Download the Excel Sheet for Rational Beliefs Worksheet
Rational Emotive Cognitive Behaviour Therapy – How to work on your irrational thoughts?
ABCD Model
- In RECBT, clients usually learn and begin to apply this premise by learning the A-B-C-D model of psychological disturbance and change. The A-B-C-D model states that it is not the activating event (A) that cause disturbed and dysfunctional emotional and behavioral consequences (C), but also what people irrationally believe (B) about the activating event .
- A, activating event can be an external situation, or a thought, a feeling or other kind of internal event, and it can refer to an event in the past, present, or future.
- The Bs, irrational beliefs that are most important in the A-B-C-D model are explicit and implicit philosophical meanings and assumptions about events, personal desires, and preferences. The Bs, beliefs that are most significant are highly evaluative and consist of interrelated and integrated cognitive, emotional and behavioral aspects and dimensions.
- According to RECBT, if a person’s belief (B) about the A, activating event is rigid, absolutistic, fictional and dysfunctional, the C, the emotional and behavioral consequence, is likely to be self- defeating and destructive. Alternatively, if a person’s belief is preferential, flexible and constructive, the C, the emotional and behavioral consequence is likely to be self-helping and constructive.
- Through RECBT, by understanding the role of their mediating, evaluative and philosophically based illogical, unrealistic and self-defeating meanings, interpretations and assumptions in disturbance, individuals can learn to identify them, then go to D i.e. disputing and questioning.
- They can recognize and reinforce the notion no evidence exists for any psychopathological must, ought, have to, need do or should and distinguish them from healthy constructs, and subscribe to more constructive and self-helping philosophies.
Technique:
Client can be helped to find out irrational beliefs by asking the following questions towards the thought/belief statements of the clients.
| Question | If the given answer is arrived, it is irrational thought/belief | How to convert to a rational belief? |
| 1. Is there 100% evidence for my thought/belief?/ Is there 100% possibility for it to happen? / Is it a fact? / Is it always in such a way? | No | Coming up with a statement with a specific Percentage of truth/possibility |
| 2. Does my thought/belief help me to problem solve? or Does it make me feel better or healthy or good? Or Does it preserve my mental health? | No | Acknowledging the difficulties such as feeling sad, angry, worry, fear and add statements like “however let me see what can be done” |
| 3. Is there a rule that it has to be in such a way only? i.e. thoughts with must/should/ought to/need to/have to (Whose rule is that? – Musterbation) | No | Understanding the pathology of Musterbation and shifting to use flexible words “Prefer to”, “like to”, “try one’s best to”, “wish”, “want” instead of should and their equivalents |
| 4. Is my expectation completely under my control? Am I the only stake holder in the process? | No | Come up with a statement with a specific Percentage of contribution. Accepting the responsibility for my contribution only and not full. Trying my best to think about the things which are completely under my control. Plans to deal with if the expectation is not met |
The rational belief will have 95%- 100% evidence/possibility, will help to problem solve, have words like prefer to, wish, want, try my best to, will be about something which is under one’s control and plans to deal with if the expectation is not met.
If the given answer is arrived for one of the above questions, then it can be an irrational belief. If the belief is found to be irrational, client will come up with a rational belief that would satisfy all the criteria for replacing in the place of irrational belief.
Clients can train themselves to substitute the rational belief on a daily basis by using the excel sheet or some other way.
Clients learn to think rationally during the counseling sessions and they would practice the techniques for some time and train their brain to think rationally. Only after practicing, they may be able to significantly reduce the irrational thoughts/beliefs. Counselors help the clients understand this is different from positive thinking and not a quick fix as positive thinking can be irrational most of the times.