Unit A Analysis: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy

Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy

1. Unit Analysis: Cognitive-
Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and
Rational Emotive Behaviour
Therapy (REBT)
By: Harneet Sandhu

2. Albert Eliis and Aaron Beck

3. Overview of CBT & REBT
Both CBT and REBT integrate cognitive psychology
and behavioural learning theory.
• Emotional and behavioural responses are shaped
by interpretation, not events.
• Ellis’s REBT ABCDE Model
• Beck’s CBT: Identifying and restructuring cognitive
distortions.

5. Therapeutic
Process
• Structured, directive,
and collaborative
approach.
• Focus on cognitive
restructuring and
behavioural activation.
• Health = rational, flexible
thinking and adaptive
behaviour.
• Dysfunction = rigid or
maladaptive beliefs.

6. Contemporary
Developments
• Munnik et al. (2024) recommend
integrating Psychological Skills
Training (PST) into REBT.
• Expands use for performance
enhancement and emotional
regulation.
• Reflects CBT’s evolution into
performance and applied settings.

7. My Stance and Positioning
• I hold a cautiously
positive view of CBT
and REBT.
• Appreciate structure,
clarity, and evidence
base.
• Acknowledge
limitations in
addressing cultural and
systemic complexity.
• My collectivist
background values
interdependence and
social context.
• Louis Sass reminds us
to ‘read over the
cultural text’ shaping
thought.

8. Supporting Argument
• CBT empowers clients to actively engage in
their healing process.
• Effective for anxiety and depression through
structured skill-building.
• REBT’s integration of PST enhances coping
and performance.

9. Critical Perspectives
• Al-Roubaiy (2020) critiques CBT’s
mechanistic view, urging integration
with mindfulness and emotion.
• Mad in America (2015) argues that
‘CBT does not exist’ as a unified
theory.
• Highlights flexibility but theoretical
fragmentation.

10. Cultural Considerations
• CBT’s focus on individual rationality may
overlook systemic injustice.
• Labeling marginalized clients’ fears as
‘distorted’ risks invalidating lived experiences.
• Integrative REBT model encourages cultural
and emotional awareness.

11. Strengths of CBT & REBT
• Strong empirical support and wide applicability.
• Time-limited, structured, and empowering for clients.
• Effective for mood disorders, anxiety, and stress management.
• Integration of PST enhances adaptability and resilience.

12. Limitations of
CBT & REBT
•• Can be overly
rationalistic and
individualistic.
•• Risks pathologizing
cultural or
emotional
experiences.
•• Fragmented
theoretical identity.

13. Conclusion
•• CBT and REBT remain foundational
frameworks for psychotherapy.
•• Their adaptability allows integration
with emotion-focused and culturally
aware approaches.
•• True effectiveness lies in flexibility
and contextual sensitivity.
•• Aim: Empower clients to reshape
their narratives within broader cultural
contexts.

14. References
•Keegan, E., & Holas, P. (2009). Cognitive-behavior
therapy: Theory and practice. In R. Carlstedt (Ed.),
Integrative Clinical Psychology, Psychiatry and
Behavioral Medicine (pp. 605–630). Springer.
•Munnik, J. B., Turner, M. J., & van Niekerk, R. L.
(2024). Recommendations for integrating
psychological skills training (PST) into rational
emotive behavioral therapy (REBT). Journal of Sport
Psychology in Action, 15(4), 235–246.
https://doi.org/10.1080/21520704.2023.2245359
•Al-Roubaiy, N. (2020). One pathway to cognitive
behaviour therapy integration: introducing
assimilative integrative rational emotive behaviour
therapy. The Cognitive Behaviour Therapist, 13.
https://doi.org/10.1017/S1754470X20000069
•Mad in America. (2015). Cognitive behavioural
therapy does not exist.
https://www.madinamerica.com/2015/03/cognitiv
e-behavioural-therapy-not-exist/