Blog: Self-Help Posts on REBT

The First Step to Emotional Health is to Acknowledge Your Emotional Disturbance

REBT is a relatively straightforward model for analyzing and remedying self-defeating emotional and behavioral responses to adversity. People quickly learn the language of REBT, which is a strength, but it can also hinder the effective implementation of this powerful system of ideas. People often say REBT teaches that there are healthy negative emotions and will … Read more

Alone: The Rise of Solitude in the Modern Era and How to Overcome it with REBT

I listened to a thought-provoking podcast about solitude while walking to my office on a cold Saturday morning at 6:45 AM. Increasing solitude has become a common aspect of people’s lives. Americans have reduced face-to-face socializing by 20%. (This trend may also apply outside the United States, but I cannot say for sure.) We are voluntarily increasing our isolation, … Read more

Initiating Friendships and Surviving Rejection: Overcoming Fear and Building Resilience

In the fall of 1983, while in graduate school, I first heard Albert Ellis speak at the Philadelphia Ethical Society. The lecture’s title was “21 Ways to Meet Potential Friends and Lovers.” I was in the audience with my girlfriend then, and she and I had a fun-filled evening listening to Ellis outline all the … Read more

Accepting What You Cannot Change – An Essential Life Skill (Free Zoom Lecture on December 21, 2024 at 9 AM in New York City)

In the spirit of the holiday season, I will give a free 90-minute Zoom lecture on Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) titled “Accepting What You Can Not Change – An Essential Life Skill” on Saturday, December 21st, at 9 AM in New York City. This free lecture is a gesture of appreciation to the growing Saturday Rational Emotive Behavioral Conversation Hour community. This … Read more

How to Avoid Angering Yourself & Arguing with Family on Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is a holiday meant to celebrate a bountiful harvest. We customarily gather with family and sometimes friends, hoping to reconnect with loved ones and reflect with gratitude on our blessings. A joyous family feast is then to ensue. Humans are imperfect; sadly, sometimes, people drink too much, the gratitude gets lost, and arguments erupt. … Read more