ABCDEFG Model
In Rational-Emotive & Cognitive-Behavioral Psychotherapy – RECBT, clients begin to apply the above principles by learning the ABCDEFG model of psychological disturbance and change. Initially, the ABC model, at a theoretical level, emphasizes that it is not the negative event that is associated with the development of unhealthy emotions, dysfunctional behaviors, and strong, tense bodily reactions and negative thoughts (C-consequences), but mainly the rigid, irrational and illogical beliefs (B) held by people about the event (A).
The following letters represent the concepts of the ABCDEFG model:
A (Activating events or Adversities): The event is usually something important to the individual, which may be an external event or internal thought, image, feeling, behavior or sensation that may be related to a past, present or future.
B (Beliefs: basic mental attitudes/irrational – unhelpful): Rigid, irrational, illogical evaluations – beliefs about A:
Demands, catastrophizing, low frustration tolerance, depreciation of self/others/life.
C (Consequences): Unhealthy (negative/positive) emotions, dysfunctional behaviors, strong, tense bodily reactions, and negative thoughts created mainly by rigid, irrational, illogical beliefs (B).
RECBT, through its dual emotion theory, explains the eight unhealthy negative emotions (depression, anxiety, anger, hurt, shame, guilt, unhealthy jealousy, and unhealthy envy) that are targeted for change and transformed into healthy negative emotions. (sadness, concern, annoyance, remorse/regret, disappointment, healthy jealousy, healthy envy).
D (Challenging irrational, rigid, illogical, unhelpful attitudes/beliefs): e.g., using pragmatic/functional, empirical, realistic, and philosophical disputations.
E (Effective rational, helpful attitudes/beliefs): The effective new philosophy (flexible, rational, and realistic beliefs/attitudes) that shapes the individual through the challenging of rigid, irrational, and illogical beliefs.
F (Functional/healthy emotions, adaptive/helpful behaviors, and bodily reactions): New results: healthy emotions, functional/creative behaviors, healthy bodily reactions, and functional/positive thoughts resulting from flexible, rational, and realistic beliefs (E).
G (Goal): According to the RECBT method, when an individual’s beliefs (B) about the event (A) are absolute, rigid, and irrational, then the emotional, behavioral, and bodily reactions and thoughts (C) are more likely to be self-destructive and harmful. Alternatively, if an individual’s beliefs (B) are flexible, then the emotional, behavioral, and bodily reactions and thoughts (C) are more likely to be helpful, creative, and productive.
Through RECBT therapy, people understand the mediation of rigid, irrational, and illogical evaluations (beliefs/attitudes – B), acquire the ability to recognize them, and consequently challenge them (D). Then, based on the same fact A, they “construct” a series of new flexible, rational, and realistic beliefs, a new effective philosophy (E) for event A. This new rational view, attitude, mentality, and evaluation leads to new healthy emotions, functional behaviors, thoughts, and bodily reactions (F), suitable to deal with event A and achieve their goals (G).
RECBT therapy is applied as an educational process in which the therapist, often in an active directive way, teaches the client how to recognize irrational and self-destructive beliefs and philosophies, which by their nature are rigid, extreme, unrealistic, irrational, and absolute, so that they can then be categorically and actively challenged, confronted and finally replaced with logical, helpful and functional beliefs for the individual. Using different cognitive, emotional, and behavioral methods and actions, the client, with the help of the therapist and personal examination, can acquire a logical, helpful and creative way of thinking, and expressing emotion and behavior.
RECBT suggests that many of these cognitive, emotional, and behavioral self-destructive tendencies are inherently biological and develop early in life, as well as during a person’s life. The individual, when he rests on these biological tendencies and continues to repeat them, ends up strengthening them, and as a result, he clings to them, reinforces them, automates them and acts on them.
Core beliefs/attitudes with which people disturb themselves
Ellis (1994) proposed three fundamental absolute, rigid, and irrational beliefs (B) through which people disrupt themselves and hinder the achievement of their goals: “I must always do well in what I do.” “People must always accept me.” “Life should always be easy.”
The following diagram contains examples of rigid, extreme, and irrational beliefs (B), which cause unhealthy emotions, negative, pessimistic thoughts, dysfunctional behaviors, and intense, tense bodily reactions (C).
RECBT is a trans-diagnostic model of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT). Unlike some forms of CBT which require therapists to have a broad knowledge of specialized protocols, RECBT looks at the individual as a whole rather than as a symptom and teaches a model that can be successfully applied to a wide range of emotional and behavioral issues. It offers a therapeutic structure that helps the client achieve long-term emotional and behavioral changes, a general model that people can apply in all areas of their lives (Ellis, 2012).
“I MUST definitely, in all circumstances and in all events, perform well (or extremely well) and gain the acceptance (or complete love) of important others. If I fail in these important events, it is tragic and I am a bad, unreliable, unworthy person, who will probably always fail and deserves to suffer “(B).
