Introduction

In this paper we will describe what the theory REBT (Rational Emotive Behavior
Therapy), what is his history, the influences, relationships with other theories (as
proposed by Beck), what has been its impact on psychology, which are the mechanisms
uses, what are the disorder in which this is applicable s, etc.
Later will discuss the specific application that has this therapy in depression, what are
its effects and benefits if using this facilitates the improvement and as it does.
To finish, we will make a critical analysis of this therapy paying attention to the pros
and disadvantages of this, with an emphasis on depression.
History
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is both a psychotherapeutic system of
theory and practices and a school of thought established by Albert Ellis. Originally
called rational therapy, its appellation was revised to rational emotive therapy in 1959,
then to its current appellation in 1992. REBT was one of the first of the cognitive
behavior therapies, as it was predicated in articles Ellis first published in 1956, nearly a
decade before Aaron Beck first set forth his cognitive therapy. Precursors of certain
fundamental aspects of REBT have been identified in various ancient philosophical
traditions, particularly Stoicism. For example, Ellis first major publication on rational
therapy describes the philosophical basis of REBT as the principle that a person is rarely
affected emotionally by outside things but rather by his perceptions, attitudes, or
internalized sentences about outside things and events.1
Principles of REBT
Men are disturbed not by things, but by the view which they take of them
Epictetus
One of the fundamental premises of REBT is that humans, in most cases, do not
merely get upset by unfortunate adversities, but also by how they construct their views
of reality through their language, evaluative beliefs, meanings and philosophies about
the world, themselves and others
In REBT, clients usually learn and begin to apply this premise by learning the A-BC-model of psychological disturbance and change. The A-B-C model states that it
normally is not merely an A, adversity (or activating event) that contributes to disturbed
and dysfunctional emotional and behavioral Cs, consequences, but also what people B,
believe about the A, adversity. A, adversity can be either an external situation or a
thought or other kind of internal event, and it can refer to an event in the past, present,
or future.2

1 Ellis, A. (1957). Rational psychotherapy and individual psychology. Journal

of Individual Psychology, 13, 3844.

The very first step in the

process
is to identify the irrational
thoughts, feelings, and beliefs that
lead to psychological distress. In
many cases, these irrational beliefs
are reflected as absolutes, as
in I must, I should, or I
cannot. According to Ellis,
some of the most common irrational
beliefs include:
Feeling excessively upset over other
peoples
mistakes or misconduct; believing that
you must be 100 percent
competent and successful in everything to be valued and worthwhile; believing that you
will be happier if you avoid lifes difficulties or challenges; feeling that you have no
control over your own happiness; that your contentment and joy are dependent upon
external forces3.
Once these underlying feelings have been identified, the next step is to challenge
these mistaken beliefs. In order to do this, the therapist must dispute these beliefs using
very direct and even confrontational methods. Ellis suggested that rather than simply
being warm and supportive, the therapist needs to be blunt, honest, and logical in order
to push people toward changing their thoughts and behaviors, REBT employs a wide
array of forceful and active, meaning multimodal and disputing, methodologies. Central
through these methods and techniques is the intent to help the client challenge, dispute
and question their destructive and self-defeating cognitions, emotions and behaviors.
The methods and techniques incorporate cognitive-philosophic, emotive-evocativedramatic, and behavioral methods for disputation of the clients irrational and selfdefeating constructs and helps the client come up with more rational and selfconstructive ones.4
Depression and REBT
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is a medical illness that affects how you feel,
think and behave causing persistent feelings of sadness and loss of interest in previously
enjoyed activities. Depression can lead to a variety of emotional and physical problems.
It is a chronic illness that usually requires long-term treatment.5

2 Dryden W., & Neenan M. (2003). Essential Rational Emotive Behaviour

Therapy. Wiley.
3 http://psychology.about.com/od/typesofpsychotherapy/a/rational-emotivebehavior-therapy.htm
4 Toro, R. (2014). Ellis y el Constructivismo: una perspectiva crtica sobre la
Terapia Racional Emotivo Conductual. Tesis Psicolgica, 9(1), 204-213.

There are many studies using REBT to treat their patients with depression678, it is
noteworthy that REBT not applied in a unique way, there are various methods of doing,
for example, in groups9, with AIDS patients10, etc. Consequently, we are going to do a
general guide and after focus on a particular study, in this case we are going to center in
women with postpartum depression11.
Frist we are going to talk about REBT clinical model for the evaluation and
treatment of depression. Is based on three pillars of analysis: The self-blame; The selfcompassion; The compassion for others. In the self-blame we found affirmations like: 1I have failed or accidentally wounded another; 2- I should be perfect and do bad things;
3- As a result I am a bad person and I deserve punishment. In the self-compassion we
found affirmation like: 1- They have prevented me make my own way; 2- Should I get
what I want; 3- It would be terrible not succeeded. At the compassion for other we
found affirmations like: 1- Someone has suffered a serious disgrace; 2- The bad things
should not happen to people who do not deserve; 3- The world is a horrible place for
such things happen. For each of these we propose a different intervention. In the selfblame we propose: 1. Separate the assessment made by the account of valuation that
makes the person; 2. Guilt does not help you better change your mind; 3. No selfincrimination does not mean not taking responsibility; 4. People with a tendency to selfincrimination can be considered quite smug. In the self-compassion we propose: 1.
Nothing can be worse than the 100% wrong; 2. Things could almost always be worse; 3.
5 The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM5;
AmericanPsychiatric Association [APA], 2013);
http://www.dsm5.org/Documents/Bereavement%20Exclusion%20Fact%20Sheet.pdf;

