Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) in Ottawa
Change the Beliefs That May Be Keeping You Stuck
You cannot always control what happens in life. Disappointment, criticism, uncertainty, rejection, setbacks, and difficult circumstances are part of being human. What you can learn to change is how you interpret these experiences and the beliefs you hold about what they mean.
Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) is a practical, action-oriented form of psychotherapy developed by psychologist Albert Ellis. REBT focuses on the beliefs and evaluations that can contribute to unhealthy emotional responses and self-defeating behaviours. Rather than simply looking at what happened, REBT examines how your beliefs about an event may influence how you feel and what you do afterward.
At Fireside Psychotherapy, REBT can help you identify rigid expectations, unrealistic demands, and other unhelpful beliefs that may be contributing to emotional distress. Together with your therapist, you can learn to question these beliefs, develop more flexible ways of thinking, and practise responding differently to challenging situations.
The goal is not to convince yourself that everything is positive or that difficult experiences do not matter. Instead, REBT helps you develop a more realistic and flexible philosophy that allows you to acknowledge life’s difficulties without allowing them to unnecessarily determine your emotional well-being or behaviour.
What Is Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy?
Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy is a cognitive-behavioural approach founded by Albert Ellis in the 1950s. It is based on the idea that emotional and behavioural reactions are influenced not only by events themselves, but also by the beliefs and evaluations we bring to those events. One of the defining features of REBT is its focus on rational and irrational beliefs.
Irrational beliefs in REBT are generally characterized by rigid, extreme, or unrealistic evaluations. They can include demanding that things must happen a certain way, believing that an unwanted outcome would be completely unbearable, or judging yourself or another person globally because of a particular mistake or behaviour.
Rational beliefs, by contrast, are more flexible and realistic. They allow you to strongly prefer a particular outcome without treating that outcome as an absolute necessity. For example: “I must succeed at this.” might become: “I strongly want to succeed, but I can cope if things do not go as planned.”
The second belief does not mean giving up on your goals. It allows you to pursue them without making your emotional well-being entirely dependent on achieving a particular outcome.
This distinction is central to REBT and helps explain why the approach focuses on changing beliefs rather than simply trying to eliminate uncomfortable emotions.
Understanding the ABC Model of REBT
The ABC model is one of the foundational concepts of Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy. It provides a framework for understanding the relationship between an activating event, your beliefs, and the emotional or behavioural consequences that follow.
A — Activating Event
The activating event is the situation or experience that occurs.
This might include:
- Receiving criticism at work
- Experiencing rejection
- Having an argument with your partner
- Making a mistake
- Missing an important opportunity
- Facing uncertainty
- Experiencing a setback
- Being treated unfairly
B — Beliefs
The belief component concerns how you interpret and evaluate the event.
You might think:
- “I must not fail.”
- “People must treat me fairly.”
- “I cannot stand being criticized.”
- “If I make a mistake, it proves I am incompetent.”
- “This should never have happened.”
REBT pays particular attention to rigid demands and other irrational beliefs that can intensify emotional distress.
C — Consequences
The consequences are the emotional, behavioural, and sometimes physical responses that follow. For example, criticism at work might lead to intense anxiety, anger, shame, withdrawal, procrastination, or avoidance.
The ABC model does not suggest that the event itself is irrelevant. Instead, it provides a way to examine how your interpretation and beliefs may influence the intensity and nature of your response.
What Are Irrational Beliefs in REBT?
The word “irrational” can be misleading. In REBT, it does not simply mean that a thought is silly, unintelligent, or factually incorrect. Instead, irrational beliefs tend to involve patterns such as rigid demands, extreme evaluations, low frustration tolerance, and global judgments of yourself or others.
Common examples include:
Demandingness
This involves rigid “must,” “should,” or “have to” beliefs.
For example: “My partner must always understand me.”
A more flexible belief might be: “I strongly want my partner to understand me, but I cannot require another person to behave exactly as I want.”
Awfulizing
This involves viewing an unwanted event as completely catastrophic or unbearable.
For example: “If I fail this exam, it will be absolutely terrible, and I will not be able to handle it.”
REBT helps distinguish between something being genuinely difficult and believing that it is completely unbearable.
Low Frustration Tolerance
This involves believing that you cannot cope with discomfort, inconvenience, uncertainty, or frustration.
For example: “I cannot stand waiting for this to be resolved.”
REBT works toward greater tolerance of discomfort while still allowing you to prefer that circumstances were different.
