The practice of rational emotive and cognitive behavior therapy with offenders

The case for rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) and cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) with offenders is reviewed. Philosophical and practical problems in conducting REBT assessment and treatment with this population are identified. Suggestions regarding offender treatment address goals and content of therapy, the therapeutic relationship, overcoming client resistance, and self-care for the practitioner. Therapists of offenders are encouraged to apply REBT to themselves to increase effectiveness and reduce risk. In this regard, clinicians are offered suggestions regarding accepting the offender, maintaining a goal-oriented focus, and taking responsibility for the quality but not the outcome of their work.     

Supervision in rational emotive behavior therapy

This paper deals with the general process of supervision of therapists learning to understand and practice rational emotive behavior therapy. The endeavor of supervision is viewed as one of education, training, and practive with critical and constructive feedback. Major sections discuss and describe Educational Aspects of Supervision, Training Aspects of Supervision, Evaluation of Supervisees Performance, and Preferable Characteristics and Traits for REBT Practitioners.This paper is based on a chapter prepared for a forthcoming book,Handbook of Psychotherapy Supervision, edited by C. Edward Watkins, Jr.Paul J. Woods, Ph.D. is a Fellow of the Institute for Rational-Emotive Therapy, and a former Co-Editor of thisJournal. He is in private practice in Roanoke, VA. Albert Ellis, Ph.D. is the founder of REBT and the President of the Institute for Rational-Emotive Therapy in New York.     

The treatment of borderline personalities with rational emotive behavior therapy

The rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) theory holds that individuals with severe personality disorders in general, and borderline personalities in particular usually are biologically different from “normal” neurotics and are born with a predisposition to be highly vulnerable to stressful environmental conditions. They tend to have cognitive, emotional, and behavioral deficits or disabilities that handicap them socially, vocationally, and in other important aspects of their lives. But they also have distinct, and sometimes exceptionally strong, neurotic tendencies to demand that they absolutely must perform well, that other people have to treat them kindly and fairly, and that frustrating conditions ought not exist. Their neurosis exacerbates their cognitive-emotive-behavioral handicaps, produces even greater life difficulties, and often interferes with their working hard at therapy. A summary is presented of how borderline personalities can be treated with rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT).     

A test of the ABC model underlying rational emotive behavior therapy

The ABC model underlying Ellis's Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy predicts that people who think more irrationally should respond to daily stressors or hassles differently than do people who think less irrationally. This study tested this aspect of the ABC model. 192 college students were administered the Survey of Personal Beliefs and the Hassles Scale to measure irrational thinking and daily hassles, respectively. Students who scored higher on overall irrational thinking reported a significantly higher frequency of hassles than did those who scored lower on overall irrational thinking, while students who scored higher on awfulizing and low frustration tolerance reported a significantly greater intensity of hassles than did those who scored lower on awfulizing and low frustration tolerance. This indicates support for the ABC model, especially Ellis's construct of irrational beliefs central to this model.     

Changing rational-emotive therapy (RET) to rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT)

Reasons are given for changing the name of Rational-Emotive Therapy (RET) to Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) and for bringing its behavioral aspects into more prominence. Excerpted from “Changing Rational-Emotive Therapy (RET) to Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT).Behavior Therapist, 1994,16(10), 1–2, and fromReason and Emotion in Psychotherapy, Rev ed. updated. New York Carol Publishing, 1994. Reprinted with permission.     

How i manage to be a rational rational emotive behavior therapist

This paper gives three important grandiose demands and absolutistic musts by which therapists and supervisors of therapy commonly disturb themselves and how the author manages to make himself aware of and to surrender these demands both inside and outside of the office.Paper presented at the 103rd Annual Convention of the American Psychological Association, August14, 1995 in the Symposium, Leaving It at the Office—Preventing and Ameliorating Distress. Sponsored by Divisions, 17, 29, 30, & 42. New York Hilton Hotel Towers, Second Floor Gramercy Suite A.     

Rorschach comparisons of male juvenile sex offenders and nonsex offenders

Published research is limited on the psychological characteristics of juvenile sex offenders as a subgroup separate from other juvenile delinquents. This study compares 45 male adolescent sex offenders on the Rorschach with a matched group of nonsex adolescent offenders. The two groups differed in total number of responses. Eliminating those protocols of questionable validity due to low productivity in combination with a high lamba, a statistically significant difference in the number of anatomy responses given by the two groups was found. With this exception, the personality characteristics of adolescent sex offenders were similar to those of adolescents who commit only nonsexual crimes. It should be noted, however, that the scoring categories analysed were not exhaustive and that the groups may differ on more recently proposed Rorschach subscales.     

