Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a practical, results-focused approach that can help you understand how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours influence each other. If you’ve ever felt held back by negative thinking patterns or unhelpful reactions to life’s challenges, CBT can guide you to break these patterns and build healthier responses. Within CBT, there’s a specific method called Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT), which can be especially useful for recognising and changing unhelpful beliefs that may be affecting your well-being.

How REBT Can Help You Understand and Change Your Reactions

REBT is based on the idea that our emotional responses don’t come directly from events in our lives, but rather from the beliefs we hold about those events. Often, these beliefs are so automatic that we don’t even notice them. REBT can help you become aware of these thought patterns and understand how they impact your feelings and actions.

REBT follows the ABCDE model to help you work through negative beliefs:

1. A – Activating Event: This is any situation that triggers an emotional response. It might be something like a disagreement, a challenging work project, or an unexpected setback.
2. B – Beliefs: Here, you look at the thoughts or beliefs you have about the event. For example, you might believe, “I have to succeed in everything, or I’m a failure,” or “People should always treat me fairly.” These beliefs are often rigid or unrealistic, and they play a big role in how you feel.
3. C – Consequences: These are the emotions and actions that follow from your beliefs. If you’re holding onto a belief like “I must be perfect,” then a small mistake might lead to feelings of anxiety, self-doubt, or even anger. You might withdraw or overanalyse as a result.
4. D – Disputing Beliefs: In this step, you’ll learn how to challenge and question your beliefs. Are these thoughts really accurate? Are they helpful to you? For instance, you might ask yourself, “Is it realistic to expect to succeed at everything?” or “Do I really need everyone’s approval to feel good about myself?” By learning to challenge unhelpful beliefs, you can start to replace them with more realistic, supportive thoughts.
5. E – New Effect: This is the outcome of reframing your beliefs. As you practise questioning and changing your thinking, you may start to notice new, healthier emotional responses. Instead of feeling anxious about needing to be perfect, you might feel motivated to do your best without self-criticism. Instead of feeling upset if others don’t act as you expect, you may feel calmer and more accepting.

Why REBT Can Make a Difference for You

REBT gives you the tools to step back from automatic, often self-critical thinking patterns, helping you build a more resilient mindset. By recognising that thoughts are just thoughts—not facts—you can become less affected by negative beliefs and more open to positive, realistic perspectives. This can lead to greater confidence, emotional freedom, and a stronger ability to handle life’s ups and downs.

Through REBT, you’re empowered to:

• Respond more calmly and effectively to stress or challenges;
• Gain a clearer sense of self-worth, based on realistic, supportive beliefs rather than perfectionistic or people-pleasing standards;
• Create more fulfilling relationships, free from unhelpful expectations or assumptions.

If you’re looking for practical ways to change your thinking and find a healthier way of approaching life, REBT could be a valuable next step on your journey to well-being.