ABSTRACT
Here is how I (WD) respond to such a question. ‘REBT is basically an active-directive approach to psychotherapy where I as your therapist will intervene actively and direct you to the attitudinal core of your problems and help you to develop a plan to challenge your selfdefeating beliefs which constitute this core. In disputing your irrational beliefs, I will take the lead in questioning you concerning the empirical, logical and pragmatic nature of these beliefs. These disputing techniques often seem overly confrontational to clients who have been previously used to less directive counselling methods. It is the contrast between these methods and the active-directive methods of REBT that lead these people to conclude that REBT is too confrontational. However, if I prepare you adequately for my active-directive methods and ask for your agreement to proceed, particularly with these challenging disputing techniques, then in general you will not consider me too confrontational as a therapist, although the observing less directive therapist who does not fully understand what the REBT therapist is trying to do might consider me to be overly confrontational. However, if I fail to give you a satisfactory rationale for my challenging behaviour and fail to gain your permission to proceed then you may well experience me as too confrontational.’