The nature of irrational and rational beliefs: Progress in rational emotive behavior theory

This paper discusses some limitations of Ellis's Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy. It is suggested that the present definition of irrational and rational beliefs is inadequate. The present theory is unclear whether irrational beliefs are exaggerated negative evaluations or empirical distortions of reality. It is proposed that irrational beliefs are core schemes, and that the concept of schema replace the present definition of beliefs. Ellis's position that demandingness is at the center of irrational thinking and emotional disturbance is examined. Research has failed to support this theory. It is proposed that demandingness and self-downing may be separate types of core irrational schemes. Research strategies are suggested that could test Ellis's position on the centrality of demandingness and on the nature of irrational beliefs in general.It is also suggested that irrational beliefs differ on their level of abstraction. The present REBT theory fails to identify which level of abstraction is necessary to cause disturbance, at which level of abstraction therapists should seek change, and whether a therapist should intervene first at higher or lower levels of abstract beliefs. It is suggested that a therapist only seek change to the level of abstraction that matches the client's concerns and that therapists begin to intervene at lower levels of abstraction and move up to more abstract cognitions as therapy progresses.The Institute for Rational Emotive Therapy     

Evaluation of self-administered rational emotive therapy programs for interpersonal anxiety

Self-administered rational emotive therapy (RET), withA New Guide to Rational Living (Ellis & Harper, 1975), as the treatment manual, was evaluated by comparing three groups which varied in terms of therapist contact (therapist administered, minimal contact, self-administered). University students who volunteered for the research program involving the treatment of interpersonal anxiety were randomly assigned to one of these treatments or to a wait-list control group. The results for 72 subjects who completed the 5-week program indicated the three treatment groups made significant gains over untreated controls on some of the self-report measures. No between-group differences appeared on ratings by significant others. A four- to five-month follow-up, which obtained data from 41 (58%) of the subjects, provided some support for the maintenance of treatment effects for the therapist administered and minimal contact groups. Correlations of assessed irrational beliefs with outcome measures provided some support for the RET model.Norris D. Vestre, Ph.D., is a Professor in the Department of Psychology, Arizona State University. Terrence J. Judge, M.C., R.N.C., is a nurse therapist at Camelback Vista Treatment Center, Scottsdale, Arizona.     

Developing decision making in Rugby Union match officials using rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT)

There is a dearth of applied research to inform psychological provision for match-officials. The application of rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT; Ellis, 1957) is becoming established as an effective psychological intervention with elite performers. This paper examined the effects of four one-to-one REBT sessions on irrational beliefs, anxiety, decision rumination and reinvestment, and match officiating performance with two elite rugby match officials. Using a single-case, staggered multiple-baseline across participants research design, visual and statistical analyses showed that the intervention brought about significant, immediate and maintained (12 week follow-up) reductions in irrational beliefs. Furthermore, participants also reported reductions in anxiety, and decision making reinvestment, alongside increased match official performance for one participant. The current study lends some initial support for the application of REBT with match officials, and develops understanding into potential links between irrational beliefs and decision making performance. The results are discussed in terms of theory, applied implications, limitations and future research.     

The use of the Core Conflictual Relationship Theme method in describing and comparing gestalt and rational emotive behavior therapy with adolescents

The Core Conflitual Relationship Theme (CCRT) method (Luborsky, 1977) is used to study recurrent relationship patterns in therapy and may be employed as a measure of transference as well. We found only one article in the literature in which it was applied to a mode of psychotherapy, other than psychodynamic (Turner, 1992). In addition, there are only a few articles in the literature that refer to the CCRT method with children and adolescents. In this paper, we applied the CCRT method to two videotaped individual sessions of young adolescent boys, one in gestalt therapy and the other in rational emotive behavior therapy. Results showed that both boys revealed similar core relational theme profiles, but that their respective therapists each dealt differently with these relationship conflicts. In this pilot use of the CCRT with adolescent therapy, we were able to describe relationship patterns and delineate key differences between the two treatment modalities.Stacey Agin, a gradduate student in School Psychology at New York University, submitted this paper for partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Doctorate of Psychology. Iris E. Fodor is a professor of Applied Psychology at New York University and is director of the School Psychology program. She is known for her work on integrating cognitive and gestalt therapies. We gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of Raymond DiGiuseppe, Ph.D. Violet Oaklander, Ph.D. and Michael Bernard, Ph.D. in allowing us to utilize their videotaped psychotherapy sessions for the purposes of this study.     

