Oro House uses Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) in our Los Angeles and Malibu treatment centers as an action-based approach to help our clients overcome negative mental, emotional, and behavioral issues.
This therapy fits nicely into our dual diagnosis treatment program because it teaches our clients how to examine and address many of the circumstances that may lead to addiction and mental health problems like depression, stress, anxiety, and guilt or shame.
Contact Us For More Info on Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
What is Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy?
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, also known as REBT, was developed by Albert Ellis in 1955 to address unhealthy or negative emotions, attitudes, and behaviors.
It was in use before the creation of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy and shares many similarities to CBT.
It is called Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy because it focuses on the idea of rational and irrational beliefs and the way they can affect emotions and behavior.
Rational Beliefs are logical, flexible, and grounded in reality. These can result in healthy negative emotions and adoptive behaviors.
Irrational Beliefs are illogical, rigid, and imagined or not based on reality. These can lead to unhealthy negative emotions that cause unstable or dysfunctional behavior.
REBT Therapy involves direct work with exercises that target irrational beliefs, unhealthy emotional responses, and harmful or dysfunctional behaviors to reformulate them into rational beliefs.
What is REBT Therapy Useful For?
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy is useful for a range of conditions that are impacted by negative thoughts and emotions that often lead to some form of distress or unhealthy behaviors.
Common conditions treated by REBT include:
- Stress and Anxiety
- Depression
- Anger, Guilt, and Shame
- Addiction and Addictive Behaviors
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
- Social Anxiety Disorder
- Psychotic Symptoms
- Suicidal Thoughts
- Phobias
- Eating Disorders
- Procrastination
- Sleep Issues
Some of these conditions overlap and many of them may progress to drug or alcohol addiction if substances are used to cope with the symptoms.
How Does Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy Work?
Many forms of cognitive therapy work to identify and change negative thoughts emotions, and behaviors.
REBT is similar, with the focus on recognizing and changing irrational beliefs and thought patterns.
ABC Model of REBT
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy uses an ABC Model or framework, where ABC stands for Activating Event, Beliefs, and Consequences.
- Activating Event – something happens.
- Beliefs – a belief about the event is formed.
- Consequences – an emotional reaction about the belief of the event occurs.
Suppose you call your best friend about going to dinner next week and they don’t answer so you leave a message. You don’t hear back so you call again the next day and they still don’t answer or call you back. This is the “activating event.”
You form an irrational “belief“ that you did something wrong and he or she doesn’t want to talk to you. This irrational belief leads to the negative “consequence” that you become depressed or have an anxiety attack trying to figure out what you did wrong and why they don’t call you back.
It turns out your friend lost their phone and calls a day later to let you know what happened an apologizes for not getting back to you sooner. This is the rational reality of what actually happened.
REBT Therapy teaches people to understand that jumping to conclusions can lead to “irrational thoughts” like in this example, and uses techniques and exercises to reframe these thoughts into rational beliefs that lead to more normal and healthy emotions and behavior.
This gives an individual far greater control over his or her thoughts and feelings.
It can take practice and work, but is very practical, because it focuses on the “here and now” of what is actually real, instead of conjured up thoughts and beliefs that are not real.
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy at Oro House
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy is one of many evidence-based treatment modalities we use at Oro House Recovery Centers
Our clients are given the opportunity to learn how to work toward thinking in a positive frame of truth in the present moment, and to experience the world as it really is.
REBT is a treatment therapy that requires actions in order to reap the benefits it offers. It may not be easy work but it’s worth it. We are here to support, guide, teach, and help each person learn ways to implement these tools for a more successful life.
Oro House works in collaboration with our clients, and we believe that building a shared bond is vitally important for recovery and healing.
We are here to empower and guide you as you begin the journey toward a new way of seeing yourself in the world.
Our comprehensive non 12 step recovery program offers a wide range of treatment therapies like REBT that are designed to be effective for the individual needs of each client.
Oro House is licensed by the California Department of Healthcare Services (DHCS) and Joint Commission Accredited, which is recognized as the Gold Standard of patient care and safety.
Newsweek recognized us as one of America’s Best Addiction Treatment Centers in 2020, 2021, 2022, and 2023.