ABSTRACT
Most approaches within the CBT tradition argue that cognitions occur at different levels in our cognitive system. Thus, cognitive therapists hold that automatic thoughts (often in the form of inferences) occur at the surface of our cognitive system, styles of information processing occur in the middle range of this system and cognitive schemata occur more centrally within it. In this framework, irrational beliefs can be regarded as a form of cognitive schemata in that they are beliefs rather than inferences or information processing styles. While most approaches to CBT begin at the more surface levels of the cognitive system, REBT is distinct in that it recommends that therapists encourage clients as quickly as possible to focus on the irrational, rigid and extreme beliefs that underpin their disturbed reactions, unless there are good reasons not to do so. As such, REBT adopts a hypothetico-deductive approach to assessment (DiGiuseppe, 1991a)
The rationale for this early focus on iBs is as follows. According to REBT theory rigid and extreme irrational beliefs are at the core of clients' emotional problems. Therefore, if clients are to be helped to address these problems effectively they need to identify and change these irrational beliefs to their ¯exible and non-extreme rational alternatives. This is best and most ef®ciently done by a direct focus on these beliefs unless, as I said above, there are good reasons not to do this.
