Psychology

History of Theory and Theorist
Albert Ellis was born September 27, 1913 in Pittsburgh, PA.  He came from a Jewish family wherein his father was a business man who showed little affection to the children and was mainly always away from home on business.  His mother was reportedly suffering from a Bipolar Disorder and was more concerned with herself than her children.  As a result of the lack of emotional support from either parent, Ellis being the eldest of three siblings took on the responsibility of caring for his younger siblings.  He would get them ready for school each morning, and when the family was impacted by the Great Depression, all three children worked to help make ends meet (Abrams, 2008).

Ellis was of ill health during his childhood.  At the age of 5 was diagnosed with a kidney
disease and was hospitalized and was subsequently hospitalized a total of 8 times with one hospitalization lasting for approximately a year.  Unsupported emotionally by his parents, as they rarely visited him in the hospital, he learned to fend for himself emotionally.  His illnesses still plagued him as he developed diabetes at age 40 (Abrams, 2008).

Ellis was very shy, especially around women.  He had a fear of rejection.  Acting in rare
Psycho-therapist form at the age of 19, he conducted self therapy in making his self proactively speak to 100 women.  As a result of his self therapy Ellis reports that he cured himself of the fear of rejection by women.  Thus his future in the field of psychology began (Abrams, 2008).
Albert Ellis attended Columbia University majoring in clinical psychology graduating
with honors he received both his MA and PH.D.  He was the founder and President of the Albert Ellis Institute in New York City.  Ranking second as the most influential psychotherapist in history he developed REBT in 1955.  Ellis expounded on the concept of Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT).  His thoughts were that for psychotherapy to be effective it needed to be empirically based as an active philosophy that is directed individually to the current state of environment (Weinrach, 1980).

Theoretical Beliefs
Ellis contributes the works of Alfred Korzybski, modern psychology, and ancient philosophy for his development of REBT.  His belief that an individuals self contained beliefs led to personal emotional pain.  His theory stressed that people contain in addition to self defeating beliefs and behaviors a mechanism of irrationality, self defeatism, and rigidity that could counteract self defeating beliefs and behaviors.  The therapy would allow a person to connect with this part of self, and the resulting measure would allow reconstruction in developing rational insight as a coping mechanism.
In other words the therapy would help a client to see and understand that his personal beliefs were negatively affecting the emotional state.  Once this was realized, the client would be in an environment of understanding of how to change cognitively emotional reactions or learn the ability to control ones emotions (Ellis, 2002).

Techniques and Practices
The methodology of the therapy included cognitive, emotive, and behavioral constructs.  REBT is an educational process.  The client through therapy teaches how to identify the irrationality of self defeating thinking, which affects the emotional state resulting in behavior that is not in the best interest of the client.  The therapy is very intense bringing the client to the edge of raw emotion, and at its core forcefully exposes that emotion which must be faced openly, and to then question its rationale.  In this process client is able to see the irrationality of the emotional state and to then replace it with a more rational emotion that is good for self (Stills, 2006).

Cliniques and Practices
The clinical approach used for REBT is to provide insight into the interpretation of cognitive theory in using a process known as the ABCs, which Ellis describes as a humanistic exchange observed by all individuals.  Ellis advises that we have

Activating Events (A) everyday that prompts us to look at, interpret, or otherwise think about what is occurring. Our interpretation of these events results in specific Beliefs (B) about the event, the world and our role in the event. Once we develop this belief, we experience Emotional Consequences (C) based solely on our belief.
(Heffner, 2002).

The practice illicits to clients the explanation of how emotional states are developed, and once developed, the consequences of our actions thereof.  It points out that emotions are biased projectiles of our environments.  The evolving of insight then shows clients how to rise above and to be unbiased emotionally in resultive controlling of ones emotional state.  This results in an empowering of self, cognitively, in controlling cognitive thought and behaviors (Stills, 2006).

Strengths and Weaknesses
The strengths of this therapy - it is realistic and unlike many psychological therapeutic measures does not deal with the clients past.  It takes a stronghold of current thinking and environment in a purposeful self driven endeavor of changing cognitive perspectives by purging biased negative thought processes and reconstructing them in a positive and rewarding light (Weinrach et al, 2001).

The weakness of this therapy - it is self contained within each client.  The success is reliant on Client interaction with the process.  Clients must be made aware of the psychological dysfunction in their core beliefs of which they function that are negatively affecting them.  Only then can the therapy get underway on the road to understanding and change (Ellis, 2002).

Why you chose this Theory
I chose this theory because I wish to work as a Director in a counseling program that assists at risk Youths in relation to drug addiction, in realizing successful rehabilitation (Dryden, 2008)

How will you use this Theory
I will use it to change the negative and biased perceptions affecting these youths emotionally in turning around their cognitive repertoire to realize that the self defeating behaviors are self perpetuating and that in facing them directly, they can be reconstructed wherein the change will result in a more positive and realistic outlook on life and of self (Gonzalez, 2004).