Ellis's cognitive therapy. The ABC of rational thinking. The Gospel of Albert Ellis

Formulated a number of provisions that are actively used in practical correctional psychology. One of these principles, often quoted by Ellis, is the statement: “It is not things that hinder people, but the way they see them” (Epictetus).

Based on the emphasized scientific approaches in the structure of individual consciousness, A. Ellis strives to free the client from the bonds and blinders of stereotypes and clichés, to provide a more free and unprejudiced view of the world. In the concept of A. Ellis, a person is interpreted as self-evaluating, self-supporting and self-speaking.

A. Ellis believes that every person is born with a certain potential, and this potential has two sides: rational and irrational; constructive and destructive, etc. According to A. Ellis, psychological problems appear when a person tries to follow simple preferences (desires of love, approval, support) and mistakenly believes that these simple preferences are the absolute measure of his success in life. In addition, man is a creature extremely susceptible various influences at all levels - from . Therefore, to reduce all the variable complexity human nature A. Ellis is not inclined to one thing.

RET identifies three leading psychological aspects of human functioning: thoughts (cognitions), feelings and behavior. A. Ellis identified two types of cognitions: descriptive and evaluative.

Descriptive cognitions contain information about reality, about what a person has perceived in the world; this is “pure” information about reality. Evaluative cognitions reflect a person’s attitude towards this reality. Descriptive cognitions are necessarily connected with evaluative connections varying degrees rigidity.
Biased events themselves evoke positive or negative emotions in us, and our internal perception of these events is their assessment. We feel what we think about what we perceive. are the result of cognitive impairments (such as overgeneralization, false conclusions, and rigid attitudes).

The source of psychological disorders is a system of individual irrational ideas about the world, learned, as a rule, in childhood from significant adults. A. Ellis called these violations irrational attitudes. From the point of view of A. Ellis, these are rigid connections between descriptive and evaluative cognitions such as prescriptions, demands, mandatory orders that have no exceptions, and they are absolutist in nature. Therefore, irrational attitudes do not correspond to reality both in strength and in quality of this prescription. If irrational attitudes are not realized, they lead to long-lasting emotions that are inadequate to the situation and complicate the individual’s activities. The core of emotional disorders, according to Ellis, is self-blame.

An important concept in RET is the concept of “trap”, i.e. all those cognitive formations that create unreasonable neurotic anxiety. A normally functioning person has rational system evaluative cognitions, which is a system of flexible connections between descriptive and evaluative cognitions. It is probabilistic in nature, expressing rather a wish, preference certain development events, therefore leads to moderate emotions, although sometimes they can be intense, they do not capture the individual for a long time and therefore do not block his activities or interfere with the achievement of goals.

The emergence of psychological problems in the client is associated with the functioning of the IR system rational attitudes.

Ellis's concept states that although it is pleasant to be loved in an atmosphere of acceptance, a person should feel vulnerable enough in such an atmosphere and not feel uncomfortable in the absence of an atmosphere of love and complete acceptance.

A. Ellis suggested that positive emotions (such as feelings of love or delight) are often associated with or the result of an internal belief expressed in the form of the phrase: “This is good for me.” Negative emotions(such as anger or depression) are associated with the belief expressed by the phrase: “This is bad for me.” He believed that the emotional response to a situation reflects the “label” that is attached to it (for example, it is dangerous or pleasant), even when the “label” is not true. To achieve happiness, it is necessary to rationally formulate goals and choose adequate means.

Ellis developed a kind of “neurotic code”, i.e. a complex of erroneous judgments, the desire to fulfill which leads to psychological problems:
1. There is a strong need to be loved or approved by every person in a significant environment.
2. Everyone must be competent in all areas of knowledge.
3. Most people are mean, corrupt and despicable.
4. A disaster will occur if events take a different path than the person programmed.
5. Human misfortunes are caused external forces, and people have little ability to control them.
6. If there is a danger, then you should not overcome it.
7. It is easier to avoid certain life difficulties than to face them and bear responsibility for them.
8. In this world, the weak always depends on the strong.
9. Past history a person should influence his immediate behavior “now”.
10. You shouldn't worry about other people's problems.
11. It is necessary to solve all problems correctly, clearly and perfectly, and if this is not the case, then a disaster will occur.
12. If someone does not control their emotions, then it is impossible to help them.

A. Ellis proposed his personality structure, which he named after the first letters of the Latin alphabet “ABC theory”: A - activating event; B the client's opinion about the event; C - emotional or behavioral consequences of the event; D - subsequent reaction to the event as a result of mental processing; E - final value conclusion (constructive or destructive).

This conceptual diagram found wide application in practical correctional psychology, since it allows the client himself to conduct effective introspection and introspection in the form of diary entries.
Analysis of the client's behavior or self-analysis according to the scheme "event - perception of the event - reaction - reflection - conclusion" has a high productivity and a learning effect.

The "ABC diagram" is used to help a client in a problematic situation move from irrational attitudes to rational ones. The work is being built in several stages.

The first stage is clarification, clarification of the parameters of the event (A), including the parameters that most emotionally affected the client and caused him to have inadequate reactions.
A = (A0 + Ac) => B,
where A0 is an objective event (described by a group of observers);
Ac - subjectively perceived event (described by the client);
B is the client’s assessment system, which determines which parameters of an objective event will be perceived and will be significant.

