Which therapy was developed by Albert Ellis and is known for its direct challenge to irrational beliefs?

• A. Confrontational cognitive therapy
• B. Cognitive therapy
• C. CBT
• D. Rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT)

Answer: (D)

This item tests knowledge of a therapy that directly challenges irrational beliefs. Albert Ellis developed Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy that centers on identifying and disputing the irrational beliefs that lead to emotional distress. In REBT, the therapist helps the client pinpoint self-defeating ideas (for example, “I must be perfect, or I’m worthless”) and then challenges them with logical, empirical, and pragmatic arguments, guiding the client toward more flexible, realistic beliefs. This explicit disputation differentiates REBT from other cognitive approaches and underpins its goal of reducing emotional disturbance by changing the way one thinks. Cognitive therapy (Beck) focuses on identifying distorted thoughts but isn’t defined by the same direct, confrontational disputation of irrational beliefs, and CBT is the broad umbrella that includes multiple approaches. That emphasis on directly challenging irrational beliefs is what makes REBT the best fit here.