At the heart of cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT) is the use of an ABC formulation.

🔵 THE ABC MODEL

☐ A is the activating event. This can be a real external event, a future event that you anticipate or an internal event such as an image or memory. The ‘A’ is usually referred to as your trigger.

☐ B is your beliefs about the event. This also includes thoughts, your personal rules and the meanings that you attach to events.

☐ C is the consequences. This includes your emotions, behaviours and physical sensations.

The basic idea behind this model is that an activating event (A) does not cause the consequences (C). Its actually the the belief (B) that causes the consequences.

🔵 CHAPTERS

0:00 The ABC model explained
0:46 Examples of the ABC model
2:05 When to use the ABC model
2:30 Stoicism and the ABC model
3:09 Three Insights according to Ellis

🔵 CBT BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS

☐ The Clinician's Guid to CBT Using Mind Over Mood by Christine A. Padesky. Please click on the link to buy from Amazon: amzn.to/409z8ko

☐ Mind Over Mood by Dennis Greenberger and Christine Padesky. Please click on the link to buy from Amazon: amzn.to/3Hi7lp9

☐ Cognitive Behavioural Therapist Basics and Beyond by Judith Beck. Please click on the link to buy from Amazon: amzn.to/3RfTN2f

🔵 THE ABC MODEL AND STOICISM

The creator of the ABC model, Albert Ellis, was influenced by Stoicism and the ancient philosopher. Epictetus who famously said, “Men are disturbed not be things, but by the views he takes of them’. Ellis drew on the notion that your interpretation of events has a greater impact than the event itself. The more illogical your interpretation the more you suffer. According to Albert Ellis:

☐ The primary cause of your unhelpful reactions is your beliefs about an event not the event itself
☐ You remain psychologically disturbed because you continue to hold on to our rigid beliefs.
☐ Psychological health only comes when you work hard to change your irrational beliefs.

The godfather of stoicism, Socrates used both logic and reason to help people discover and dispute their irrational beliefs. In CBT we use socratic socratic questioning to help the client challenge their beliefs.

🔵 TOP CBT VIDEOS TO WATCH NEXT:

☐ Socratic questioning:    • Socratic Questioning Examples in Cogn...  
☐ Core beliefs:    • CBT: Core Beliefs, Underlying Rules A...  
☐ The five factor model:    • CBT: Core Beliefs, Underlying Rules A...  
☐ How to use behavioural experiments:    • How To Use CBT Behavioural Experiments  

🔵 WORK WITH ME

If you'd like to work with me, or a member of the Lewis Psychology team, please click on the links below:

☐ Lewis Psychology CIC (for face to face therapy): www.lewispsy.org.uk/
☐ Lewis Psychology Online (for online therapy): lewispsyonline.co.uk/

🔵 ABOUT TERESA LEWIS

Teresa Lewis is the founder and Director of Lewis Psychology and a Senior Accredited psychotherapist with the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (MBACP Snr. Accred). Qualified in 1995, Teresa has been providing counselling and psychotherapy treatment for nearly 30 years. Teresa holds a masters degree in counselling and psychotherapy and is a qualified EMDR Practitioner having completed training accredited with EMDR Europe. Teresa is also a qualified adult educator and an accredited Mindfulness teacher As a recognised expert in her field Teresa is frequently asked to conduct editorial reviews and endorse counselling and psychotherapy books for international publishing houses.

☐ Email: teresa.lewispsy@gmail.com
☐ Buy Me A Coffee: www.buymeacoffee.com/lewispsychology

🔵 GRAPHICS AND THUMBNAIL

Thumbnail and B-Roll graphics by Teresa Lewis.

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