At this stage, a personal assessment of the event occurs. Clarification allows the client to differentiate between events that can and cannot be changed. In this case, the purpose of correction is not to encourage the client to avoid a collision with the event, not to change it (for example, switching to new job in the presence of an insoluble conflict with the boss), and awareness of the system of evaluative cognitions that complicate the resolution of this conflict, restructuring of this system and only after that - making a decision to change the situation. Otherwise, the client remains potentially vulnerable in similar situations.
The second stage is the identification of the emotional and behavioral consequences of the perceived event (C). The purpose of this stage is to identify the entire range of emotional reactions to an event (since not all emotions are easily differentiated by a person, and some are suppressed and not realized due to the inclusion of rationalization and others).

Awareness and verbalization of experienced emotions may be difficult for some clients: for some - due to vocabulary deficits, for others - due to behavioral deficits (the absence in the arsenal of behavioral stereotypes usually associated with moderate expression of emotions. Such clients react with polar emotions, or strong love, or complete rejection.

Analysis of the words used by the client helps identify irrational attitudes. Usually associated with irrational attitudes are words that reflect the extreme degree emotional involvement client (nightmarish, terrible, amazing, unbearable, etc.), having the nature of a mandatory instruction (necessary, necessary, must, obliged, etc.), as well as global assessments of a person, object or event.
A. Ellis identified the four most common groups of irrational attitudes that create problems:
1. Catastrophic installations.
2. Installations of mandatory obligation.
3. Installations for the mandatory fulfillment of one’s needs.
4. Global assessment settings.

The goal of the stage is achieved when irrational attitudes are identified in the problem area (there may be several of them), the nature of the connections between them is shown (parallel, articulatory, hierarchical dependence), making the multicomponent reaction of the individual in a problem situation understandable.
It is also necessary to identify the client’s rational attitudes, since they constitute a positive part of the relationship, which can be expanded in the future.

The third stage is the reconstruction of irrational attitudes. Reconstruction should begin when the client easily identifies irrational attitudes in a problem situation. It can occur: at the cognitive level, the level, the level of behavior - direct action.

Reconstruction at the cognitive level includes the client’s proof of the truth of the attitude and the need to maintain it in a given situation. In the process of this type of evidence, the client sees even more clearly Negative consequences save this setting. The use of auxiliary modeling (how others would solve this problem, what attitudes they would have) allows us to form new rational attitudes at the cognitive level.

When reconstructing at the level of imagination, both negative and positive imagination are used. The client is asked to mentally immerse himself in a traumatic situation. With a negative imagination, he must experience the previous emotion as fully as possible, and then try to reduce its level and realize through what new attitudes he managed to achieve this. This immersion in a traumatic situation is repeated many times. The training can be considered effectively completed if the client has reduced the intensity of the emotions experienced using several options. With a positive imagination, the client immediately imagines problematic situation with a positively colored emotion.

Reconstruction through direct action is a confirmation of the success of modifications of attitudes carried out at the cognitive level and in the imagination. Direct actions are implemented according to the type of flood techniques, paradoxical intention, and modeling techniques.

The fourth stage is consolidation through homework done by the client independently. They can also be carried out at the cognitive level, in the imagination or at the level of direct action.

RET is primarily indicated for clients who are capable of introspection, reflection, and analysis of their thoughts.
Correction goals. The main goal is to assist in revising the system of beliefs, norms and ideas. A private goal is liberation from the idea of self-blame.

In addition, A. Ellis formulated a number of desirable qualities, the achievement of which by the client can be a specific goal of psychocorrectional work: social interest, self-interest, self-government, tolerance, flexibility, acceptance of uncertainty, scientific thinking, self-acceptance, ability to take risks, realism.

Psychologist's position. The position of a psychologist working in line with this concept is, of course, directive. He explains and convinces. He is an authority who refutes erroneous judgments, pointing out their inaccuracy, arbitrariness, etc. He appeals to science, to the ability to think and, as Ellis puts it, does not engage in absolution, after which the client may feel better, but it is not known whether he actually feels better.

Requirements and expectations from the client. The client is assigned the role of a learner, and accordingly his success is interpreted depending on his motivation and identification with the role of the learner.
The client is expected to go through three levels of insight:
1. Superficial - awareness of the problem.
2. In-depth - recognition of one's own interpretations.
3. Deep - at the level of motivation to change.
In general, the psychological prerequisites of RET are as follows:
recognition of the client’s personal responsibility for their problems;
acceptance of the idea that there is an opportunity to decisively influence these problems
recognition that the client's emotional problems stem from his irrational beliefs about himself and the world;
detection (awareness) by the client of these ideas;
the client's recognition of the usefulness of serious discussion of these ideas;
agreement to make efforts to confront one's illogical judgments;
client's consent to use RET.

Technicians
RET is characterized by a wide range of psychotechniques, including those borrowed from other areas.

1. Discussion and refutation of irrational views.
The psychologist actively discusses with the client, refutes his irrational views, demands evidence, clarifies logical grounds, etc. Much attention is paid to softening the client’s categoricalness: instead of “I should” - “I would like”;
instead of “It will be terrible if...” - “It probably won’t be very convenient if...”; instead of “I am obliged to do this work” - “I would like to do this work at a high level.”
2. Cognitive homework associated with self-analysis according to the “ABC model” and restructuring of habitual verbal reactions and interpretations.
3. Rational-emotive imagination. The client is asked to imagine a difficult situation for him and his feelings in it. Then it is proposed to change how you feel about the situation and see what changes in behavior this will cause.
4. Role play. Disturbing situations are played out, inadequate interpretations are worked out, especially those that carry self-accusation and self-deprecation.
5. "Attack on fear." The technique consists of homework, the purpose of which is to perform an action that usually causes fear or psychological difficulties in the client. For example, a client who experiences severe discomfort when communicating with a salesperson is asked to go to a large store with many departments and ask to show him something in each department.

