The Nature and Objectives of RET

Rational emotive therapy (RET) is intended to change erroneous and illogical notions in a person which may give rise to pessimistic feelings and maladjustive behavior. The basis for RET is the principle that a person acts and behaves as per the convictions which may be rational or irrational in nature. RET is a sort of psychotherapy aiming to address such irrational and illogical convictions and actions which may cause emotional distress.

According to Albert Ellis, the originator of RET, the main aim and objective of RET is to alter a person’s convictions and self-assessment. It aims to address dogmatic mindset of deep convictions which will manifest in rigid fixed features such as ‘ought to’, ‘should’ and ‘must’, etc. This rigid format behavior is irrational and illogical. This straight-jacket behavior will not help in realizing one’s self worth and achievements. People can take advantage of RET to face their day-to-day life and the attendant problems and to benefit from it in terms of happiness and well-being.

An individual’s emotions rise mainly from his/her convictions, assessments and understanding of situations that happen in life. An individual’s erroneous and flawed thinking, as a consequence of certain beliefs, will lead to misery and suffering. In rational emotive therapy, people will be taught to identify and contest irrational convictions. RET sessions are like classrooms, where the educational procedure is run by the therapist as a teacher and the treatment receiver as a student and a learner. Albert Ellis said that problems with regard to feelings and personal conduct will happen when people seize simple tendencies and likings such as longing for affection, consents, and achievements, etc., and make them into critical necessities.

Rational emotive therapy is a variety of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). According to this line of therapy, it aims to alter thinking patterns that may result in behavioral changes and improve positive frame of mind that will offset negative thinking. This will help in reducing irrational nature and will bring back reasonable and logical behavior. This therapy is used in the treatment of anxiety, stress, and depressive disorders.

The ABC Theory of RET

Albert Ellis theorized that cognitions, emotions, and behavior are interrelated and act together. He added the concept of A-B-C theory of personality. According to him, A’s are Activating events (triggering factors), B’s are Beliefs (these evolve from events), and C’s are Consequences (emotional and behavioral outcome from beliefs). Activating events or factors cause irrational and illogical beliefs and the resulting consequences make people turn maladaptive, depressive, angry, or neurotic.

An activating event is the causative factor for belief, an event that has permanent effect on the person, a sort of an affront or deeply offending circumstance. A belief or conviction develops based on such life changing event. A life-changing event is always the cause for a belief. As a consequence of such belief, the behavior of a person is determined. The rationality or the irrationality of a person’s behavior depends on the belief itself. The belief is the causative factor for behavioral pattern. The activating event is not the cause of person’s behavior. The reaction to it, the emerged belief, is the cause for behavior.

A rational conviction will make a person to see things in right perspective and enables a person to take things into stride. When an irrational belief develops from such an offending event, it will manifest in depression or anger in a person. When a person possesses a number of such irrational and illogical beliefs, he or she will undergo a lot of emotional pain in life. The situation will only deteriorate as the person is bound to encounter situations that will make the life of the person really miserable and will lead to neurotic disorders.

So, how a person behaves and conducts is decided by how the person thinks and interprets. This is where rational emotive therapy comes into the picture. It is the therapist’s job to make the person to talk and get him spill the inner beans sort of, and educate the person about the actual nature of his/her beliefs, and try and change certain perceptions of the past beliefs that are causing misery and suffering to the person. RET will provide an effective opportunity for a person to correct behavioral flaws and shortcomings and to realize self worth and fulfillment in life.