A Three-day workshop was organised by the psychology department of CHRIST Bannerghatta campus from 22nd May to 24th May 2020.
A group of 10 students from the Psychology Department had the valuable experience of attending the workshop  on Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) by Dr. Debbie Joffe Ellis , wife of Dr. Albert Ellis (who was the developer of REBT ). The workshop sessions were distributed into one and a half hour sessions across the three days which allowed for sufficient time to process the information and complete required homework activities as well.
The first day revolved around a discussion of what REBT is and the basic elements of the therapy. Dr. Debbie made the session very engaging and relatable by discussing her own personal life experiences and in-depth understanding of the concept. Her passion for the topic was truly admirable and acknowledged by all those who attended the workshop. She discussed REBT as a therapy but also a way of life for people revolving around taking control of our thoughts to handle our emotions. As a part of the basic elements of REBT, she discussed how REBT draws distinctions between healthy (e.g. anger, concern) versus unhealthy emotions (e.g. rage, anxiety) as well as rational vs. irrational thinking patterns which revolve around three pillars of the self, others and life. Elements such as unconditional self and other acceptance as well as diminishing the use of “shoulds” and “musts” in our thought patterns are considered vital to REBT. Since homework is an essential aspect of REBT, an assignment was provided for the day, which was to complete the self-help worksheet for one irrational thought which involved determining the Activating Event, Beliefs, Consequences of the irrational thought and Disputing it and developing Effective New philosophies for it. (ABCDE)
The second day is when the workshop truly felt like an experience beyond just a lecture. Dr. Debbie discussed a case on which she practiced REBT and the positive impact it had on them. Additionally, the audience had the chance to witness a live demonstration of REBT briefly on a member of the audience which was a truly enlightening and wholesome experience. The content discussed in this session involved the tools and techniques in REBT which are split into the cognitive, emotional and behavioural domains. Techniques such as ABCDE, shame attacking exercise, Rational Emotive Imagery and healthy risk taking are some of the techniques unique to REBT. The day ended with a Q&A session.
On the last day, Dr. Debbie provided an instance in her own life during a difficult situation where she practiced REBT on herself and the positive outcome of it. Following this, I personally had the chance to be a part of the live demonstration of REBT by Dr. Debbie herself for this day and I was ecstatic. She attempted Rational Emotive Imagery and attempted to dispute my irrational belief about a particular issue as well. Following this, she completed her content with the therapeutic application of REBT, unique elements of REBT and the history and development of the therapy, ending with a final Q&A session.
Overall, this was definitely a rare and unique experience to have Dr. Debbie herself talk about a topic she personally understands and relates with in its truest form. The passion and enthusiasm she showed for her husband and the work he did was a joyful experience to be a part of. It definitely felt more than just a class or a lecture, but an enlightening and life changing interaction.