Psychology is one of the most popular fields of study over the past few decades. This is not surprising - after all, many want to understand the strings of human consciousness. The only problem is that the majority cannot even understand themselves. These were the people Albert Ellis saw as his audience. The books of this person help you overcome internal barriers and begin to get out of the complex confusion of your consciousness.

A little history

Albert Ellis was born in the fall of 1913 and, having lived 93 years, died in the summer of 2007. He is an American psychologist and cognitive therapist. Initially, Albert tried to do business, and then - literary work. But he soon realized that his calling was psychology. In 1943, he received a master's degree in the department of clinical psychology. In 1946, he defended his dissertation, and then underwent additional psychoanalytic training.

Ellis was initially heavily influenced by Karen Horney, Erich Fromm, and Harry Sullivan. But by the mid-50s he became disillusioned with psychoanalysis. Albert Ellis is known as a sexologist and ideologist of the sexual revolution. He was busy creating his own approach to solving problems. In 1955, his work was called rational-emotive behavior therapy. Let's look at what it is.

Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy

She views dysfunctional behavioral responses and negative emotions as a result of the interpretation of experience (rather than due to its occurrence). That is, the emphasis here is on incorrect cognitive attitudes - irrational beliefs. All this was designed by Albert Ellis. Rational- emotive therapy in its theoretical part contains quite a lot of references to family ties with many areas of psychology.

This can be judged in more detail by reading the contents of Ellis's books. A brief overview of them will be posted below. This psychologist created and headed the Albert Ellis Institute, in which he did not stop active work throughout his life.

Humanistic psychotherapy

According to this theory, people tend to construct illogical, irrational thought combinations. In the framework this is called mystical thinking. In the book, Albert Ellis argues that all the problems that a person can “boast” are the result of this approach of people to their own lives. The problems and neuroses that arise in us, according to this book, are the result of the numerous use of “shoulds,” “shoulds,” and “shoulds.”

Of course, any person faces real problems. It’s just that the exorbitant heaviness and horror that accompany the experience are illusory and fictitious demons. Everything can be controlled by a person. It influences emotional reactions, feelings and behavior. Since, due to imperfect thinking, a person involuntarily begins to suffer, he can force himself to stop suffering in exactly the same way.

The practice of rational emotive behavior therapy

He co-wrote this book with Windy Dryden. It begins by first considering the general therapeutic model. Its various modalities (such as individual, marital, familial and sexual) are then described. The book contains many real-life case studies that illustrate real-life applications.

Its main purpose is to assist clinical psychologists and consultants in their work. Although it will also be useful for those who simply want to help people and are interested in rational-emotive therapy. But the third book discussed in the article is considered the most important work.

Psychotraining using the Albert Ellis method

It is intended for a wide audience. Its main message is that you should never give in to the temptation to become unhappy. This simple idea is supported by a clear program of action in many different situations (among which there are very relevant and complex ones, such as the death of a loved one, loss of a job and a number of other similar cases). Albert Ellis actively promoted all this to the masses. Psychotraining using his method has helped thousands of patients return to a happy life. He will be able to provide qualified and quick assistance to any person (if he, of course, shows persistence in this matter).

A significant number of techniques that are published in this book were placed in the public domain for the first time. It should be noted that the work is written in living language - the author seems to be conducting a dialogue with his reader, discussing with him certain nuances. And this continues throughout the book. Of course, some may get tired of this, but from my own feelings I can say that the book is read in one breath. It is not surprising that this is Albert Ellis's most famous work.

Conclusion

If you want to better understand yourself and other people, then self-education is a useful direction. It will help in many ways life situations, and psychology is no exception here. But it must be borne in mind that nothing will happen from scratch. You will need to set aside your own time to at least read the book. And it can take weeks, months, and in rare cases years to implement the methods and completely overcome the problems. This is what Albert Ellis and his works are all about. We advise you to read these works in order to successfully apply them in your life.

Albert Ellis (September 27, 1913, Pittsburgh - July 24, 2007, New York) was an American psychologist and cognitive therapist.

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.

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 ( English “irrational beliefs” - see ABC Model (psychotherapy)). He was also known as a sexologist and one of the ideologists of the sexual revolution.

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.

Books (4)

Humanistic psychotherapy. Rational-emotional approach

The book introduces the reader to one of the most popular areas of psychotherapy in our time - rational-emotional therapy (RET). Its founder, Albert Ellis, believes that all people are prone to constructing illogical, irrational thought combinations, which in the framework of RET are called “mystical thinking.” Ellis argues that virtually all human problems are the result of mystical thinking, submission to numerous “shoulds,” “shoulds,” and “shoulds.” Of course, a person has to face real problems, but the horror and exorbitant severity of the experiences that accompany them are fictitious, illusory demons.

RET states that a person can control and influence their emotional reactions, feelings and behavior. Since he unwittingly makes himself suffer, he can also force himself to stop suffering.

Don't put pressure on my psyche!

“What should I do to avoid losing my temper?” - psychologists are often asked the question. Do not mention it? Know how to relax in time? Say self-hypnosis formulas? Make a joke?

Of course, all this deserves serious attention, the authors of the book believe. But the main thing is that we need to study situations when our nerves are “stretched like a string”, be able to recognize the signs of an approaching “emotional tornado” and then dodge its destructive force, and if you are still caught in a squall that “tangles your nerves” - then the book will provide at your service a rich arsenal of verbal techniques that put everything and everyone in its place.

