Behavioural Hypnotherapy (RECBT) Model

Our beliefs shape our understanding of - and interaction with - the world.
These beliefs can be rational or irrational. Rational beliefs are coherent, flexible and non-extreme whereas irrational beliefs are not coherent and can be extreme, unrealistic or non-pragmatic (Hyland & Boduszek 2012) in some cases leading to self-sabotage.
Rational Emotive Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapy (RECBH) stems from the Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) model first proposed by
Albert Ellis in 1955 and dealing with healthy and unhealthy psychological functioning and how we might increase the former and decrease the latter by helping patients control their emotional states that are based on beliefs, expectations and attitudes.
REBT emphasises the role
For example, it might be our preference for us to go on holiday to Spain next week but to demand that we do so or to suggest negative consequences if we don't go to Spain could be regarded as unhealthy, especially if we cannot get the time off work at such short notice.
It is thought that by exporing a patient's expectations and beliefs in regard to an event, instead of focusing on the event itself, we might gain an understanding of why one sometimes acts in a self-defeating way and how if we can change the relevant beliefs we can also make our responses to events more healthy and useful to us (Neenan & Palmer 2012).
One of the central goals is to encourage patients to respond in a more productive and helpful manner. This might involve managing stress and improving performance. Hypnotherapy is a particularly efficient way of encouraging patients to re-assess their beliefs as they grow their awareness of how their beliefs influence their interaction with the world around them. The
RECBH methodology is an inherently positive one, as it emphasises personal emotional responsibility and also that change is very much possible An ABC model can encourage patients to focus on the belief rather than
B might be feeling that your boss does not think you are any good (unhealthy) or that perhaps nobody else got a payrise either and maybe you will get one next year
(healthy). C might be an increased level of anxiety at work, or alternatively normal level/no anxiety as a result of your belief about A.
The Stoic philosopher Epictetus wrote 'people are disturbed not by things but by the views they take of them'. This illustrates the cognitive model of emotional disturbance very well. But what exactly are unhealthy or irrational beliefs as opposed to healthy or rational beliefs and how can we recognize them? According to REBT, irrational or unhealthy beliefs are those which block a person's ability to reach their goal. If a sportsperson has rigid, negative beliefs such as that they are 'not good enough' or 'worthless' and will never win then this will negatively affect their performance and significantly harm their ultimate goal of being successful in their chosen field. More realistic, rational and less harmful beliefs would be that they played really well but could perhaps perform slightly better in future. The latter are non-extreme and flexible and consistent with