by William Taboas, M.A.
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), originally developed as Rational Therapy and then Rational Emotive Therapy by Dr. Albert Ellis, is widely known for its disputation techniques. Thinking rationally involves evaluating, challenging, and disputing irrational beliefs that lead to dysfunctional emotions. If you go to any history of psychology book, it discusses how Ellis influenced the Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) world with his Socratic and emotive techniques of disputation. However, if you ask any true REBT practitioner, most will say that disputation is not the essential piece of REBT that leads to lasting change. Instead, most, if not all REBT practitioners, will say it is practicing the alternative, more functional and effective belief that will bring behavioral, cognitive, and emotional change.
In REBT, practicing the new alternative effective beliefs is encouraged. Sure, disputing the irrational and dysfunctional belief will allow one to generate a more rational and effective way to view one’s plight. But constantly disputing can be a taxing endeavor if the irrational beliefs are never replaced with more rational beliefs. The crucial piece is practicing the new rational belief in order to reinforce rational thinking and behaving over irrational thinking and behaving. After all, practicing the effective rational belief will bring one closer to one’s goals, practicing one’s, and will encourage one to endure hard times.
I write this piece because I have found that some get stuck on the disputation piece of REBT without moving on to generating and practicing the alternative rational beliefs that replace the irrational beliefs. In some cases, over-disputing without generating effective beliefs can prove troublesome for practitioners and clients alike. In other cases, the client can engage in over-disputing on their own, only to be stuck in a ruminative and perseverative process. Ellis caught on and adjusted his message accordingly. More recent forms of CBT, such as Acceptance and Commitment Therapy and Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, both emphasize that the practice of effective thinking and behaving in the face of challenging situations are integral in pursuing goals, values, and developing self-efficacy. Ellis’ intention wasn’t to have clients dispute irrational beliefs for the sake of disputing; but to get into the avoided situations and practice, practice, practice, until the alternative rational beliefs become reinforced.
