ABSTRACT
In this chapter, the author discusses what he calls integrated emotion theory. He considers the work of Albert Ellis when discussing what he call the cognitive consequences of holding rigid/extreme attitudes and flexible/non-extreme attitudes in the face of adversities. In therapy, a person’s inference in an emotional episode is best understood in relation to their personal domain and the emotions that they experience. There are three main ways of dealing with adversities in therapy: to help the client to question their empirical basis, to help the client to deal with them whether they occurred or not, and to help the client do both. Rational emotive behaviour therapy’s theory of emotions states that when faced with an adversity, a client has the choice to experience an unhealthy negative emotion or a healthy negative emotion. The concept of action tendencies is important when it comes to considering therapeutic change.