The practice of rational emotive behavior therapy

The book begins by reviewing the general therapeutic model of rational-emotive behavior therapy and then describes its various therapeutic modalities, including individual, couples, family, and sex therapy.

The book abounds real examples from practice illustrating the use of REBT in different conditions, and is intended for clinical psychologists and consultants, as well as for everyone who, by the nature of their work, helps people and is interested in therapy.

Psychotraining using the Albert Ellis method

The main idea of "Psychotraining..." is not to give in to the temptation to become unhappy. This simple idea is supported by a clear program of actions that should be taken in a given situation.

Reader comments

Marina Art/ 08/22/2018 Thank you, Guys! SOOO helpful! Good luck in your business!!!

Alexi/ 03/9/2018 Thank you, useful and entertaining. Are there any audio versions of his books?

Timur/ 10/21/2017 I spent several years searching for literature and psychotherapists. In 2 months, I significantly changed my thinking based on Ellis’s books and negative emotions decreased significantly. Thank you for this)

Rational Emotive Therapy (RET) by Albert Ellis

The founder of RET, A. Ellis (b. 1913), began as an orthodox psychoanalyst, then studied under the guidance of K. Horney. In the fifties of the twentieth century, A. Ellis formulated a number of provisions that formed the basis of a new direction in practical psychology. One such statement, often quoted by A. Ellis, is the Stoic sayingEpictetus: “People are not disturbed by things, but by the way they see them.”Already in this position, one of the main ideas of all cognitivism, starting with J. Kelly and up to the latest research in psychosemantics, can easily be traced, namely: a person reflects and experiences reality depending on the structure of his individual consciousness. Hence the main focus of his efforts in rational-emotive therapy: methods of reasoning and action. A. Ellis - apparently under the influence of A. Adler - pays considerable attention in his concept to the restructuring of I-statements and the analysis of unconditionally accepted norms and obligations of the individual. Based on emphatically scientific approaches to the structure of individual consciousness, RET seeks to free the client from the bonds and blinders of stereotypes and clichés, to provide a freer and more open-minded view of the world.

Idea of a person. In the concept of A. Ellis, a person is interpreted as self-evaluating, self-supporting and self-speaking. Besidesa person is born with a certain potential, which has two sides: rational and irrational; constructive and destructive, striving for love and growth and striving for destruction and self-blame, etc.

According to A. Ellis, psychological problems manifest themselves when a person tries to follow simple preferences (desires of love, approval, etc.) and mistakenly believes that these simple preferences are the absolute measure of his success in life. Man is a creature extremely susceptible to various influences, from the biological level to the social level. Therefore, A. Ellis is not inclined to reduce all the changing complexity of human nature to one thing - whether we are talking about psychoanalytic reduction or a favorable psychological climate for client-centered therapy.

Basic theoretical principles of the concept. A. Ellis's concept assumes thatThe source of psychological disorders, with all its diversity, is a system of individual irrational ideas about the world, learned, as a rule, in childhood from significant adults.Neurosis, in particular, is interpreted by A. Ellis as “irrational thinking and behavior.” The core of emotional disorders is, as a rule, self-blame.

RET identifies three leading psychological aspects of human functioning: thoughts (cognitions), feelings and behavior. A. Ellis identified two types of cognitions: descriptive and evaluative.Descriptive cognitions contain information about reality, about what a person has perceived in the world; this is “pure” information about reality. Evaluative cognitions reflect a person’s attitude towards this reality.Descriptive cognitions are necessarily connected with evaluative connections of varying degrees of rigidity. Biased events themselves evoke positive or negative emotions in us, and our internal perception of these events is their assessment. We feel what we think about what we perceive.

An important concept in RET is the concept of “trap” - all those cognitive formations that are aware of unreasonable (neurotic) anxiety, irritability, etc. A. Ellis's concept states that although it is pleasant to be loved in an atmosphere of acceptance, a person should also feel quite vulnerable outside such an atmosphere. Therefore, a kind of“neurotic code” - erroneous judgments, the desire to fulfill which leads to psychological problems. Among them: “I I must prove to everyone that I am successful, skillful and lucky man; when I get rejected, it’s terrible”; “ I I must like all the people who are significant to me”; “ l The best thing is to do nothing, let life decide for itself.”

A. Ellis proposed a multicomponent structure of behavioral acts of the individual, which he called the first letters of the Latin alphabet ( A-B-C-D - theory ). This theory, rather, even a conceptual scheme, has found wide application in practical psychology, since it allows the client himself, in the form of diary entries, to conduct effective introspection and introspection.In this conceptual scheme, A is the activating event, B (belief) is the opinion about the event, C (consequence) is the consequence (emotional or behavioral) of the event; D (dispatching) - subsequent reaction to an event (as a result of mental processing); E (effect) - the final value conclusion (constructive or destructive).

The "ABC diagram" is used to help a client in a problematic situation move from irrational attitudes to rational ones. The work is being built in several stages.The first stage is clarification, clarification of the parameters of the event (A), including the parameters that most emotionally affected the client and caused him to have inadequate reactions.

At this stage, a personal assessment of the event occurs. Classification allows the client to differentiate between events that can and cannot be changed. At the same time, the goal of correction is not to encourage the client to avoid a collision with an event, not to change it (for example, moving to a new job in the presence of an insoluble conflict with the boss), but to become aware of the system of evaluative cognitions that make it difficult to resolve this conflict, rebuild this system and only after This means making a decision to change the situation. Otherwise, the client remains potentially vulnerable in similar situations.

The second stage is the identification of the emotional and behavioral consequences of the perceived event (C).The purpose of this stage is to identify the entire range of emotional reactions to an event (since not all emotions are easily differentiated by a person, and some are suppressed and not recognized due to the inclusion of rationalization and other defense mechanisms).

