Psychotherapy using the Albert Ellis method. Ellis, Albert

Albert Ellis(b. 1913) - creator of the method of rational-emotive therapy (RET), began as an orthodox psychoanalyst, then studied under the guidance of K. Horney. In the 1950s A. Ellis formulated a number of provisions that formed the basis of a new direction in practical psychotherapy. One of these provisions is the statement of the ancient Roman Stoic Epictetus: “People are not disturbed by things, but by the way they see them.”

Main subject of analysis mental activity in RET - the study of ways of reasoning and action. Based on a rationalistic approach to the structure of individual consciousness, RET seeks to free the patient from existing stereotypes and clichés, and to provide a more free and unprejudiced view of the world.

In Albert Ellis's concept, a person is interpreted as “self-evaluating, self-supporting and self-speaking.” A person is born with a certain mental potential, which has two sides: rational (reflecting the desire for love and personal growth) and irrational, destructive (including destructive and self-blaming tendencies).

According to Albert Ellis's concept, source psychological disorders- a system of individual irrational ideas about the world, learned mainly in childhood from significant adults. Neurosis in particular is interpreted as “ irrational thinking and behavior." The core emotional disturbances, as a rule, self-accusation. An important concept in RET there is the concept of a trap - all those cognitive formations that create unreasonable (neurotic) anxiety, irritability, etc.

Within the framework of this area, groups of irrational judgments have been developed:
1) “Obliged.” I have to... he has to.
2) “Terrifying.” It would be terrible if...
3) “Should”, “Should”
4) “Deprecating.” He terrible person and should be punished...
5) “Generalizations”. She always..., all women....
6) "Shortcuts"

And Ellis proposed a multicomponent structure of behavioral acts of the individual, which he called with the first letters Latin alphabet(ABCDE theory). In this conceptual scheme, A is the activating event; B (belief) is the opinion about the event; C (consequence) - consequence (emotional or behavioral) of an event; D (dispatching) - subsequent reaction to an event (as a result of mental processing); E (effect) - the final value conclusion (constructive or destructive).

Analysis of the patient's behavior or self-analysis is carried out according to the scheme "event - perception - reaction - thinking - conclusion" and has a very high productivity and learning effect. In general psychological preconditions RET applications are as follows:
1) patient consent to use RET;
2) recognition by him personal responsibility for solving your problems;
3) acceptance of the idea that it is possible to eliminate these problems;
4) recognition of the fact that emotional problems stem from irrational ideas;
5) detection (awareness) of these ideas;
6) recognition of the usefulness of serious discussion of these ideas;
7) agreement to fight your illogical judgments.

The goals of psychotherapeutic assistance are assistance in revising the system of beliefs, norms and ideas, liberation from the idea of self-blame.

The position of a psychotherapist or psychologist is directive: he explains, convinces, he is an authority that refutes erroneous judgments, pointing out their inaccuracy, arbitrariness, etc.

The patient is assigned the role of a learner and his success is interpreted depending on his motivation and identification with the role of the learner. The patient goes through three levels of insight: superficial (awareness of the problem), in-depth (recognition of one’s own interpretations) and deep (at the level of motivation to change).

RET is characterized by a wide range of psychotherapeutic techniques, including those borrowed from other areas and united by a pronounced pragmatism:
- discussion and refutation of irrational views; -cognitive homework(self-analysis according to the LVSOE model
with restructuring of habitual verbal reactions and interpretations);
- rational-emotive imagination;
- role-playing game.
- attack on fear (homework, the meaning of which is to perform an action, usually fear-inducing or psychological difficulties in the patient).

Albert Ellis

Psychotraining using the Albert Ellis method

HOW IS THIS BOOK DIFFERENT FROM OTHER BOOKS?

Every year, readers are introduced to hundreds of new books published in the Self-Help series, many of which actually bring real benefit. Why write another one? Moreover, my book “ New way To intelligent life", co-written with Robert A. Harper, has already sold millions of copies? After all, it’s not just to complement “The Zone of Your Mistakes,” which is read by millions of people? Why then?

