Fundamentals of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (eBook)

Windy Dryden is Professor of Psychotherapeutic Studies, Goldsmiths, University of London. He is a Fellow of the British Psychological Society and of the British Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy. He began his training in REBT in 1977 and became the first Briton to be accredited as an REBT therapist by the Albert Ellis Institute. In 1981, Windy spent a six-month sabbatical at the Center for Cognitive Therapy, University of Pennsylvania, one of the first British psychologists to do an extended training in Cognitive Therapy. He is a Fellow of the Albert Ellis Institute and a Founding Fellow of the Academy of Cognitive Therapy. While his primary therapeutic orientation is REBT, Windy has been very much influenced by his cognitive therapy colleagues and by the working alliance theory of Ed Bordin. His research interests are in the historical and theoretical roots of REBT (with Arthur Still) and the phenomenology of hurt, the study of which is informed by REBT theory. Windy is perhaps the best known for his voluminous writings in REBT/CBT and the wider field of counselling and psychotherapy. To date he has authored or edited over 160 books, making him probably the most prolific book writer and editor currently alive in the field today. He has also edited 17 book series including the best selling 'Counselling in Action' series. Windy was the founding editor of the British Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy in 1982 which later merged with the Cognitive Behaviorist to become the Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly. Windy was co-founding editor of this journal with E. Thomas Dowd. In 2003, Windy became the editor of the Journal of Rational-Emotive and Cognitive-Behavior Therapy. Rhena Branch is an accredited CBT therapist. Rhena runs her own private practice in North London and also teaches on the Masters (MSc RECBT) at Goldsmith's University.

About the authors vii

Introduction 1

1 What you need to know about the theory of rational emotive behaviour therapy to get started 3

2 What you need to know about the practice of rational emotive behaviour therapy to get started 25

3 Teaching the 'ABCs' of REBT 45

4 Distinguishing between healthy and unhealthy negative emotions 61

5 Being specific in the assessment process 77

6 Assessing 'C' 79

7 Assessing the 'critical A' 87

8 Assessing irrational beliefs 91

9 Assessing meta-emotional problems 97

10 Goal-setting 103

11 Eliciting your client's commitment to change 119

12 Preparing your client and yourself for the disputing process 131

13 Disputing irrational beliefs: The three major arguments 135

14 Socratic and didactic disputing of irrational beliefs 145

15 Examples of Albert Ellis's disputing work 155

16 Helping your client to understand the rationality of his or her rational beliefs 161

17 Negotiating homework assignments 169

18 Reviewing homework assignments 193

19 Dealing with your clients' misconceptions of REBT theory and practice 205

Appendix I: Homework skills monitoring form 217

Appendix II: Possible reasons for not completing self-help assignments 221

Appendix III: Training in rational emotive behaviour therapy 223

References 225

Index 227