Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)

What is REBT? It was created by Albert Ellis in the 50's and is a form of psychotherapy. I have read alot about it (www.rebnetwork.org) and I think it can be applied to stuttering treatment. The goal of REBT is to change irrational beliefs into rational ones. I can't really do it justice in this short blog, but an example would be when I wouldn't talk on the phone with anyone present in the room. Why? because my fear was that if I stuttered and someone heard it I would feel like a failure. If I was alone and I stuttered, no one would know and I didn't have to admit the obvious. I was always looking for other people's approval. This belief led to anxiety, shame, guilt and an inability to use the fluency tools I had. Interestingly, when I stopped looking for the approval of others, my confidence increased as did my fluency. There is also a great book called, The Road Less Traveled which I highly recommend. There is also a new DVD out by the Stuttering Foundation of America (www.stutteringhelp.org) called "Tools for Success" A Cognitive Behavior Therapy Taster".