There are several good reasons for this. Despite the fact that rational-emotive therapy (RET), which I created in 1955, has now taken its rightful place in psychology and psychotherapists (as well as psychoanalysts) are increasingly including large fragments of my methods in their program of work with patients , - unfortunately, it is often used in a somewhat “diluted” form.

Apart from my own writings on RET, no book provides a clear statement of its essence. Those books in which such attempts are made are, as a rule, written in a way that is difficult for anyone to understand. wide range readers' language. This publication aims to fill this gap.

The book puts specific tasks. Moreover, they are solved - and this fundamentally distinguishes my book from others devoted to problems of mental and mental health.

This book encourages open expression strong feelings, overwhelming you in difficult moments of life. But at the same time, it makes a clear distinction between completely appropriate, natural feelings of concern, sadness, frustration, or irritation, and inappropriate, destructive feelings of panic, depression, rage, or self-pity.

This book will teach you to understand complex life situations and “stay in the saddle” in any circumstances. But the most important thing is that this book not only gives a feeling better life, but it can really change your life for the better, provided that you stop shaking your own nerves and burdening yourself with guilt.

This book will not only teach you how to control yourself and keep your emotions under control, not only will it show how you can stubbornly refuse to be unhappy in any (yes, yes, really any!) situation, but it will also explain in detail what exactly needs to be done to in order to gain control over yourself.

This book is based on scientific research thinking and real views for life. She completely rejects mysticism, religiosity and utopian concepts, which in our time are actively preached in many publications on the topic “Help yourself.”

This book will help you gain a new philosophical outlook on life instead of the naive one. positive thinking” in the Pollyanna style, which can only handle temporary difficulties and which will certainly fail you in the long run.

This book offers many methods for improving personality, which are not based on individual, sometimes anecdotal “cases from life”, but tested through strictly scientific research

This book will show you how you create problems for yourself. However, she will not force you to waste time and energy delving into your past, again and again mentally returning to your mistakes and mistakes. It will show how you still continue to needlessly spoil your mood and what at the moment what needs to be done to stop this.

This book will help you gain the courage to take responsibility for what happens to you, without blaming everything on your parents, those around you, and improper upbringing.

In this book, in a simple and accessible form outlines the basics of REBT (as well as other types of cognitive and behavioral-cognitive therapy). It clearly demonstrates that the direct fundamental influence on emotional consequences(C) are not at all activating events in your life (A), but rather your system of beliefs and ideas (B). You must gain the ability to challenge (D) your irrational beliefs (iBs) and change them. The book contains many emotive and behavioral techniques aimed at suppressing irrational ideas, changing the style of thinking and acquiring a new effective philosophy of life (E).

This book shows how you can, while maintaining your desires, aspirations, preferences, goals and value system, at the same time refuse excessive demands and commandments - all these categorical imperatives “must” or “must”, with which our desires and affections become overgrown, dooming us to useless torment.

This book will help you gain independence and inner freedom, will show you how to think for yourself without being influenced by the way of thinking that others impose on you.

This book contains a lot of useful RET exercises that will help you rethink! and rebuild your life.

This book will tell you how to become intelligent in our unreasonable world; how to become happy in the most difficult and “unbearable” conditions - as much as you want. It will convince us that a person is capable of refusing to become unhappy even in extremely sad situations - in poverty, under the threat of terror, in illness or in war; it persistently proves that a person is capable of changing in his favor not only the most difficult situations, but also to a certain extent the whole world.

This book will help you recognize the roots of perverted thinking inherent in fanaticism, intolerance, dogmatism, tyranny, despotism, and teach you how to deal with such manifestations of neurosis.

The book offers a wide range of techniques aimed at taming such strong and destructive emotions as anxiety, depression, hostility, contempt or self-pity. IN to a greater extent More than any other psychotherapeutic school, RET is an eclectic school. At the same time she is highest degree is selective and does everything possible to eliminate dangerous and ineffective methods of psychotherapy from her practice.