Awareness and verbalization of experienced emotions may be difficult for some clients: for some, due to vocabulary deficits, for others, due to behavioral deficits (the absence in the arsenal of behavioral stereotypes usually associated with moderate expression of emotions). Such clients react with polar emotions, or intense love, or complete rejection.

Analysis of the words used by the client helps identify irrational attitudes. Usually, irrational attitudes are associated with words that reflect the extreme degree of emotional involvement of the client (nightmarish, terrible, amazing, unbearable, etc.), having the nature of a mandatory prescription (necessary, must, must, obliged, etc.), as well as global assessments of a person or object or events.

A. Ellis identified the four most common groups of irrational attitudes that create problems:

1. Catastrophic installations.

2. Installations of mandatory obligation.

3. Installations for the mandatory fulfillment of one’s needs.

4. Global assessment settings.

It is also necessary to identify the client’s rational attitudes, since they constitute a positive part of the relationship, which can be expanded in the future.

Reconstruction at the cognitive level includes the client’s proof of the truth of the attitude and the need to maintain it in a given situation. In the process of this type of evidence, the client sees even more clearly the negative consequences of maintaining this attitude. The use of auxiliary modeling (how others would solve this problem, what attitudes they would have) allows us to form new rational attitudes at the cognitive level.

When reconstructing at the level of imagination, both negative and positive imagination are used. The client is asked to mentally immerse himself in a traumatic situation. With a negative imagination, he must experience the previous emotion as fully as possible, and then try to reduce its level and realize through what new attitudes he managed to achieve this. This immersion in a traumatic situation is repeated many times. The training can be considered effectively completed if the client has reduced the intensity of the emotions experienced using several options. With positive imagination, the client immediately imagines a problematic situation with a positively colored emotion.

The fourth stage is consolidation of adaptive behavior with the help of homework performed by the client independently. They can also be carried out at the cognitive level, in the imagination or at the level of direct action. RET is primarily indicated for clients who are capable of introspection, reflection, and analysis of their thoughts.

Analysis of client behavior or self-analysis according to the scheme: “event-perception-reaction-thinking-conclusion” has a very high productivity and learning effect.In general, the psychological prerequisites of RET are the following: 1) recognition of personal responsibility for one’s problems; 2) acceptance of the idea that it is possible to decisively influence these problems; 3) recognition that emotional problems stem from irrational ideas; 4) detection (awareness) of these ideas; 5) recognition of the usefulness of serious discussion of these ideas; 6) agreement to make efforts to confront one’s illogical judgments; 7) consent to use RET.

Description of the advisory

and psychotherapeutic process

Goals of psychological assistance. The main goal is to help revise the system of beliefs, norms and ideas. A private goal is liberation from the idea of self-blame.A. Ellis, in addition, formulated a number of desirable qualities, the achievement of which can be a specific goal of advisory or psychotherapeutic work: social interest, self-interest, self-government, tolerance, flexibility, acceptance of uncertainty, scientific thinking, involvement, self-acceptance, ability to take risks, realism (not falling into utopia).

Psychologist's position. The position of a consulting psychologist or psychotherapist working in line with this concept is, of course, directive.He explains, convinces, he is an authority who refutes erroneous judgments, pointing out their inaccuracy, arbitrariness, etc. Appeals to science, to the ability to think and, in the words of A. Ellis, does not engage in “absolution of sins,” after which the client may feel better, but it is not known whether life is easier.

Client's position. The client is given the role of a studentand, accordingly, his success is interpreted depending on motivation and identification
with the role of a student. It is assumed thatthe client 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).

Psychotechnics in rational-emotive therapy.RET is characterized by a wide range of psychotechniques, including those borrowed from other areas and united by a pronounced pragmatism*.

1 . Discussion and refutation of irrational views: the consulting psychologist actively discusses with the client, refutes his irrational views, demands evidence, clarifies logical grounds, etc.

Much attention is paid to softening categoricalness: instead of “you should” - “I would like”; instead of “it will be terrible if...” - “probably, it won’t be very convenient if...”

2. Cognitive homework: associated with self-analysis according to the ABC model and with the restructuring of habitual verbal reactions and interpretations.

Also used:

3. Rational-emotive imagination: The client is asked to vividly imagine a difficult situation for him and the feelings in it, then he is asked to change his sense of self in the situation and see what changes in behavior this will cause.

4. Role play - disturbing situations are usually played out, inadequate interpretations are worked out, especially those that carry self-blame and self-deprecation.

5. Attack on fear - The technique consists of homework, the purpose of which is to perform an action that usually causes fear or psychological difficulties in the client.

Preview:

At the beginning of our practical lesson We will conduct a short test that will help us answer the question of whether you have irrational attitudes.

Albert Ellis test. Methodology Diagnosis of the presence and severity of irrational attitudes. Rational-emotive therapy (RET):

A – completely agree;

B - not sure

C – I completely disagree.