6 Ramrez, L. Y. A. (2013). Principios y valores prototpicos de la depresin en

mujeres. Revista Iberoamericana de Psicologa: Ciencia y Tecnologa, 6(1).
7 Toro, R. (2014). Ellis y el Constructivismo: una perspectiva crtica sobre la
Terapia Racional Emotivo Conductual. Tesis Psicolgica, 9(1), 204-213.
8 Nassar Pinzn, C. M., Vargas Castro, S., Prez, M., Liseth, K., & Padilla, M.
(2012). La terapia cognitivo conductual en el manejo de pacientes
oncolgicos.
9 Tristn, S. V. L., & RANGEL, A. (2009). Psicoterapia cognitivo conductual de
grupo manualizada como una alternativa de intervencin con adultos
mayores. Revista Intercontinental de Psicologa y Educacin, 11(2), 155-189.
10 Guzmn, J. A. C., & Bez, L. M. E. Distorsiones Cognitivas en Personas
que Viven con VIH1. VOLUMEN 5, 49.
11Luis Avila (2011) Tesis de La Trec en Depresion - Bordolla Gonzalez Delia.
Volumen 24, ep5

Implicit Meanings: Future bleak. You cannot handle. Its worse than it should. 4. The
catastrophism worse situations. At the compassion for others propose: 1. Dramatize
other conditions leads to depression; 2. Compromises their ability to solve problems; 3.
you becomes a bad model.12
In the specific study we found a series of steps and guidelines are proposed to
implement of therapy. Their objectives are is to help the patient move from a global
cognitive style and impressionistic style to a more systematic cognitive thinking and
analytical thinking, focused on specific problems, the second objective is the stage and
dramatic change patient behavior. After they propose a series of specific interventions:
1- Therapy begins, and remains so throughout its course, dividing the session into two
parts: A less structured, where the patient relates how he was during the week, using his
usual style of cognition, and another dedicated to specific objectives; 2- The specific
objectives are sought with the patient using specific questions, seeking details that
reduce the expression and painful story and conscious; 3-Other work involves the
realization record and define the specific automatic thoughts the specific problem treaty,
whatever it may be; 4-You can use the dramatic, but strong and objective, style of the
patient, eg outsourcing voices, where the therapist speaks as automatic thoughts and
patient as rational responses, or the gestalt method of the two chair where one represents
dysfunctional cognitions and other functional; 5-Behavioral experiments are also very
useful, for example inducing sickness role -playing / psychodrama and collecting /
questioning automatic thoughts; 6- The handling of personal assumptions, catastrophism
for lack of support and incompetence without support, is a dual task: to tasks fantasize
that this happens and goes ahead, and with gradual behavioral / personal experiments
that cause small rejections and their actual effect is found; 7-Couples therapy or group
can be complementary to individual treatment. Also proposed therapeutic relationship
management: 1- It is usual that the patient divage in sessions on various topics. The
therapist avoids power struggle over this issue, using questions about the balance of
advantages-disadvantages of this approach, and shifting responsibility to the patient
uses his time as therapy; 2-Another relevant aspect in the management of global and
painful cognition is the introduction of problem-solving approach in therapy and
behavioral skills; 3-The problems of the therapeutic relationship are handled the same,
detecting cognitions to the base, the advantages-disadvantages of manipulative behavior
and checkout, and personal / behavioral experiment alternatives; 4- The depressed
patient is often not aware of their true desires-objectives to be centered in the inner pain,
so the therapist will help you become aware of them starting with the register of specific
things that please-dislikes, and later assertiveness training him. Finally, the study ends
with a series of conclusions: 1. The REBT has been effective in most cases (85%, of
12 Cabrera Cabrera, J. S., & Cabrera Cabrera, J. S. (2012). La Ansiedad y
Depresin en los pacientes que sufren quemaduras y acuden a la Unidad de
Quemados y Ciruga reconstructiva del Hospital General Isidro Ayora.
Perodo Diciembre 2010Julio 2011 (Doctoral dissertation).

total 25 women); 2- the technical considerations may have been too rude; 3- The REBT
is demonstrated as an effective theory extrapolated to all types of depressions.

Critical analysis

The REBT has suffered a huge amount of criticism. Now let's review what we've
found.
One of the main criticisms made of REBT is that the therapist discretionary
powers to the patient. That is, the patient develops a critical own their own behavior,
rather, these are thoughts "injected" by the therapist. He is the one who decides what is
good or bad. On the other hand, talking about mental illness, it is logical that the
therapist shows this behavior, it is usually people that by itself cannot understand and
manage the world.13.
Another criticism is done is that REBT therapies forget the non-rational aspects
of human beings, and try to turn it into a cold and logical processor of information. But
of course, this review is somewhat innocuous, what is intended with a therapy to
overcome an illness or at least learn to endure it.14
The REBT therapy suggest that the cause of the behavior and emotions is
thought. Which is more or less reprehensible, but even so, it looks more like a
psychological philosophical position. Which downplays as psychology should be a
pragmatic science that oneiric.

13 Ferrer Botero, A. (2010). Las terapias cognitivas: mitos y aspectos

controvertidos. Revista de Psicologa Universidad de Antioquia, 2(1), 74-93.
14 Reyes, E. J. I., Prez, G. O., & de Jess Vargas, J. (2012). TERAPIA
RACIONAL EMOTIVA: UNA REVISION ACTUALIZADA DE LA INVESTIGACIN.
Revista Electrnica de Psicologa Iztacala, 15(4), 1454.