RET is a school of practice. RET quickly and effectively gets to the very core of the disorder and tells you what you need to do to help yourself as quickly as possible.

This book will teach you how to become an honest hedonist and individualist - that is, how to take care of yourself first, while at the same time interacting successfully and kindly with others. It will help us not only preserve, but even highlight your personal goals and ideals, while remaining a full-fledged citizen of your country.

The book is simple and - I hope - extremely understandable, but far from primitive. Her wisdom, drawn from the most worthy philosophers and psychologists, is practical in everyday life and at the same time very deep.

This book is a collection therapeutic techniques, developed on the basis of the fastest growing modern trends therapies - rational-emotive and cognitive-behavioral, which are now widespread due to the benefits they have brought and continue to bring to millions of patients and thousands of therapists. The book includes all the best that is contained in self-medication techniques, on the basis of which these types of therapy were developed, in a form adapted for a wide range of readers - that is, this book is for YOU.

So, will this book really tell you how to learn to voluntarily refuse to be unhappy in any situation? Any? Really? Is it true? Jokes aside? Yes, this is actually true - if you sincerely listen (LISTEN) and work (WORK), perceiving and practicing the acquired knowledge.

Will you listen?

Will you be working?

Will you THINK?

Albert Ellis's recipe for happiness

“The best years of your life are when you decide

that your problems belong to you.

You don't blame them on your mother, the environment, or the president.

You realize that you control your own destiny."

A. Ellis.

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) was created by Albert Ellis in 1955. This long name expresses the main idea of REBT: a person’s behavior and feelings are not determined by external events(environmental stimuli) directly, but by his irrational beliefs about these events. Correcting these beliefs leads to a change not only in his painful emotions, but also in the entire system of (neurotic) behavior.

“Neurosis is the stupid behavior of a smart person,” says the aphorism of the REBT master. In order to change it, the therapeutic means that people usually rely on (empathy, acceptance) are few. Love doesn't always heal, and it doesn't always cure... “The trouble with most therapies,” Ellis notes in this regard, “is that they make you feel better. However, your affairs are not going any better.” It is necessary to teach a person to think differently: rationally, flexibly, and also teach him to apply new style thinking in your daily life.

The main idea of REBT, long before A. Ellis, was formulated by Epictetus (Έπίκτητος, 50 - 138), an ancient Greek Stoic philosopher: “People are upset not by events, but by how they perceive them.” Epictetus preached the ideas of Stoicism; he believed that the main task of philosophy is to teach people to distinguish between what is within our power to do and what is not. We are not subject to everything that is outside of us, bodily, outside world. It is not these things themselves, but only our ideas about them that make us happy or unhappy; but our thoughts, aspirations, and therefore our happiness are subject to us.

Model "ABC"

The ABC model is the core of REBT theory and is the real ABC of help in overcoming thoughts, feelings and actions that are harmful to mental health. It describes not only the process of the emergence of erroneous emotions and human behavior, but also how their causes can be eliminated.

“A” (activators, English activating events) are any current events or thoughts, behavior in connection with these events, and possibly memories or thoughts about past experiences. But the “A”s themselves are only activators. All problems arise because each person brings something of his own to “A”: his beliefs, goals, physiological predisposition, attitudes, views - “B” (English beliefs).

And already “B” leads to precisely this and not another “C” - consequences. If rational views lead to productive behavior, then irrational views lead to self-destruction and irrational behavior.

It is for this reason that all our psychological problems arise.

Revolution in psychotherapy

A person’s behavior and feelings are in no way determined directly by external events (environmental stimuli). Man is a speaking animal, which means that all his behavioral reactions are mediated by artificial stimuli, or speech (i.e., our behavior and feelings are regulated by verbal instructions). At first, we receive such instructions from parents and teachers: “Study well! If you study poorly, you will not achieve success in life!”, “Don’t be a coward! A real man not afraid of anything!” Later, these verbal instructions are internalized and gradually cease to be realized, turning into “the ultimate truth.” Life, the people around us and ourselves should be the way we want them to be:

“The director should appreciate me.”