Test questions:

Dealing with some people can be unpleasant, but it is never terrible.
When I'm wrong about something, I often say to myself, "I shouldn't have done that."
People, of course, must live according to the laws.
There is nothing that I “can’t stand.”
If I am ignored or feel awkward at a party, my sense of self-worth decreases.
Some situations in life are truly downright terrible.
I definitely need to be more competent in some areas.
My parents should have been more restrained in their demands on me.
There are things I can't stand.
My sense of “self-worth” doesn’t improve even if I do really well in school or work.
Some kids behave really badly.
I shouldn't have made several obvious mistakes in my life.
If my friends promised to do something very important for me, they are not obliged to fulfill their promises.
I can't deal with my friends or my children if they act stupid, wild or wrong in a given situation.
If you evaluate people by what they do, then they can be divided into “good” and “bad”.
There are times in life when truly terrible things happen.
There is nothing in life that I really have to do.
Children must eventually learn to fulfill their responsibilities.
Sometimes I just can't stand my poor performance in school and work.
Even when I make serious mistakes and hurt others, my self-esteem does not change.
It would be terrible if I couldn't win the favor of the people I love.
I would like to study or work better, but there is no reason to believe that I should achieve this at any cost.
I believe that people definitely shouldn't behave badly in public.
I just can't stand a lot of pressure or stress on me.
The approval or disapproval of my friends or family members does not affect how I evaluate myself.
It would be unfortunate, but not terrible, if one of my family members had serious health problems.
If I decide to do something, I must do it very well.
In general, I'm okay with teenagers acting differently than adults, such as waking up late in the morning or throwing books or clothes on the floor in their room.
I can't stand some things that my friends or family members do.
Anyone who constantly sins or brings harm to others is a bad person.
It would be terrible if someone I loved became mentally ill and ended up in a mental hospital.
I have to be absolutely sure that everything is going well in the most important areas of my life.
If it's important to me, my friends should strive to do whatever I ask them to do.
I easily tolerate unpleasant situations that I find myself in, as well as unpleasant interactions with friends.
How I evaluate myself depends on how others evaluate me (friends, bosses, teachers, professors).
It's terrible when my friends behave badly and incorrectly in public places.
I definitely shouldn't make some of the mistakes that I keep making.
I don't believe that my family members should act exactly the way I want them to.
It's completely unbearable when things don't go the way I want.
I often evaluate myself by my success at work and school, or by my social achievements.
It would be terrible if I failed completely at work or school.
I as a person should not be better than I actually am.
There are definitely some things that people around you shouldn't do.
Sometimes (at work or school) people do things that I absolutely cannot stand.
If I have serious emotional problems or break laws, my sense of self-worth decreases.
Even very bad, disgusting situations in which a person fails, loses money or loses a job, are not terrible.
There are several significant reasons why I should not make mistakes at school or at work.
There is no doubt that my family members should take better care of me than they sometimes do.
Even if my friends behave differently than I expect them to, I continue to treat them with understanding and acceptance.
It is important to teach children to be “good boys” and “good girls”: to study hard in school and earn the approval of their parents.

Key to A. Ellis test.

We assign points for each answer

A - 1 point, except for questions 1,4,13,17,20,22,25, 26,28,34,38,42, 46,49 - for them 3 points

B - 2 points

C - 3 points except questions 1,4,13,17,20,22,25, 26,28,34,38,42, 46,49 - for them 1 point

Processing the results of the Ellis technique.

Catastrophization 1,6,11,16,21,26,31,36,41,46

Ought in relation to oneself 2,7,12,717,22,27,32,37,42,47

Owing to others 3,8,13,18,23,28,33,38,43,48

Self-esteem and rational thinking 5,10,15,20,25,30,35,40,45,50

Frustration tolerance 4,9,14,49,24,49,34,39,44,49

Interpretation, decoding for the Ellis test.

The “catastrophizing” scale reflects people's perceptions of various adverse events. A low score on this scale indicates that a person tends to evaluate every adverse event as terrible and unbearable, while a high score indicates the opposite.

Indicators of the “shoulds in relation to oneself” and “shoulds in relation to others” scales indicate the presence or absence of excessively high demands on oneself and others.

“Evaluative attitude” shows how a person evaluates himself and others. The presence of such an attitude may indicate that a person tends to evaluate not individual traits or actions of people, but the personality as a whole.

The other two scales are an assessment of a person’s frustration tolerance, which reflects the degree of tolerance to various frustrations (i.e. shows the level of stress resistance) and overall rating degree of rationality of thinking.

Explanation of the results obtained:

Less than 15 points - Pronounced and distinct presence of irrational attitudes leading to stress.

From 15 to 22 - The presence of an irrational attitude. Average probability of occurrence and development of stress.

More than - 22 There are no irrational attitudes.

So, the results have been calculated, and I ask those who are more likely to have the irrational “catastrophizing” attitude to raise their hands. Please join a separate group. Now raise your hands, those who have a predominant “should in relation to themselves.” Also join a group. (and so on) Owing to others; Self-esteem and rational thinking; Frustration tolerance.

Now I would like to introduce you in more detail to the “ABC model”. Let's take a certain situation. For example, a woman with severe emotional disturbances was rejected by her lover (A), she believes that this is terrible, that no one needs her, that no one will ever love her again, and that she deserves to be condemned (B). Therefore, she is very depressed and upset (C).

A – situation

B – thoughts

C – emotion

Task 1. B The following examples describe situations ABC, but all of them lack V. You need to guess what thoughts(IN) need to be inserted to connect the situation(A) and emotions (C). Determine in each case A and C and write B.

1. Anatoly’s boss scolded him for being late. After this, Anatoly felt depressed.

2. Elena went through two sessions of therapy and left it because she thought it wasn’t working.

3. Katerina’s stomach hurt. She felt scared.

4. Oleg was fined for speeding, and he became very angry.

5. Irina was embarrassed when her friends noticed that she was crying during the romantic scenes of the film.

6. Sergei was furious when the employee asked for his documents while he was filling out the form.

Task 2. Give five examples from your life in which your thoughts (B) caused painful emotions(WITH). Describe them in terms ABC.

