ABSTRACT
In working with your clients, when you have reached the point where you are ready to help them examine or dispute their irrational beliefs, then ideally they should have understood the relationship between these beliefs and their emotional and/or behavioural problems. When you dispute your clients’ irrational beliefs, use empirical, logical and pragmatic arguments to encourage them to surrender these beliefs and begin to help them to work towards constructing and deepening their conviction in an alternative set of rational beliefs. As you dispute your clients’ irrational beliefs, do so with sensitivity and tact since you are encouraging them to give up attitudes which, though self-defeating, are convincing to them. Help your clients to understand that when you are disputing their irrational beliefs, you are attacking these beliefs and not them as individuals. Encourage them to give you feedback on how they react to your disputing interventions.
