Question

Reena constantly thinks, “I must succeed at everything, or I am a failure,” which causes her distress when she makes small mistakes. How can Rational Emotive Therapy (RET) help Reena overcome her psychological distress? Mention three steps involved in the Rational Emotive Therapy (RET).

Answer 1

Albert Ellis invented Rational Emotive Therapy (RET), which assists Reena by identifying and converting her irrational ideas (the “musts”) into more flexible, rational thoughts. It teaches her that making mistakes doesn’t imply complete failure.

The three steps involved in Rational Emotive Therapy (RET) are:

1. Antecedent-Belief-Consequence (A-B-C) Analysis: The therapist identifies the antecedent (making a mistake), Reena’s irrational belief (“I must be perfect”), and the emotional consequence (distress/fear of failing).
2. Disputation (D): The therapist actively questions Reena’s irrational beliefs. They help her realise that “total success” is an impossible goal and that mistakes are a necessary part of learning.
3. Establishing Effective Philosophy (E): Reena replaces her self-defeating “musts” in favour of a new, functional philosophy, such as “I prefer to succeed, but I am still a capable person even if I make mistakes.”