Teach your clients to distinguish between healthy and unhealthy negative emotions

REBT is the only theoretical perspective in psychotherapy that keenly discriminates between healthy and unhealthy negative emotions, although there is not strong empirical evidence to support this distinction. This distinction acts as a starting point for how clients would like to feel as an emotional goal. As most of you will be aware, according to REBT theory, unhealthy negative emotions (e.g. anxiety, depression, guilt, anger) stem from irrational beliefs, while healthy negative emotions (e.g. concern, sadness, remorse, annoyance) occur when people hold rational beliefs about adversities at A. As an REBT therapist, you will see those unhealthy negative emotions listed above as preventing your clients living emotionally healthy lives and therefore you will often target them for change.