Rational emotive behaviour therapy : 100 key points and techniques / Windy Dryden and Michael Neenan.

Part 1 THERAPEUTIC ALLIANCE ISSUES 9
1 Use the concept of the therapeutic alliance 11
2 Vary your bond with different clients 14 3 Vary your influence base 17 4 Vary the extent of your directiveness over the course of therapy 19 5 Work to facilitate your clients’ learning 21 6 Use the ‘challenging, but not overwhelming’ principle 24 7 Establish the reflection process 26 8 Use a common language with your clients 28 9 Maintain a goal-directed stance in therapy 30 10 Elicit your clients’ commitment to effect change 32 11 Strive for philosophical change, but be prepared to compromise 34 12 Engage clients in the most productive therapeutic arena 36 Part 2 EDUCATIONAL ISSUES 39 13 Suggest that clients record and review their therapy sessions 41 14 Educate clients in the model and process of REBT and help them understand your respective roles within that process 44
15 Explain what you are doing and why you are doing it 47 16 Pay attention to clients’ non-verbal and paraverbal behaviour 49 17 Repeatedly teach your clients the principle of emotional responsibility 51 18 Teach the full distinction between rational beliefs and irrational beliefs 53 19 Teach your clients to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy negative emotions 55 20 Teach your clients the importance of dealing with emotional disturbance before they learn new skills or change their environment 57 21 Teach your clients about the cognitive consequences of irrational beliefs and the effects that bringing irrational beliefs to situations have on
their interpretations at A 59
22 Teach relapse prevention 63 23 Teach your clients the principles of REBT self-therapy 65 Part 3 DEALING WITH CLIENTS’ MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT REBT 67
24 Elicit and deal with your clients’ doubts about REBT 69 25 Show clients that even highly aversive events do not cause disturbed emotions 70 26 Show clients that they can accept emotional responsibility without blame 73 27 Show your clients that if they take emotional responsibility this does not mean that others can discharge responsibility for their behaviour
75 28 Show clients that the ABC model of REBT is simple, but not simplistic 78
29 Show clients that REBT does not neglect their past 80 30 Show your clients that acceptance is very different from resignation and complacency 82 31 Show your clients that REBT certainly does not neglect their emotions 84 32 Show your clients that REBT does not neglect the therapeutic relationship 86 33 Explain REBT’s position on the equalities and inequalities in the therapeutic relationship 88 34 Show your clients that REBT is the antithesis to brainwashing 90 35 Explain to your clients the difference between outlining REBT’s position on emotion and behaviour and telling them what to feel and what
to do 92 36 Show your clients that your job is to help them to find their own solutions to their problems, not prevent them from doing so 94 37 Explain to your clients the difference between therapeutic confrontation and being overly confrontational as a therapist 96 38 Show clients the difference between providing structure in REBT and putting them into a therapeutic straitjacket 98 39 Dispel the notion that REBT is only concerned with changing beliefs 100 40 Show that REBT can be modified to work with a broad range of clients 102 Part 4 TECHNICAL ISSUES 103 41 Be organized and structured in therapy sessions 105 42 Obtain sufficient information to help you carry out your therapeutic tasks 108 43 Keep on track 111 44 Choose the most suitable problem 114 45 Ask for specific examples of your clients’ problems 118 46 Work a problem through 120 47 Take care in your use of questions 122 48 Take great care in assessing A 126 49 Focus on core irrational beliefs 129 50 Look for hidden irrational beliefs in elements of your clients’ verbalizations and behaviours 132 51 Allow for time-limited irrationalities in your clients 134 52 Guard against insensitivity when challenging your clients’ irrational beliefs 137 53 Assess the basis for client change 139 54 Reinforce change without reinforcing your clients’ need for approval 140 55 Assess for meta-psychological disturbance and work with your clients to target this when clinically appropriate 142 56 Teach your clients when to respond to problematic thoughts and beliefs and when to mindfully accept them 144 57 Do not be afraid to be repetitive 146 58 When in doubt, return to first principles 148 59 Be flexible in terminating therapy 149 Part 5 ENCOURAGING CLIENTS TO WORK AT CHANGE 151 60 Let your client’s brain take the strain 153 61 Help your clients to engage in relevant change-producing tasks 155 62 Use a variety of self-help forms 157 63 Systematically train your clients to use REBT self-help forms 162 64 Negotiate suitable homework assignments with your clients 164 65 Suggest different homework assignments for different purposes 166 66 Encourage your clients to seek adversity when carrying out homework assignments, but to do so sensibly 168 67 Encourage your clients to do daily self-help assignments 170 68 Regularly check homework assignments at the beginning of the next session 172 69 Build in generalization 175 Part 6 DISPUTING 177 70 Assume that A is temporarily true 179 71 Dispute one irrational belief at a time 182 72 Teach your clients the choice-based model of assessment and disputing 184
73 Keep your clients’ goals in mind while disputing 188
74 Be comprehensive in disputing 190
75 Be meaningful, vigorous and persistent in disputing 194
76 Discover and use disputing techniques that work for you 197
77 Help your clients to not only weaken their irrational beliefs but also construct and strengthen rational alternatives 202
78 Encourage your clients to use a coping model of disputing rather than a mastery model 204
79 Encourage your clients to identify and dispute for themselves the irrational beliefs of others 207
80 Avoid premature and delayed disputing 209
81 Carefully distinguish between disputing questions and assessment questions 211 82 Encourage your clients to use the principles of overlearning while disputing their irrational beliefs 213 Part 7 DEALING WITH OBSTACLES TO CLIENT CHANGE 215 83 Assess and deal with obstacles to client change 217 84 Recognize that both you and your clients bring irrational beliefs to REBT 221 85 Assess and deal with your clients’ misinterpretations of your disputing strategies 225 86 Ensure that your clients do not subtly undermine or counteract their new rational beliefs 227 87 Identify and deal with obstacles to homework completion 229 Part 8 CREATIVITY 233 88 Make judicious use of referrals 235 89 Be flexible in your use of therapy sessions 237 90 Use techniques from other therapeutic approaches, but in a manner consistent with REBT theory 240 91 Vary the medium, but not the message 242 92 Be vivid in your interventions, but avoid being too vivid 245 93 Create new REBT techniques 247 94 Capitalize on your clients’ pre-therapy experiences of personal change 249 Part 9 DEVELOP YOURSELF PERSONALLY AND PROFESSIONALLY 251 95 Beware the neurotic agreement 253
96 Seek regular supervision and engage in regular continuing professional development (CPD) activities within and outside REBT/CBT 255
97 Transcribe therapy sessions periodically and evaluate each of your interventions 258
98 Use REBT in your own life 260
99 Take REBT seriously, but not too seriously 262
100 Develop your own style in therapy and in life 265
References 267

Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) is practised all over the world and has many therapeutic, occupational and educational applications. Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy: 100 Key Points and Techniques presents 100 main features of this system, to help therapists improve their practice. These essential points have been derived from the authors' own practice, and also from their experience as trainers and supervisors of novice rational emotive behaviour therapists.The new edition has been updated throughout to take account of changes in the field. Beginning with an introduction outlining the basics of the approach, this book offers thorough coverage of all the vital topics including: - therapeutic alliance issues- educational issues- dealing with clients' misconceptions about REBT- encouraging clients to work at change- dealing with obstacles to client change- using the system in a creative wayThis concise and highly practical book will be invaluable to psychotherapists and counsellors in training and practice, ensuring comprehensive understanding of the REBT approach.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 267-272).