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Rational living therapy (RLT) is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) developed by Aldo R. Pucci, Psy.D., DCBT the current president of the National Association of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapists and founder of the Rational Living Therapy Institute.
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a psycho-social intervention that aims to improve mental health. CBT focuses on challenging and changing unhelpful cognitive distortions and behaviors, improving emotional regulation, and the development of personal coping strategies that target solving current problems. Originally, it was designed to treat depression, but its uses have been expanded to include treatment of a number of mental health conditions, including anxiety.
RLT utilizes elements of rational emotive behavior therapy, rational behavior therapy, and cognitive therapy in a systematic approach in which the therapy progresses through a series of set points.
Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT), previously called rational therapy and rational emotive therapy, is an active-directive, philosophically and empirically based psychotherapy, the aim of which is to resolve emotional and behavioral problems and disturbances and to help people to lead happier and more fulfilling lives. REBT was created and developed by the American psychotherapist and psychologist Albert Ellis, who was inspired by many of the teachings of Asian, Greek, Roman and modern philosophers. REBT is the first form of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and was first expounded by Ellis in the mid-1950s; development continued until his death in 2007. Ellis became synonymous with the highly influential therapy. Psychology Today noted, "No individual—not even Freud himself—has had a greater impact on modern psychotherapy.
Rational Behavior Therapy (RBT) is a form of cognitive behavioral therapy developed by psychiatrist Dr. Maxie C. Maultsby, Jr. a professor at the Medical College at Howard University. RBT is designed to be a short term therapy which is based on the belief of discovering an unsuspected problem which creates unwanted mental, emotional and physical behaviors.
Cognitive therapy (CT) is a type of psychotherapy developed by American psychiatrist Aaron T. Beck. CT is one of the therapeutic approaches within the larger group of cognitive behavioral therapies (CBT) and was first expounded by Beck in the 1960s. Cognitive therapy is based on the cognitive model, which states that thoughts, feelings and behavior are all connected, and that individuals can move toward overcoming difficulties and meeting their goals by identifying and changing unhelpful or inaccurate thinking, problematic behavior, and distressing emotional responses. This involves the individual working collaboratively with the therapist to develop skills for testing and modifying beliefs, identifying distorted thinking, relating to others in different ways, and changing behaviors. A tailored cognitive case conceptualization is developed by the cognitive therapist as a roadmap to understand the individual's internal reality, select appropriate interventions and identify areas of distress.
RLT is a motivational therapy which utilizes Rational Motivational Interviewing techniques to help the client effect positive change. It utilizes empirical research in the areas of linguistics, cognitive development, learning theory, general semantics, neuro functioning, social psychology and perception, and linguistics.
Linguistics is the scientific study of language. It involves analysing language form, language meaning, and language in context. The earliest activities in the documentation and description of language have been attributed to the 6th-century-BC Indian grammarian Pāṇini who wrote a formal description of the Sanskrit language in his Aṣṭādhyāyī.
Semantics is the linguistic and philosophical study of meaning, in language, programming languages, formal logics, and semiotics. It is concerned with the relationship between signifiers—like words, phrases, signs, and symbols—and what they stand for in reality, their denotation.
Social psychology is the scientific study of how people's thoughts, feelings and behaviors are influenced by the actual, imagined or implied presence of others. In this definition, scientific refers to the empirical investigation using the scientific method. The terms thoughts, feelings and behavior refer to psychological variables that can be measured in humans. The statement that others' presence may be imagined or implied suggests that humans are malleable to social influences even when alone, such as when watching television looking at reality shows,music videos and movies they can be influenced to follow the behaviour in the visual setting or following internalized cultural norms. Social psychologists typically explain human behavior as a result of the interaction of mental states and social situations.
Rational living therapy avoids diagnosing clients according to the criteria set forth in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The belief is that the diagnoses in the DSM only serve to label a series of behaviors and by doing so creates a negative perception in the client that they "have" or "suffer from" a "disorder" which leads to a feeling of hopelessness and therefore impedes positive change.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), offers a common language and standard criteria for the classification of mental disorders. It is used, or relied upon, by clinicians, researchers, psychiatric drug regulation agencies, health insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, the legal system, and policy makers together with alternatives such as the ICD-10 Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders, produced by the WHO.
RLT doesn't adhere to the standard CBT emphasis on "self acceptance" and does not adhere to the common concepts of self-esteem and self-confidence instead utilizing what Pucci refers to as the "Four A's" and concentrating on rational self counseling and underlying assumptions the client may have. The belief is that by doing so the therapy takes on a deeper role leading to more long term behavioral change.
An optional component termed rational hypnotherapy is also utilized by some therapists. It is believed hypnotherapy serves as an addendum to the conventional talk aspects of the therapy speeding along and facilitating the process. RLT therapists are certified via taking additional training. [1] [2]
Hypnotherapy is a type of complementary and alternative medicine in which the mind is used to help with a variety of problems, such as breaking bad habits or coping with stress.