“There should be no sorrow and disappointment in my life.”

"Children should take care of their parents."

“I must succeed in everything I do.”

“Many people behave like children all their lives,” said A. Ellis: they perceive their desires as vital needs, they are convinced that they must achieve success in all endeavors, that others must treat them fairly, and their living conditions must be comfortable. And when their dogmatic demands are not met - and this happens all the time - they feel unhappy.

The main goal of REBT is to identify and correct irrational beliefs, which entails a change in both emotions and behavior. “Almost all psychologists and psychiatrists hated me. They thought I was shallow and slow-witted. And all because I stated that therapy does not have to last for years...” A. Ellis.

REBT in action

Author of rational emotive behavior therapy, an approach to psychotherapy that considers negative emotions and dysfunctional behavioral reactions as appearing not as a result of experience in itself, but as a result of the interpretation of this experience, that is, as a result of incorrect cognitive attitudes - irrational beliefs (English “irrational beliefs” - see ABC Model (psychotherapy)). He was also known as a sexologist and one of the ideologists of the sexual revolution.

Founded and served as president of The Albert Ellis Institute.

In 1982, he was recognized as the second most influential psychotherapist in the world, after Carl Rogers (Sigmund Freud was named third); in 1993 - the first (Ellis, Rogers, Beck). He deservedly shares the laurels of pioneers of the cognitive approach with A. Beck.

Biography

Albert Ellis grew up as the eldest child of a Jewish family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where his parents emigrated from Russia in 1910. His parents moved to New York and divorced when the boy was 12 years old. All later life Ellis is connected to this city. He graduated from the city university (bachelor's degree in business) and after graduation tried for some time to engage in business and literary work, but soon became interested in psychology. At the end of the 30s. He entered the department of clinical psychology at Columbia University (Master's degree in 1943), defended his dissertation (Ph.D., 1946) and received additional psychoanalytic training at the Karen Horney Institute. Ellis was significantly influenced by Karen Horney, as well as Alfred Adler, Erich Fromm and Harry Sullivan, but by the mid-1950s he became disillusioned with psychoanalysis and began developing his own approach. In 1955, this approach was called rational therapy.

Ellis founded and until recently headed the Albert Ellis Institute in New York, until the organization's board removed him from his position. Albert Ellis, despite being completely deaf, continued active work regardless. On January 30, 2006, a New York court decided that his removal from office was illegal.

Scientific and practical activities

Albert Ellis devoted most of his life to psychotherapeutic practice and counseling: first as a layman, then as a psychoanalyst. Later, he became disillusioned with psychoanalysis and published the article “Telepathy and psychoanalysis: a critique of recent findings,” containing critical remarks about anti-scientific mysticism and occultism in psychological literature.

In the 1950s and 60s, Ellis created the foundations of rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) and its central model of the occurrence of emotional disorders - the ABC Model. Throughout the rest of his life, the scientist developed this new direction of psychotherapy, focusing on special attention experimental verification of the truth of the basic principles of the theory and the effectiveness of the therapeutic methods used.

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) (formerly “RT” and “REBT”) is a “theoretically consistent eclecticism” of various psychothereutical techniques: cognitive, emotional and behavioral. A distinctive feature of REBT is the division of all emotions experienced by a person into rational (productive) and irrational (unproductive, destructive, dysfunctional), the cause of which is irrational beliefs (sometimes “irrational beliefs”, English “irrational beliefs”).

Since Ellis began his journey as a psychotherapist as a psychoanalyst, it is not surprising that his views were influenced strong influence ideas of psychoanalysts such as Karen Horney and Alfred Adler. However, Ellis subsequently disagreed with psychoanalysis, and as a result, according to authors and proponents, REBT is a humanistic form of therapy, which results in one of the main therapeutic principles of REBT - unconditional acceptance(“unconditional positive regard” in the terminology of K. Rogers) by the therapist of the client as an individual while maintaining a critical attitude towards his negative actions.

