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ALBERT ELLISRational Emotive Behavior TherapyThe best years of your life are the ones in which you decide your problems are your own. You do not blame them on your mother, the ecology, or the president. You realize that you control your own destiny.

Meet Albert Ellis (1913-2007)

The War on Musturbation (Albert Ellis Documentary Preview) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FOA9Sc08ZkSTOP AT 0:352

Early Life of Albert EllisAlbert Ellis was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1913 and was raised in New York.He was the eldest of three children.He suffered numerous health related issues as a child, which includes a devastating kidney disease, hospitalized for tonsillitis; a severe streptococcal infection which needed emergency surgery.He was hospitalized eight different times between the ages of five and seven years, one of which lasted nearly a year.

Early Life of Albert EllisHe suffered from health problems his entire life. Diagnosed of insulin dependent diabetes at age 40.His health issues diverted his attention from sports to writing books.His parents were unaffectionate and unsupportive.His father was never available, always away on business trips during his early childhood.His father experienced minimal success in his business ventures.He described his mother as a self absorbed woman with bipolar disorder.

Early Life of Albert EllisAccording to Ellis his mother was a bustling chatter box who never listened.She expounded her opinions on subjects but rarely provided a factual bases for her views.The strife in his family led to divorce between his parents when he was 12 years old.Ellis took the burden to raise and care for his 2 younger siblings.

Early Life of Albert EllisThe Great Depression mandated all three siblings to find work.However, his rough upbringing did not stop his determination for success.He made the best out of his childhood by using his head and becoming, in his own words, a stubborn and pronounced problem-solver.

Early Life of Albert EllisExaggerated fears of speaking in public.He was extremely shy around women during his adolescence.At 19, he was already thinking like a cognitive behavioral therapist.He encouraged himself to speak to 100 women in the Bronx Botanical Gardens and this in turn helped him overcome his fear of rejection by women.

The War on Musturbation (Ellis Movie Clip #3: Social Phobia) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNBG0VdZvXg7

Education & Early CareerHe had the vision of becoming The Greatest American Novelist.Planned to study accounting in high school and college, make enough money to retire at age 30 and write without the pressure of financial need.The Great Depression thwarted his plans, but he was able to finish college.He earned a degree in business administration in 1934 from the City University of New York.

Education & Early CareerHis first business career was a pants-matching business which he started with his brother. They scourged the New York garment circle-lines for pants to match costumers still-usable coats.He became the personnel manager for a gift and novelty firm in 1938.He devoted most of his spare time to writing short stories, plays, novels, comic poetry, essays, and non-fiction books.

Education & Early CareerHe wrote non-fiction books because he realized his future did not lie on writing fiction, which helped him to promote what he called the Sex-family revolution.He earned his masters degree at the Teachers College, Columbia University.Earned his Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology with a focus on Psychoanalysis.Earned his Ph.D. and taught at New York University and Rutgers University.He wrote several books.

Early Theoretical Contri-bution to Psychotherapy

He was married twice and neither produced him children.His numerous love interests were short lived and conflicted relationships.These conflicts in his love affair helped him with the background necessary to write numerous books and articles about human sexuality.

Contribution to Psycho-therapy, ContdKaren Horney, Alfred Adler, Eric Fromm, and Harry Stack-Sullivan are his greatest influence, played a role in shaping his psychological models.In 1953, he began advocating a more direct and active type of psychotherapy, which he called Rational Therapy and later renamed it the Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy.

What situations lead to the use REBT?Assist an individual by shedding light on dysfunctional beliefs configure them into more practical, useful beliefsHelp an individual to conquer defeatist thoughts in order to allow for achievementsEncourage one to assume adaptive thoughts in place of irrationalityThought is action in rehearsal.Sigmund Freud

What are irrational beliefs (iB)?Rational BeliefsLogical: It is not helpful and may be harmful to become overly distraught. Facing and solving tough problems is rewarding. No matter how evil an act, there are reasons for it.Practical: No one can be perfect. It is not possible for everyone to love and approve of us.Generate functional results: Perfection is not a goal. You cant change the past, but you can learn from it.Irrational BeliefsDemandingAwfulizingLow Frustration TolerancePeople RatingBe careful about what you think. Your thoughts run your life.Proverbs 4:23

12 Irrational Beliefs: The idea thatIt is a dire necessity for adults to be loved/approved by every significant other for everything you doCertain acts are awful/wicked, and that people who perform such acts should be severely damnedIt is horrible when things are not the way we like them to beHuman misery is invariably externally caused and is forced on us by outside people and eventsIf something is or may be dangerous/fearsome, we should be terribly upset and endlessly obsess about itIt is easier to avoid than to face life difficulties and self-responsibilitiesWe absolutely need something other, stronger or greater than ourselves on which to relyWe should be thoroughly competent, intelligent and achieving in all possible respectsBecause something once strongly affected our life, it should indefinitely affect itWe must have certain and perfect control over thingsHuman happiness can be achieved by inertia and inactionWe have virtually no control over our emotions and that we cannot help feeling disturbed about things

For there is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.Hamlet: Act II, Scene 2

Where do irrational beliefs originate? Childhood: Parents provide the foundation of our belief system; children are defenseless and subject to whatever their parents say to them. Environment: We are always subject to the environment.The events that occur in ones life are situations that we unknowingly allow ourselves to be affected by. Unconsciously, we allow things to be negatively reinforced. As we grow older, Ellis believed that we permit these incidents to dictate our behavior. The nature of that environment will lead a defeated person further into deficit thinking.

ABCs of REBT

[A] Activating event/adversity: Situation that occurs[B] Beliefs: Rational (rB) or irrational (iB) regarding the situation[C] Consequence: Emotional, physiological, or behavioral responseYou are today where your thoughts have brought you

D & E of REBT

[D] Disputation: Challenge negative or unhelpful thoughts[E] Effective New Beliefs: Replacement of negativity with more useful thoughtsYou will be tomorrow where your thoughts take you.James Allen

Learn your ABCs

The ABCDEs of REBT (Moves like Dryden) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_frDwckrys19

Methods of REBTCognitive Techniques: Strategically changing negative thoughts.Behavioral Techniques: Learning coping mechanisms to combat stressful situations.Emotive Techniques: Exploration of feelings to modify thoughts.

Who can be helped by REBT?Depression & mood disordersAggressiveness, angerAnxietyObsessive Compulsive DisorderPerfectionismSurprisingly,Eating DisordersAttention Deficit/Hyperactivity DisorderRelationship difficulties, couples/family therapy

More Contributions of Albert EllisBOOKS:How to Control Anger Before it Controls YouThe Road to Tolerance: Philosophy of Rational Emotive Behavior TherapyThe Secret to Overcoming Verbal Abuse: Getting off the Emotional Rollercoaster and Regaining Control of Your LifeEllis wrote more than 80 books and 1,200 articles!ALSO:The Albert Ellis Institute!

50 Ways to Leave Your Neuroses Dr. Albert Ellis http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzS-xJOj_6E23