“The people I relate or associate with MUST absolutely, under all circumstances and at all times, behave well, fairly, and count me in. Otherwise, it is awful, and they are rotten, bad, and unworthy people who will always treat me badly and do not deserve a good life and should be severely punished for treating me so disgustingly “(B).
“The events/situations I experience MUST absolutely, at all times, be favorable, safe, hassle-free, quick, and easily enjoyable and, if not, that is awful, scary and I cannot stand it. I can never enjoy anything. My life is weak, and I hardly deserve to live “(B).
By adopting and reinforcing this attitude, when faced with negative events/ situations (A), we tend to contribute/ lead ourselves to feelings of panic, depression, despair, and unworthiness (C).
By adopting and reinforcing this attitude, when faced with negative events/ situations (A), we tend to contribute/ lead ourselves to feelings of anger, rage, fury and revenge (C).
By adopting and reinforcing this attitude, when faced with negative events/ situations (A), we tend to contribute/ lead ourselves to feelings of discomfort, self-pity, anger, depression and behaviors such as procrastination, avoidance, addictive behavior and inaction (C).
RCEBT has been used to address a variety of clinical and day-to-day issues: Clinical Practice & Counseling (Ellis & Blau, 1998; Ellis, Nielson & Johnson, 2001; Ellis & Lega, 2001), Stress & Anxiety (Ellis, Gordon, Neenan & Palmer, 1997). , Ellis, 2000, Ellis, 2001, DiGiuseppe & Tafrate, 2006), Rational Life (Ellis & Harper, 1975, Ellis, 2000, Ellis, 2001, Elis & Blau, 2001), Violence (Ellis, 2002), Social Phobias ( Ellis, 2003), Managing difficult people (Ellis, 2003, Ellis, 2003), Education (Bernard, 2004b, Vernon, 2002, Ellis, 1957, Ellis, 1961, Ellis & Harper, | 961, Ellis, 1994, Ellis & DiGiuseppe , 1994, Ellis & Lange, 1994, Ellis & Robb, 1994, Ellis & Dryden, 2007, Ellis, with Foreword Kristine A. Doyle, 2006, Katoikns, 2017, Smith, 1982, David, Cotet, Matu, Mogoase & Stefan, 2018).
How will the RECBT therapist help you?
The RECBT therapist will guide you through a series of useful strategies and techniques for managing your emotions and behaviors so that you may promote the achievement of important life goals. More specifically, your RECBT therapist will help you identify and challenge your irrational (unhelpful) beliefs/mental attitudes about upsetting life events, to feel and act more in accordance with your goals, without being carried away by external events outside of your control.
Your RECBT therapist will assist you in adopting and practicing rational beliefs/mental attitudes in your daily life that will allow you to take control and ownership of how you think, feel, and act, so that you can achieve specific goals. The therapeutic process will also include emotional and behavioral tailor-made exercises, as well as a review of relevant material to apply outside of the therapy sessions to reinforce your therapeutic learnings and generalize the kernels of your therapeutic gains.
Among others, your beliefs (i.e., your core thoughts and evaluations in relation to a given situation) are one of the most important determinants of your emotional experience (i.e., what you feel in a given situation) and your behaviors (i.e., how you act in a given situation).
For example, when you think irrationally (i.e., when you have unrealistic/unhelpful beliefs, such as “I really want to succeed in my school/work, and therefore I MUST absolutely succeed in my school/work”), the experience of unhealthy negative emotions (e.g., unhealthy anxiety), the adoption of unconstructive behaviors (e.g., avoidance of studying/working) and the occurrence of goal-defeating thoughts (e.g., “I won’t succeed anyway, so why keep trying?”) become very likely.
On the other hand, when you think rationally (i.e., when you have realistic/helpful beliefs like “I really want to succeed in my school/work, BUT that doesn’t mean that it definitely needs to happen”), the experience of healthy negative emotions (e.g., healthy and productive anxiety), the adoption of constructive behaviors (e.g., persisting on studying/working more or scheduling a better study/work plan) and the occurrence of goal-promoting thoughts (e.g., “There are possibilities to succeed in the future”) become more possible.
Based on these premises, the most effective way to reduce your emotional distress is to change the way you think about and evaluate challenging life experiences (i.e., to replace your rigid/extreme beliefs which do not help you achieve your goals, with more flexible ones that can promote the achievement of important life goals).
To do that, your RECBT therapist will assist you in learning to identify and challenge your irrational belief system through the use of particular disputation strategies, in an active, systematic, and dynamic manner. In the same way, you will be helped to learn and adopt rational and more flexible mental attitudes. The disputation process includes the examination of whether your beliefs are a) realistic, b) logical, and/or c) helpful in attaining your goals. Your RECBT therapist will teach you the art and science of disputing your irrational mental attitudes and show you how to adopt rational ideas which will promote the constructive management of your emotions and behaviors in a goal-promoting manner.
Overall, your RECBT therapist will assist you in applying rational principles both inside and outside the therapeutic context, thereby promoting rational living.