Moreover, when describing the relationship of a REBT therapist to a client, Ellis puts Rogers' entire triad first. In addition, the list includes humor (only where it is appropriate; humor as an ironic and cheerful attitude towards life, but not jokes about the client’s personality, feelings, thoughts and actions), informality (but not entertainment in psychotherapy sessions that are held outside the client’s money), careful expression of immense warmth towards the client (excessive emotional empathy is also harmful). Ellis defined the role of the REBT therapist as an authoritative and inspiring teacher who strives to teach his clients how to be their own therapist after formal sessions have ended.

Fairness of the main theoretical provisions and the therapeutic effectiveness of REBT is confirmed by many experimental studies.

REBT is divided into general REBT (aimed at teaching clients rational behavior in problem areas) and preferred REBT (teaching clients self-help using REBT techniques).

ABC model

The ABC (sometimes “A-B-C”) model of the emergence of mental disorders states that dysfunctional emotions, denoted by the letter “C” (“consequences”, English consequences), do not arise under the influence of “activating events” (sometimes called “activators” letter “A” ", English activating events), and under the influence of irrational beliefs (sometimes - “beliefs”, letter “B”, English beliefs), formulated in the form of absolutist demands or “shoulds” (English demands).

The key to positive changes in the model is the discovery, analysis and active challenge of irrational beliefs (corresponding to stage “D” in the extended ABCDE model - disputation) followed by consolidation of the results (“E”, end result). To achieve this, clients are trained to notice and differentiate dysfunctional emotions and look for their cognitive causes.

Psychological health and its criteria for REBT

For psychological healthy person characterized by a philosophy of relativism, “wishes”;

Rational derivatives of this philosophy (rational because they usually help people achieve their goals or form new ones if previous goals cannot be achieved) are:

assessment - determining the unpleasantness of an event (instead of dramatization);
tolerance - I recognize that an unpleasant event has occurred, evaluate its unpleasantness and try to change it or, if it is impossible to change, accept the situation and pursue other goals (instead of “I won’t survive this”);
acceptance - I accept that people are imperfect and do not have to behave differently than they do now, I accept that people are too complex and changeable to be given a global categorical assessment, and I accept living conditions as they are eat (instead of condemning);

Thus, the main criteria psychological health person:

Respect for your own interests.
Social interest.
Self-government.
High tolerance to frustration.
Flexibility.
Acceptance of uncertainty.
Dedication to creative pursuits.
Scientific thinking.
Self-acceptance.
Riskiness.
Delayed hedonism.
Dystopianism.
Responsibility for your emotional disorders.

Awards and prizes

1971 - Humanist of the Year Award from the American Humanist Association.
1985 - Award from the American Psychological Association "for outstanding professional contributions to applied research."
1988 - American Counseling Association Award for Professional Achievement.
1996 and 2005 - awards from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.

Religious and philosophical views

Albert Ellis adhered to agnosticism in his religious beliefs, arguing that God “probably does not exist,” but without denying the possibility of his existence. In the book “Sex Without Guilt” (Ellis A. Sex Without Guilt. - NY: Hillman, 1958), the scientist expressed the opinion that religious dogmas that impose restrictions on the expression of sexual experiences often have a negative impact on mental health people.

Basic philosophical views Ellis fit into the framework of the concepts of humanism and stoicism. In his books and interviews, the scientist often quoted his favorite philosophers: Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus and others.