We invite each group to role-play the situation given to them. And try to look at it from the other side. Those. First, you replay the given situation, and then what thoughts and feelings it aroused in you. Then you need to change your thoughts about the situation and watch how your emotions change. By losing it, of course.

Task 3. If B changes, then C will also change

Give your clients some examples of AB. Take situation (A) as a constant, and internal dialogue as a variable. Ask them to identify the emotion that different thoughts would evoke (B). Analyze various options reaction (C) to the same event (A).

The best examples are those created by the client himself. Their advantage is that they are personally significant and therefore have an inherent persuasive power. The therapist should encourage the client to think about how, in his own examples, B causes C.

Self-esteem and rational thinking.

1. Imagine the situation that you went to a cafe to drink coffee, there you meet a friend who asks you to stay with her and her fellow hobbyists for a party in honor of her victory in a competition, which she just found out about. You stay, but no one pays attention to you. They talk about their own things. Roles: Client, her friend, a friend's friend, maybe an outside observer of what is happening

2. While shopping with a company you know, you accidentally drop your handbag, from which half of the contents spill out, you have to collect it all on the floor in full view of the company, buyers and sellers. Roles: Client, company or acquaintance, maybe other visitors, observer.

3. You are driving a car, on average speed you fly through a large puddle, a fan of dirty splashes on both sides, and then your passenger informs you that two young men in white sweatshirts were passing on the sidewalk and you splashed them pretty much. Roles: client-driver, passenger, observer.

Frustration tolerance.

1) Situation: you are walking down the street with an acquaintance and he, telling you a story from his life, screams loudly, expressing his emotions. Roles: client, acquaintance, observer.

2) On your only day off, you decided to stay at home, your parents come up to you and say that you are all going together to your grandmother for a family dinner and more relatives will come there, you don’t want to go. Roles: client, parent, observer.

3) They ask you educational task and suddenly you discover that you were the only one who couldn’t cope with it because you didn’t understand anything. Roles: Client, classmate, observer.

Obligation to others.

1) You come home and find that they have prepared a nice dinner, but from something you don’t like. Roles: client, family member, observer.

2) You go to school along a certain route and regularly, in some places on your route, drivers park their cars on the sidewalk for the whole day. Roles: client, driver, observer.

3) You have a final event after the competition, at which it will become clear who the winner is, you or your opponent. This is very important to you, but the society and format of the event is new to you. You ask a loved one to go with you, but he refuses because of the celebration he promised to attend. Role: client close person, observer.

Owement to oneself.

1) For several months you were paid a stipend and you independently paid for a number of things you needed, then they stop paying you due to your slight negligence. You understand that you can’t do without your usual things, but you can’t ask your parents either.

2) Your family went on vacation, and your mother left her favorite, very whimsical flower for you to care for, but you were very busy, and while your parents were on vacation, the plant withered.

3) You decided to renovate your room, and, despite the dissuasions of your loved ones, you decided to do it yourself. The process was long and painstaking, it took a large number of funds, but the result of the repair was disastrous.

4) In a company you know well, a topic arises that falls within your area of expertise, and you realize that you cannot say anything about it.

Catastrophization.

1) You need to get a job because you have already been recommended by someone close to you and important to you.

2) You need a job, you are in a critical situation. You find a job, but at the last moment someone else is hired for the position.

3) You live in a rented apartment, the landlady of which tells you that in a week you must vacate the room because she has unforeseen family circumstances. Naturally, moving was not part of your plans.

Task 4. Basic perceptual shift

1. In the first column, ask him to list all the thoughts or beliefs that cause him negative emotions in a certain situation. Obviously the list cannot go on indefinitely. However, even if some thoughts seem repetitive, it is better to include them than to leave any pattern unrecorded.

Perceptual Worksheet shift

2. Help the client decide whether each belief is helpful or not. Find evidence both for and against and decide which is stronger. It is important that the client makes a decision based on objective data, and not under the influence of subjective feelings. The client evaluates the usefulness of the belief in the second column.

3. In the third column, the client should write down the best argument against each thought or belief. Ideallythe argument must be both emotionally persuasive and rational-sounding.

4. “In the last column, the client must provide evidence from his own experience to support each argument. This is the key to the perceptual shift technique. With the help of the therapist, the client must prove the validity of the argument by finding support from his life experience.

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Rational-emotive therapy by A. Ellis

The method belongs to the cognitive direction of psychotherapy. “People are not bothered by things, but by how they see them.” Epictetus

A person is born with a certain potential, which has two sides: rational and irrational; constructive and destructive, striving for love and growth and striving for destruction and self-blame, etc.

The source of psychological disorders, with all its diversity, is a system of individual irrational ideas about the world, learned, as a rule, in childhood from significant adults.

The “Neurotic Code” is erroneous judgments, the desire to fulfill which leads to psychological problems. Examples: “I must prove to everyone that I am a successful, skillful and lucky person; when I get rejected, it’s terrible”; “I must be liked by all the people who are significant to me”; “The best thing is to do nothing, let life decide for itself.”

A-B-C-D - theory A - activating event, B (belief) - opinion about the event, C (consequence) - consequence (emotional or behavioral) of the event; D (dispatching) - subsequent reaction to an event (as a result of mental processing); E (effect) - final value conclusion (constructive or destructive)

A. Ellis identified the four most common groups of irrational attitudes that create problems: 1. Catastrophic attitudes. 2. Installations of mandatory obligation. 3. Installations for the mandatory fulfillment of one’s needs. 4. Global assessment settings.

The third stage is the reconstruction of irrational attitudes. The fourth stage is consolidation of adaptive behavior with the help of homework performed by the client independently.

