ABSTRACT
When therapists explain the concept of responsibilty to clients, they often are concerned that it implies blame. The principle of emotional responsibility which is central to Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) theory. When someone is raped, it is possible to argue that this very negative A "causes" the intense healthy distress that the person almost invariably experiences. But, there is a world of difference between being responsible for one's disturbance and being blamed for having these feelings. The concept of responsibility in this situation means that the person largely disturbs herself about the event because of the irrational beliefs she brings to that event. The concept of blame here means that someone believes that the person absolutely should not experience such disturbed feelings and is a bad person for having these feelings. Thus, the principle of emotional responsibility means that the woman is responsible for her disturbed feelings only.