Literature

In Russian

Ellis A., Dryden W. The practice of rational-emotional behavior therapy. - St. Petersburg: Rech, 2002. - 352 pp. - ISBN 5-9268-0120-6
Ellis A., McLaren K. Rational-emotional behavioral therapy. - RnD.: Phoenix, 2008. - 160 pp. - ISBN 978-5-222-14121-2
Ellis A. Humanistic psychotherapy: A rational-emotional approach. / Per. from English - St. Petersburg: Owl; M.: EKSMO-Press, 2002. - 272 p. (Series “Stages of Psychotherapy”). ISBN 5-04-010213-5
Ellis A., Conway R. Who does a woman want? Practical guide on erotic seduction. - M.: Tsentrpoligraf, 2004. - 176 pp. - ISBN 5-9524-1051-0
Ellis A., Lange A. Don’t put pressure on my psyche! - St. Petersburg: Peter Press, 1997. - 224 p. - (Series “Your own psychologist”). ISBN 5-88782-226-0
Ellis A. Psychotraining according to the method of Albert Ellis. - St. Petersburg: Peter Kom, 1999. - 288 p. - (Series “Your own psychologist”). ISBN 5-314-00048-2
Kassinov G. Rational-emotional-behavioral therapy as a method of treating emotional disorders // Psychotherapy: From theory to practice. Materials of the 1st Congress of the Russian Psychotherapeutic Association. - St. Petersburg: ed. Psychoneurological Institute named after. V. M. Bekhtereva, 1995. - P. 88-98.
Where is the evidence? Albert Ellis: a revolution in psychotherapy // “Common Sense” 2008, No. 1 (46)
McMullin R. Workshop on cognitive therapy = The New Handbook on Cognitive Therapy Techniques. - St. Petersburg: Rech, 2001. - 560 p. - 5000 copies. - ISBN 5-9268-0036-6.

In English

Sex and the Single Man; Lyle Stuart, Inc. 1963 - 63-13723
Homosexuality: Its causes and Cures; Lyle Stuart. 1965
A Guide to Rational Living; Wilshire Book Company. 1975 - ISBN 0-87980-042-9
How to Live With a Neurotic; Wilshire Book Company. 1979 - ISBN 0-87980-404-1
When AA Doesn't Work For You: Rational Steps to Quitting Alcohol; Barricade Books. 1992 - ISBN 0-942637-53-4
The Art and Science of Rational Eating; with Mike Abrams Ph.D. and Lidia Abrams Ph.D.; Barricade Books. 1992 - ISBN 0-942637-60-7
How to Cope with a Fatal Illness; with Mike Abrams Ph.D.; Barricade Books. 1994 - ISBN 1-56980-005-7
How to Keep People from Pushing Your Buttons; with Arthur Lange. Citadel Press. 1995 - ISBN 0-8065-1670-4
Alcohol: How to Give It Up and Be Glad You Did; with Philip Tate Ph.D. See Sharp Press. 1996 - ISBN 1-884365-10-8
How to Control Your Anger Before It Controls You; with Raymond Chip Tafrate. Citadel Press. 1998 - ISBN 0-8065-2010-8
The Secret of Overcoming Verbal Abuse: Getting Off the Emotional Roller Coaster and Regaining Control of Your Life; with Marcia Grad Powers. Wilshire Book Company. 2000 - ISBN 0-87980-445-9
Overcoming Destructive Beliefs, Feelings, and Behaviors: New Directions for Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy; Prometheus Books. 2001 - ISBN 1-57392-879-8
Overcoming Procrastination: Or How to Think and Act Rationally in Spite of Life's Inevitable Hassles; with William J. Knaus.Feeling Better, Getting Better, Staying Better: Profound Self-Help Therapy For Your Emotions; Impact Publishers. 2001 - ISBN 1-886230-35-8
The Road to Tolerance: The Philosophy of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy; Prometheus Books. 2004 - ISBN 1-59102-237-1
The Myth of Self-Esteem; Prometheus Books. 2005 - ISBN 1-59102-354-8

Author of rational emotive behavior therapy, an approach to psychotherapy that views negative emotions and dysfunctional behavioral reactions as arising not as a result of experience in itself, but as a result of the interpretation of this experience, that is, as a result of incorrect cognitive attitudes - irrational beliefs (eng. "irrational beliefs" - see ABC Model (psychotherapy)). He was also known as a sexologist and one of the ideologists of the sexual revolution.

