Abstract

Rational emotive behavioral therapy (REBT) is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy developed by Albert Ellis. Developed in the 1950s, REBT was one of the earliest forms of what became known as cognitive behavioral therapy. It was successfully adapted for children and adolescents in the 1980s (Barnard & Joyce, 1984) and has been studied extensively and shown to be effective in this population (Gonzales, Nelson, & Gutkin, 2004). This article provides a selective review of the literature, and brief overview of REBT, and discusses its advantages and disadvantages.

Keywords: Rational emotive behavioral therapy, Albert Ellis, children and adolescents, review, neurotic behaviors, maladaptive, supportive therapy, psychoanalytically-oriented therapy, Alzheimer's disease