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Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy 3/2012

01-09-2012 | Original Article

The “ABCs” of REBT I: A Preliminary Study of Errors and Confusions in Counselling and Psychotherapy Textbooks

Auteur: Windy Dryden

Gepubliceerd in: Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy | Uitgave 3/2012

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Abstract

In this study, a random sample of twenty counselling and psychotherapy textbooks were studied with respect to the errors and confusions made by the authors of these textbooks with respect to the “ABCs” of REBT. A total of 240 of such errors/confusions were found with most being made about beliefs at “B”, particularly about irrational beliefs. A variety of errors and confusions were also made about (i) the relationship between “B” and “C” (including whether or not such a relationship is causal), (ii) the relationship between irrational beliefs and disturbed responses at “C”, (iii) “A” and (iv) “emotional “Cs”. Twenty errors were even made about the name of the therapy! It was suggested that one way of addressing this state of affairs would be for the Albert Ellis Institute to commission a group of REBT experts to write a document especially for authors of counselling and psychotherapy textbooks and for publishers of these works that specifies clearly and accurately agreed wisdom about the “ABCs” of REBT. The weaknesses of the current study were noted and suggestions for future research made.
Voetnoten
1
In such examples, the gender was determined by the toss of a coin.
 
2
Perhaps more commonly known as low frustration tolerance (LFT) beliefs.
 
3
Perhaps more commonly known as high frustration tolerance (HFT) beliefs.
 
4
Epictetus, who is often cited by REBT theorists, claimed that people are disturbed not by things, but by their views of things. The REBT version of this is: “People are disturbed not by things; rather they disturb themselves by the irrational beliefs that they hold about things.”
 
5
While catastrophising is the old-fashioned term for the irrational belief known as “awfulising”, its pairing with “self-talk” here is confusing for the reader.
 
6
It is the words “thinking” and “thoughts” that is the problem here, not the word “irrational”. The first two words are too imprecise.
 
7
It is the word “statements” here that is again the problem not the word “irrational”. It is too imprecise.
 
8
The inclusion of the words “must” and “awful” here do not indicate the presence of an irrational belief. The meaning seems to be that the person thinks that the essay is very bad.
 
9
Again the presence of the word “must” does not indicate the presence of an irrational belief. The person appears to have a strong conviction that his inference that his boss is out to get him is correct.
 
10
Since REBT is mainly concerned with irrational beliefs, readers could easily infer that these hot cognitions are, in fact, irrational beliefs.
 
11
This is more typical of Beck’s cognitive therapy (Wills 2009).
 
12
I have inserted numbers in this quote to aid comprehension.
 
13
This is the first irrational belief.
 
14
This is the second irrational belief.
 
15
See footnote 5 for the difference between awfulising and catastrophising.
 
16
“I just can’t stand it” is the discomfort intolerance belief in this example.
 
17
In this section I will discuss this issue with respect to partial and full self-acceptance beliefs. The same points are relevant to partial and full other-acceptance and life-acceptance beliefs.
 
18
i to iv inserted by me to aid clarity.
 
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Metagegevens
Titel
The “ABCs” of REBT I: A Preliminary Study of Errors and Confusions in Counselling and Psychotherapy Textbooks
Auteur
Windy Dryden
Publicatiedatum
01-09-2012
Uitgeverij
Springer US
Gepubliceerd in
Journal of Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavior Therapy / Uitgave 3/2012
Print ISSN: 0894-9085
Elektronisch ISSN: 1573-6563
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10942-011-0137-1