Founded and served as president of The Albert Ellis Institute.

Biography

Albert Ellis grew up as the eldest child of a Jewish family in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, where his parents emigrated from Russia in 1910. His parents moved to New York and divorced when the boy was 12 years old. Ellis's entire future life is connected with this city. He graduated from the city university (bachelor's degree in business) and after graduation tried for some time to engage in business and literary work, but soon became interested in psychology. At the end of the 30s. He entered the department of clinical psychology at Columbia University (Master's degree in 1943), defended his dissertation (Ph.D., 1946) and received additional psychoanalytic training at the Karen Horney Institute. Ellis was significantly influenced by Karen Horney, as well as Alfred Adler, Erich Fromm and Harry Sullivan, but by the mid-1950s he became disillusioned with psychoanalysis and began developing his own approach. In 1955, this approach was called rational therapy.

Ellis founded and until recently headed the Albert Ellis Institute in New York, until the organization's board removed him from his position. Albert Ellis, despite being completely deaf, continued to actively work independently. On January 30, 2006, a New York court decided that his removal from office was illegal.

Scientific and practical activities

In the 1950s and 60s, Ellis created the foundations of rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) and its central model of the occurrence of emotional disorders - the ABC Model. Throughout the rest of his life, the scientist develops this new direction of psychotherapy, paying special attention to the experimental verification of the truth of the basic principles of the theory and the effectiveness of the therapeutic methods used.

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)

Since Ellis began his journey as a psychotherapist as a psychoanalyst, it is not surprising that his views were strongly influenced by the ideas of psychoanalysts such as Karen Horney and Alfred Adler. However, Ellis subsequently disagreed with psychoanalysis, and as a result, according to authors and supporters, REBT is a humanistic form of therapy, a consequence of which is one of the main therapeutic principles of REBT - unconditional acceptance (“unconditional positive regard” in the terminology of C. Rogers) by the therapist the client as an individual while maintaining a critical attitude towards his negative actions.

The validity of the basic theoretical principles and the therapeutic effectiveness of REBT are confirmed by many experimental studies.

REBT is divided into general REBT (aimed at teaching clients rational behavior in problem areas) and preferred REBT (teaching clients self-help using REBT techniques).

ABC model

Psychological health and its criteria for REBT

A psychologically healthy person is characterized by a philosophy of relativism, “wishes”;

Rational derivatives of this philosophy (rational because they usually help people achieve their goals or form new ones if previous goals cannot be achieved) are:

assessment - determining the unpleasantness of an event (instead of dramatization);
tolerance - I recognize that an unpleasant event has occurred, evaluate its unpleasantness and try to change it or, if it is impossible to change, accept the situation and pursue other goals (instead of “I won’t survive this”);
acceptance - I accept that people are imperfect and do not have to behave differently than they do now, I accept that people are too complex and changeable to be given a global categorical assessment, and I accept living conditions as they are eat (instead of condemning);

Thus, the main criteria for human psychological health are:

Respect for your own interests.
Social interest.
Self-government.
High tolerance to frustration.
Flexibility.
Acceptance of uncertainty.
Dedication to creative pursuits.
Scientific thinking.
Self-acceptance.
Riskiness.
Delayed hedonism.
Dystopianism.
Responsibility for your emotional disorders.

Awards and prizes

1971 - Humanist of the Year Award from the American Humanist Association.
1985 - Award from the American Psychological Association "for outstanding professional contributions to applied research."
1988 - American Counseling Association Award for Professional Achievement.
1996 and 2005 - awards from the Association for Behavioral and Cognitive Therapies.

Religious and philosophical views

Ellis's basic philosophical views fit within the framework of the concepts of humanism and stoicism. In his books and interviews, the scientist often quoted his favorite philosophers: Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus and others.

