happiness. He was further influenced by the concept of Arthur Schopenhauer that is concerned about the world as will and idea (Dryden, 2015). Notable, the works of modern developers and theorists such as Karl Proper, John Dewey, and Bertrand Russell influenced Ellis to put a lot of emphasizing on the concept of cognition in his development of REBT.

Key Concepts

REBT is based on such concepts as the view of the human mind, psychological dysfunction, mental illness, and REBT therapy. REBT asserts that individuals are born with both potentialities of both healthy and unhealthy emotional processes. The healthy process is attached to rational thinking while unhealthy processes are associated with irrational thinking. Rational thinking views events as they are while irrational thinking falsifies reality, through misrepresentation of events (MacLaren, Doyle & DiGiuseppe, 2016). Notably, the key to REBT thoughts is that the belief and not the activating event results in emotional effects.

This implies that if an individual has several irrational beliefs, then he or she is likely to experience emotional suffering due to multiple challenges in life. On the other hand, if an individual's beliefs are rational, then he or she can solve frustrating life events without difficulty. The concept of psychological dysfunction purports that irrational beliefs are caused by an individual's neuroses including anxiety and depression. Irrational beliefs tend to disregard real-life circumstance while exaggerating negative events leading to the distortion of reality. According to the expectation of many people, REBT asserts that mental wellness arises from excess rational beliefs in the absence of self-defeating beliefs (MacLaren, 2016). Therefore, in circumstances when a stressful and frustrating event takes place in the presence of a rational belief, then the outcome would be unhealthy.

Notably, this does not imply that healthy people do not experience displeasure in their lives, but REBT focuses on reducing the emotions to a minimum level. The last concept is REBT therapy. In respect to A-B-C theory of personality, REBT therapy has additionally incorporated process D, E and F. D represents disputing, where the therapist assists the client to challenge his or her irrational beliefs denoted by letter (B). The outcome of disputing the self-defeating belief and substituting it with a rational one results in effective philosophy E and a new set of feelings and emotions (F) which are not debilitating.

Goals of Therapy

The primary goal of REBT is to help individuals in reducing emotional disturbances, become more self-actualized and decrease self-defeating behaviors so that they can have a good life. Other goals include helping people to think more concretely and rationally, feel more appropriate and act effectively and efficiently in their goals of having a life full of happiness. People learn to cope with unhealthy and negative emotions including guilt, anxiety, and depression through the use of REBT philosophical concepts (Matweychuk et al, 2019). The philosophy associated with REBT is distinct from other cognitive therapies, thus making it more effective. Even though REBT assists individuals in eliminating and reducing disturbances, it is a teaching of philosophical change that helps people avoids disturbing themselves with overwhelmed irrational beliefs and other self-defeating thoughts. Hence, the A-B-C concept can assist clients in determining whether they are developing new symptoms or experiencing the previous ones. Notably, the global objective of REBT can apply to certain client's goals through the incorporation of A-B-C personality theory (Matweychuk et al, 2019).

Therapeutic Relationship

According to Peck & Whitlow (2019), the most appropriate way of developing a therapeutic relationship is to assist in finding a solution to the client's immediate problem. The client should be asked what he or she wishes to discuss, then activating events, irrational beliefs, and behavioral consequences should be identified. This will enable the client to feel that the therapist understands and responds to his or her feelings (Peck & Whitlow, 2019). Therefore, the therapist must also be in a position to identify and understand the fundamental philosophies that trigger client communication. Notably, in circumstances where the clients are not familiar with REBT, the therapist is often advised to introduce the purpose of the therapy to them to create a healthy relationship during the process. Moreover, when dealing with children, REBT therapist may conduct the process cautiously to develop a good relationship before the REBT technique.

Techniques of Therapy

REBT uses three major types of techniques that are aligned to the ABCs. Each of the REBT therapists might find a suitable combination that he or she can use on a client depending on the individual's symptoms and experience. First is the problem-solving technique, which assists in solving activating events (A). In most circumstances, it involves the incorporation of such skills like social, assertiveness, decision-making, problem-solving, and social resolution. Second is the cognitive restructuring technique which helps in changing the irrational belief (B) including humor and irony, looking events in a different perspective, disputing irrational thoughts and visualization (Ziegler, 2016). Lastly is the coping technique that helps in managing emotional consequences (C) of irrational thought. The techniques include;- hypnosis and relaxation. Notably, REBT also uses emotive, cognitive and behavioral techniques which are always used in client-therapist sessions

Applications of the Approaches

At the center of REBT is the application of A-B-C concept that helps in finding a solution to the client's problem. The A-B-C-D-E approach is therefore used in first and subsequent client-therapist sessions. The therapist explains the three aspects in addition to E and D where applicable. Therefore, these approaches can be applied in contemporary society especially in schools. For instance, rational emotive education would improve the emotional health of children since they will be taught how they can think rationally in schools (Ziegler, 2016). This would help them approach developmental and life-challenging situations in a healthier manner which in the long run will reduce self-defeating behaviors that they might be subjected to.

Contributions to and Limitation in Counselling

REBT primarily aims to solve mental problems through the use of specific techniques as cognitive and emotive, which target dysfunctional thought and behavioral problems. Therefore, it contribut...