It's prime time for rational emotive behavior therapy: Current theory and practice,research recommendations,and predictions

This article identifies the current rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT) playing field as we head towards the 21st century. Some of the important refinements, embellishments and clarifications of REBT theory and practice as described in the Ellis' 1994 revision ofReason and Emotion in Psychotherapy are reviewed. The second section of the paper presents a variety of recommendations concerning ways in which future REBT research can help bolster its scientific status. Finally, predictions by REBT experts concerning the longevity of REBT and whether it can maintain its distinctive identity within the cognitive behavior therapy movement are revealed.     

Rational emotive behavior therapy: A Tough-Minded therapy for a Tender-Minded profession

Objections to Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) seem to exceed the mere rational preference for one approach over another. Ziegler suggested that James’s dichotomy between Tough- and Tender-Mindedness might explain REBT’s appeal to some and its failure to attract others. REBT is a predominantly Tough-Minded therapy, but the counseling profession is largely Tender Minded. In this article, the author examines why Tender-Minded counselors may not accept REBT, what common misperceptions of REBT may contribute to this rejection, and how the two might be reconciled. Intervention strategies for Tender-Minded counselors are suggested. Reprinted from Journal of Counseling & Development, January/February 1995, Volume 73. ACA. Reprinted with permission. No further reproduction authorized without written permission from the American Counseling Association. Stephen G. Weinrach, who maintained a private practice in Havertown, Pennsylvania, was a professor of counseling and human relations at Villanova University, Villanova, Pennsylvania, and a Fellow of the Institute for Rational-Emotive Therapy in New York. He died in 2004. This article was based in part upon a presentation entitled, “Obstacles to a Wider Acceptance of RET,” given at the World Congress on Mental Health Counseling/35th Anniversary Conference on Rational-Emotive Therapy, Keystone, Colorado, June, 1990. The author extended his appreciation to his copresenters, Albert Ellis, Janet L. Wolfe, and Daniel J. Ziegler, as well as Michael E. Bernard, Joanne Christopher, Windy Dryden, Gerald L. Gandy, Martin Gerstein, and Allen Ivey.     

Family secrecy: a comparative study of juvenile sex offenders and youth with conduct disorders

The reported research was designed to compare adjudicated male juvenile sexual offenders and youth with conduct disorders on five aspects of family secrecy and deception. Twenty-nine male juvenile sex offenders and 32 comparison youth from three child welfare agencies in New York State participated in the study. Research assistants, blind to the hypotheses of the study and status of the youth, coded agency records for five variables identified a priori as a basis of comparison. Analyses revealed that the two groups were different on three of the five and on the total number of items scored. Families of juvenile sex offenders told more lies, had more family myths, and were more likely to be involved in taboo behavior. Logistic regression revealed that this factor of family deception significantly increased the odds of sexual offending over and above other measures of family pathology. These data support the hypotheses of the study and have implications for both clinical practice and future research in this area.     

Towards case-specific applications of mindfulness-based cognitive-behavioural therapies: A mindfulness-based rational emotive behaviour therapy

Teasdale, Segal and Williams (2003 Teasdale, JD, Segal, ZV and Williams, JMG. 2003. Mindfulness training and problem formulation. Clinical Psychology: Science and Practice, 10: 157–160. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] [Google Scholar]) present the combination of mindfulness and cognitive-behavioural therapy as “one of the most exciting and potentially productive avenues for future exploration.” (p. 160). In the same paper they also recommend moving beyond the current general-purpose, non-case-specific applications of mindfulness (p. 157). By integrating mindfulness interventions more closely with cognitive behavioural theories, clinicians should be in a better position to administer tailor-made mindfulness-based interventions in response to specific case formulations. This paper examines important similarities and differences between mindfulness and Rational-Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT), in view of integrating the two practices closely within a one-on-one counselling environment. The latter half of the paper then presents recommendations of how such integration might be achieved in practice. This is illustrated with examples of three new interventions that combine mindfulness with three specific types of cognitive dysfunction as per REBT.