About Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) is a cognitive approach that identifies and challenges irrational, absolutistic beliefs that drive emotional distress and addictive behaviors. At Trust SoCal, our REBT-trained therapists help clients examine the rigid "should," "must," and "cannot stand it" beliefs that underlie both addiction and co-occurring emotional disorders. By replacing these beliefs with more rational, flexible ones, clients reduce the emotional pain that often triggers substance use.
REBT proposes that addiction and emotional suffering are not caused by events themselves but by the rigid beliefs we hold about events. For example, facing rejection triggers shame because of the belief "I must be accepted by everyone or I am worthless." This unbearable emotional pain then drives substance use as a coping mechanism. REBT helps clients identify these dysfunctional belief chains and systematically work toward more rational, flexible thinking that allows them to experience difficult emotions without needing to escape through substances.
