Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) is a pioneering, action-oriented form of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) developed by psychologist Albert Ellis in the 1950s. At its core, REBT is based on the idea that emotional distress and maladaptive behaviours are primarily caused not by external events themselves, but by our irrational beliefs and interpretations of those events.
REBT aims to help individuals identify, challenge, and replace irrational beliefs with more realistic, flexible, and rational ones, leading to healthier emotions and behaviours. The therapy centers around the ABC model, which illustrates this process:
- A – Activating Event: Something happens in your environment that triggers a response.
- B – Belief: The thoughts and beliefs (often irrational) about the event.
- C – Consequence: The emotional and behavioural outcomes that result from those beliefs.
For example, a person who does not receive a response to a message may irrationally believe, “They must not like me; I’ll always be alone” (B), leading to feelings of anxiety or depression (C). REBT works to dismantle such irrational beliefs and replace them, for instance, with, “Maybe they’re busy; one unanswered message does not define my worth.”
Key principles of REBT include:
- Understanding that thoughts, emotions, and behaviours are interconnected.
- Teaching that irrational, rigid beliefs (“I must succeed,” “Others should,” “Life ought to…”) are the source of much emotional suffering.
- Promoting unconditional self-acceptance, unconditional other-acceptance, and unconditional life-acceptance (USA, UOA, ULA), regardless of circumstances or mistakes.
REBT is particularly valuable for those dealing with anxiety, depression, anger, guilt, shame, perfectionism, and relationship or performance issues. The therapy is active, directive, and pragmatic, focusing on present thoughts and behaviours to produce meaningful, lasting change.
Albert Ellis: The Leading Theorist and His Relationship to REBT
Albert Ellis (1913–2007) was an American psychologist and one of the most influential figures in modern psychotherapy. Dissatisfied with the slower pace and interpretative nature of psychoanalysis—which he originally practiced—Ellis developed REBT as a more practical and empirically grounded approach to psychological well-being.
Driven by the insight that patients’ suffering was more often rooted in dysfunctional thinking rather than external circumstances, Ellis began systematically teaching clients how to recognize, dispute, and replace their irrational beliefs. His approach was revolutionary in that it placed the responsibility for emotion and behaviour squarely on the individual’s beliefs, empowering clients to take control of their internal narratives and emotional responses.
Ellis’s impact extends far beyond the therapy room. His work provided the foundational principles for the broader family of cognitive-behavioural therapies (CBT)—including Aaron T. Beck’s cognitive therapy—transforming how psychological disorders are understood and treated worldwide. Over his career, Ellis published more than 75 books and authored hundreds of articles, becoming known for his direct style, wit, and unwavering commitment to helping people confront their self-defeating beliefs.
He famously stated:
“The best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny.”
Ellis’s legacy lives on in the tens of thousands of clinicians and millions of clients who continue to benefit from the clear, rational, and compassionate principles of REBT.
