ABSTRACT
Maxie Maultsby calls the phenomenon 'cognitive-emotive dissonance' which explains the awkwardness that clients will inevitably experience when trying to believe a rational belief when at the same time they really believe the opposing irrational belief. Encourage your clients to persist with disputing even though they may not believe their new rational belief. Stress is an almost universal experience in the Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) change process. The clients begin to learn to dispute their irrational beliefs, it is helpful to outline for them a sequence that they can realistically expect to go through and which represents a coping model of disputing as opposed to a mastery model. Encourage the struggle to dispute the beliefs and work towards constructing new rational beliefs. The coping model of disputing emphasizes that the clients need to persist with disputing even though it is a struggle, and that it is worthwhile persisting if they are to derive emotional benefits.
