Ellis Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (RBT)

Albert ellis (1913-2007) was one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century and one of the most prominent figures in the field of psychology after his break with the psychodynamic school.

He was the creator of one of the theories that have revolutionized the fundamentals and methodology in treatment of emotional and psychological problems, he has earned a place of honor among the greatest psychologists. We talk today about Albert Ellis and the TREC.

Albert Ellis and Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy (RBT)

His theory (the Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy) is well known and although many psychologists do not share its principles, others instead are joining this line, finding in it a good basis for further developing your profession and the appropriate treatment for each disorder, according to current demands in the field of psychology clinic.

Albert Ellis was born in Pittsburg in 1913 and studied at Columbia University (New York), specializing in training professionals in the

Psychoanalysis. There he obtained his doctorate in 1947. Ellis soon realized the limitations of Sigmund Freud's theory and, disappointed by the few results that he obtained with his patients, he progressively abandoned psychoanalytic theory to start working on his own theory.

Already around 1953 he totally broke with psychoanalysis and began to develop a type of psychotherapy that he would call Rational Emotive Therapy, a kind of psychotherapy of orientation cognitive-behavioral.

The TREC: what does it consist of?

But, What is Rational Emotive Therapy? It is known that Ellis received training in the field of letters. Philosophy had a lot to do with his studies, which would serve as the primary basis for the further development of his theory. Ellis considered that his theory could be summed up in the phrase of the famous Stoic Greek philosopher Epithet, which stated that “People are not upset by the facts, but by what they think about the facts"

Ellis developed his theory by exemplifying it as shown in this graph:

Albert Ellis believed that behavioral and emotional problems could have their genesis from its three sources: thought, emotional and behavioral. He emphasized how thoughts affect psychological disturbances.

Ellis (1995) stated that people are largely responsible for their disturbed feelings, which are generated both consciously and unconsciously. Therefore, these same people have all the resources to be able to modify their thoughts and bring lasting and stable states into their lives.

The link between thought and emotion

According to Ellis, this shows how thought and emotion are related. Ellis claimed that what causes emotional disturbance or distress is not what happens at point A, but rather that people create a belief structure at point B. and reinforce these beliefs in a negative and often damaging way, which manifests itself in behavioral or emotional reactions: point C, according to Ellis (1962).

This theoretical body and the therapy that emerged from it caused much criticism by some professionals in the field of psychiatry and of the same psychology, when affirming that it sinned of an excess of "rationalism" what caused that the theory was perceived like not very viable and little scientific. However, time gave rise to numerous studies and investigations on cases where TREC had been applied, obtaining high reliability and excellent results. That is why TREC, since it was created by Albert Ellis until today, is at the forefront of psychotherapies.

The studies that Ellis developed throughout his life paid off. Currently, at his institute located in New York City, work continues to train psychotherapists, through talks, care for people with problems family, personal, and with studies that make the science of psychology develop new tools day after day for a century as demanding as the one we live in.

Rational Emotive Behavioral Therapy has a clear role, as stated by Saranson (2006) in his book Abnormal psychopathology, the problem of maladaptive behavior, where he refers to Ellis and Dryden (1977): people have to question their beliefs fundamental (in most cases, irrational), to later replace them with more constructive ones (rational).

The TREC has not only been applied in the clinical field but there are several writings on the intervention in the fields labor Y educational. A psychotherapy that offers many opportunities in the study of the human being, emotions, thought and mental health.

Bibliographic references:

• Horse, V. (2010), Technique Manual and Behavior Modification
• Ellis, A. (2003), Manual of Rational Emotive Therapy, Editorial Desclee
• Saranson, B. and Saranson, I. (2006), Abnormal Psychopathology, the problem of inappropriate behavior, Editorial Pearson