Literature

In Russian

Ellis A., Dryden W. The practice of rational-emotional behavior therapy. - St. Petersburg: Rech, 2002. - 352 pp. - ISBN 5-9268-0120-6
Ellis A., McLaren K. Rational-emotional behavioral therapy. - RnD.: Phoenix, 2008. - 160 pp. - ISBN 978-5-222-14121-2
Ellis A. Humanistic psychotherapy: A rational-emotional approach. / Per. from English - St. Petersburg: Owl; M.: EKSMO-Press, 2002. - 272 p. (Series “Stages of Psychotherapy”). ISBN 5-04-010213-5
Ellis A., Conway R. Who does a woman want? A practical guide to erotic seduction. - M.: Tsentrpoligraf, 2004. - 176 pp. - ISBN 5-9524-1051-0
Ellis A., Lange A. Don’t put pressure on my psyche! - St. Petersburg: Peter Press, 1997. - 224 p. - (Series “Your own psychologist”). ISBN 5-88782-226-0
Ellis A. Psychotraining according to the method of Albert Ellis. - St. Petersburg: Peter Kom, 1999. - 288 p. - (Series “Your own psychologist”). ISBN 5-314-00048-2
Kassinov G. Rational-emotional-behavioral therapy as a method of treating emotional disorders // Psychotherapy: From theory to practice. Materials of the 1st Congress of the Russian Psychotherapeutic Association. - St. Petersburg: ed. Psychoneurological Institute named after. V. M. Bekhtereva, 1995. - P. 88-98.
Where is the evidence? Albert Ellis: a revolution in psychotherapy // “Common Sense” 2008, No. 1 (46)
McMullin R. Workshop on cognitive therapy = The New Handbook on Cognitive Therapy Techniques. - St. Petersburg: Rech, 2001. - 560 p. - 5000 copies. - ISBN 5-9268-0036-6.

In English

Sex and the Single Man; Lyle Stuart, Inc. 1963 - 63-13723
Homosexuality: Its causes and Cures; Lyle Stuart. 1965
A Guide to Rational Living; Wilshire Book Company. 1975 - ISBN 0-87980-042-9
How to Live With a Neurotic; Wilshire Book Company. 1979 - ISBN 0-87980-404-1
When AA Doesn't Work For You: Rational Steps to Quitting Alcohol; Barricade Books. 1992 - ISBN 0-942637-53-4
The Art and Science of Rational Eating; with Mike Abrams Ph.D. and Lidia Abrams Ph.D.; Barricade Books. 1992 - ISBN 0-942637-60-7
How to Cope with a Fatal Illness; with Mike Abrams Ph.D.; Barricade Books. 1994 - ISBN 1-56980-005-7
How to Keep People from Pushing Your Buttons; with Arthur Lange. Citadel Press. 1995 - ISBN 0-8065-1670-4
Alcohol: How to Give It Up and Be Glad You Did; with Philip Tate Ph.D. See Sharp Press. 1996 - ISBN 1-884365-10-8
How to Control Your Anger Before It Controls You; with Raymond Chip Tafrate. Citadel Press. 1998 - ISBN 0-8065-2010-8
The Secret of Overcoming Verbal Abuse: Getting Off the Emotional Roller Coaster and Regaining Control of Your Life; with Marcia Grad Powers. Wilshire Book Company. 2000 - ISBN 0-87980-445-9
Overcoming Destructive Beliefs, Feelings, and Behaviors: New Directions for Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy; Prometheus Books. 2001 - ISBN 1-57392-879-8
Overcoming Procrastination: Or How to Think and Act Rationally in Spite of Life's Inevitable Hassles; with William J. Knaus.Feeling Better, Getting Better, Staying Better: Profound Self-Help Therapy For Your Emotions; Impact Publishers. 2001 - ISBN 1-886230-35-8
The Road to Tolerance: The Philosophy of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy; Prometheus Books. 2004 - ISBN 1-59102-237-1
The Myth of Self-Esteem; Prometheus Books. 2005 - ISBN 1-59102-354-8