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One pathway to cognitive behaviour therapy integration: introducing assimilative integrative rational emotive behaviour therapy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 April 2020

Najwan Saaed Al-Roubaiy Open the ORCID record for Najwan Saaed Al-Roubaiy [Opens in a new window]
Najwan Saaed Al-Roubaiy*
Affiliation:
Psychology Department, American Center for Psychiatry and Neurology, United Arab Emirates
*
*Corresponding author, UK HCPC registered clinical psychologist. Email: dr.najwan.psychology@gmail.com
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Abstract

In this paper, rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT) is presented as the most comprehensive cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) to date, with over-arching influence on most of the other therapies that came after it. However, despite REBT’s comprehensiveness and the limitations inherent in other CBT approaches, REBT has its limitations. Limitations in REBT theory are explored and an argument is made in favour of rectifying these limitations by incorporating other approaches into REBT (namely cognitive therapy and compassion-focused therapy) to create a more complete integrative psychotherapy model. It is then argued that psychotherapy integration is the future of CBT mainly due to the fact that it reflects how most therapists practise, and due to its utilization of the common factors theory. Finally, the integrative model – which I call Assimilative Integrative Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy – is presented and demonstrated using a clinical case example.

Key learning aims

  1. (1) To understand the limitations of cognitive therapy and third-wave CBT approaches.

  2. (2) To appreciate the comprehensiveness and over-arching influence of REBT.

  3. (3) To understand the limitations of REBT despite its comprehensiveness.

  4. (4) To consider rectifying the limitations in REBT by incorporating other models into it.

  5. (5) To appreciate the complementary nature of CFT when integrated into other models.

  6. (6) To understand the value and relevance of psychotherapy integration.

  7. (7) To consider AI-REBT as one possible pathway to psychotherapy integration in CBT.

Keywords

cognitive therapycommon factorscompassion-focused therapyintegrative psychotherapyrational emotive behaviour therapytheoretical limitations
Type
Practice Article
Information
the Cognitive Behaviour Therapist , Volume 13 , 2020 , e7
Copyright
© British Association for Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapies 2020

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References

Further reading

Beck, A. T. (1976). Cognitive Therapy and the Emotional Disorders. New York, USA: International University Press.Google Scholar
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DiGiuseppe, R. A., Doyle, K. A., Dryden, W., & Backx, W. (2014). A Practitioner’s Guide to Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (3rd edn). New York, USA: Oxford University Press.Google Scholar
Gilbert, P. (2010). Compassion Focused Therapy: Distinctive Features. New York, USA: Routledge/Taylor & Francis Group.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

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