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TSR Wiki > Study Help > Subjects and Revision > Revision Notes > Psychology > Rational Emotive Theory

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Contents 1 Ellis (1962) 2 Therapy 3 Evaluation 4 Comments

Ellis (1962)

• Anxiety and depression occur as the end result of 3 point sequence (A-B-C model)*Illness not as a direct result of sequence
• Irrational thoughts cause illness
• Individual belief system at point 2 decides
• RET replaces irrational beliefs and thoughts with rational ones:
  • No more 'it's terrible; Just tough cookies!'
• Create a point D - a new way to dispute irrational beliefs

Therapy

• Make patient aware of self-defeating nature of beliefs
• question these beliefs
• Why..?
• Does it matter..?
• Replace them with realistic and rational beliefs
• Believe in them

Evaluation

• Ellis found some support
• More argumentative than Humanism
• Good with people who have irrational guilt
• Good for anxiety & depression
• Bad for psychosis

Comments