Analysis of client behavior or self-analysis according to the scheme: “event-perception-reaction-thinking-conclusion” has a very high productivity and learning effect.

Psychological prerequisites for RET: 1) recognition of personal responsibility for one’s problems; 2) acceptance of the idea that it is possible to decisively influence these problems; 3) recognition that emotional problems stem from irrational ideas; 4) detection (awareness) of these ideas; 5) recognition of the usefulness of serious discussion of these ideas; 6) agreement to make efforts to confront one’s illogical judgments; 7) consent to use RET.

Description of the counseling and psychotherapeutic process

The main goal is to help revise the system of beliefs, norms and ideas. A private goal is liberation from the idea of self-blame.

The position of a consultant psychologist or psychotherapist working in line with this concept is directive.

The client's position is the role of a student. The client 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).

Psychotechnics in rational-emotive therapy. 1. Discussion and refutation of irrational views 2. Cognitive homework 3. Rational-emotive imagination 4. Role play 5. Attacking fear

There have been many excellent specialized papers published on rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT), including several of our own (Bernard, 1991; Bernard & Wolfe, 1993; Dryden, 1994a, 1994b, 1995a, 1995b; Dryden & DiGiuseppe, 1990; Dryden & Hill , 1993; Dryden & Neenan, 1995; Ellis, 1985c, 1994c, 1996a; Ellis & Crieger, 1986; Walen, DiGiuseppe, & Dryden, 1992; Yankura & Dryden, 1990, 1994). However, none of these books systematically describe the clinical applications of REBT, such as its use in individual, couples, family, group, and intensive therapy. Thus, until now there has been no work that systematically summarizes the procedure for conducting REBT.

We have previously published articles and monographs covering important aspects of REBT practice (Dryden, 1985b; Ellis, 1971a, 1985c, 1993b), but some of these works are out of date and out of print. Therefore, in this work, we reviewed and modernized the material from previous years and added several chapters on new developments in REBT - in general, we tried to create a book that would provide a comprehensive picture of REBT. Such a presentation of the principles of REBT would allow any interested psychotherapist to more effectively use its basic clinical techniques.

This book does not cover all aspects of REBT. In some of the already mentioned publications, certain methods of using REBT are described in more detail, but here they are discussed only in passing. The same can be said about the use of REBT in psychological educational practice, for example, in courses, seminars and intensive rational-emotional behavioral training. However, specialists who want to use the most popular clinical methods REBT, they will find their very best in this book detailed description We don't expect that this work will replace all other publications on REBT, but at the same time we hope that it will become a significant and useful addition to them.

Albert Ellis, PhD

WindyDryden, PhD

Preface

The book brought to your attention is the result of more than 50 years of development of cognitive-emotional behavioral psychotherapy. Undoubtedly, the main role the development of this method of non-medical psychotherapy belongs to Albert Ellis. The new method of psychotherapy he created and developed in detail has become widespread in the world and today enjoys well-deserved recognition from both psychotherapists and their clients, as evidenced by the success of the Ellis Institute and the books he wrote.

Albert Ellis was born in Pittsburgh in 1913 and raised in New York. One way or another, all professional activity Ellis is connected with this city, which caused him a lot of trouble. Only high degree Self-confidence and the ability to benefit from life's difficulties by rationally processing them and solving problems allowed Ellis to find a way to help other people overcome difficulties. Health problems in early childhood forced Ellis to change his activities from sports to reading; conflicts in the family (Ellis’s parents divorced when he was 12 years old) taught Ellis to be attentive to the inner world of a person and strive to understand other people.

Ellis initially planned to engage in literary activities. He wanted to major in economics so that by the age of 30 he could earn enough money for quiet literary work. Ellis graduated from New York University in 1934 and received a Master of Business Administration degree. Together with his brother, they founded their first enterprise. In 1938, Ellis received a position as head of personnel in a small company. In parallel with his work in business, Ellis was engaged in literary work; by the age of 28, he already had more than two dozen manuscripts that he could not publish anywhere. Wanting to somehow increase the attractiveness of his manuscripts to publishers, Ellis decided to write several works on sexual issues and began collecting materials for a book on sexual freedom. Because Ellis discussed the materials he collected widely with friends, he came to be considered something of an expert on the subject. Many of his friends began to turn to Ellis for advice, and he found that he enjoyed counseling as much as literary creativity. Ellis recommitted himself to his education. In 1943, he received a master's degree in clinical psychology from Columbia University (New York). Already at this time he opened a private psychotherapeutic practice on family and sexual problems. In 1947, Ellis entered graduate school and decided to begin educational analysis in order to become a psychoanalyst a few years later. This turned out to be not an easy task, since most psychoanalytic institutes focused on psychologists with doctorates. Still, Ellis manages to find an analyst from Karen Horney's group who agrees to work with him. Ellis passed full analysis and began practicing as a classical psychoanalyst. In the 40s, Ellis worked as a psychoanalyst in educational institutions and clinics, but his faith in psychoanalysis quickly collapsed. Using his experience as a consultant, Ellis began experimenting with more directive interventions than was customary in psychoanalysis. By 1955, Ellis had completely moved away from psychoanalysis and began to develop his own style of psychotherapy, based on analyzing and changing clients' beliefs and beliefs, their ideas about what should and should be. Ellis's book How to Live with a Neurotic was published in 1957. Two years later, Ellis founded his Institute of Rational Emotive Therapy, where he began conducting consultations and seminars for psychotherapists. In 1960, his book “The Art and Science of Love” was published, which enjoyed great success.