Global Self-Rating
This involves judging your entire worth based on individual behaviours or outcomes.
For example: “I made a serious mistake, so I am a failure.”
REBT instead emphasizes evaluating specific behaviours and choices without reducing your entire worth as a person to one outcome. These patterns can operate automatically, which means you may not immediately recognize the beliefs influencing your emotional response.
What Can REBT Help With?
REBT has been used across clinical, educational, occupational, health, and other settings. Research reviews have reported improvements in irrational beliefs and some mental-health outcomes following REBT interventions, although results vary across populations and study designs.
Depending on your circumstances, REBT may be useful when you are experiencing:
- Anxiety and excessive worry
- Anger and frustration
- Depression or low mood
- Shame and excessive guilt
- Perfectionism
- Procrastination
- Low frustration tolerance
- Self-criticism
- Fear of failure
- Difficulty coping with setbacks
- Relationship difficulties
- Stress associated with work or school
- Unhelpful patterns of avoidance
- Difficulty accepting situations you cannot control
REBT can also be useful when you are functioning reasonably well but recognize rigid expectations or self-defeating beliefs that are preventing you from reaching personal or professional goals. The suitability of REBT depends on your individual circumstances. A therapist can help determine whether this approach fits your needs or whether another therapeutic approach may be more appropriate.
What Your REBT Journey May Look Like
REBT is a practical, goal-oriented therapy that helps you understand how your beliefs influence your emotions and behaviours. Rather than focusing solely on events or circumstances, REBT explores the interpretations and assumptions that may be contributing to emotional distress.
At Fireside Psychotherapy, your REBT journey begins with gaining clarity about the challenges you’re facing and identifying the thinking patterns that may be keeping you stuck. Together, we’ll examine unhelpful beliefs, develop more flexible and realistic perspectives, and practice new ways of responding to life’s difficulties.
Over time, REBT can help you build greater emotional resilience, improve problem-solving skills, strengthen self-acceptance, and respond to challenges with increased confidence and balance.
Step 1: Assessment, Understanding & Goal Setting
Your therapist will take time to understand your concerns, personal history, and the situations causing distress. Together, you’ll identify meaningful goals and explore how thoughts, beliefs, emotions, and behaviours interact within your daily life. This foundation helps create a treatment plan tailored to your needs.
Step 2: Identifying Beliefs & Thought Patterns
REBT focuses on uncovering the beliefs that influence emotional reactions. During this stage, you’ll learn to recognize common patterns such as rigid expectations, self-criticism, perfectionism, catastrophizing, or beliefs about how life “should” be. Increased awareness often creates the first opportunities for change.
Challenging Unhelpful Beliefs & Building New Skills
Once problematic beliefs have been identified, you’ll work with your therapist to evaluate their accuracy, usefulness, and impact. Through guided discussion, practical exercises, and real-world application, you’ll learn how to replace unhelpful thinking patterns with more balanced, flexible, and constructive perspectives that support emotional well-being.
Strengthening Resilience & Maintaining Progress
As therapy progresses, the focus shifts toward applying REBT principles independently in everyday situations. You’ll develop strategies for managing future challenges, responding more effectively to setbacks, and maintaining healthier thinking patterns over time. The goal is to help you become your own therapist, equipped with tools that support long-term emotional health and personal growth.
In-Person REBT in & Virtual Therapy Across Ontario Centretown, Ottawa & Virtual Therapy Across Ontario
We believe quality mental healthcare should fit seamlessly into your life. We offer flexible therapeutic formats to ensure support is accessible whenever you need it:
In-Person Therapy in Downtown Ottawa
Our clinic is located in a quiet, welcoming heritage space at 428 Gilmour Street (between Kent and Bank Street in Centretown). Designed with warmth and comfort in mind—far from a clinical office setting—our practice provides a grounded space to do deep therapeutic work. Street parking and public transit options are conveniently located nearby.
Virtual REBT Across Ontario
Prefer the comfort of your own home or need flexibility around a busy schedule? We offer secure, PHIPA-compliant teletherapy across all of Ontario. Research indicates that Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (REBT) delivered through secure video therapy can be effective for many of the same concerns addressed through in-person treatment, giving you access to top-tier care from anywhere in the province.
Meet Your REBT Therapist(s)
Alice Lurie is the founder of Fireside Psychotherapy and has over 20 years of experience supporting individuals and couples through anxiety, depression, stress, grief, emotional regulation challenges, and relationship concerns. She integrates REBT with other evidence-based approaches to help clients build practical skills and achieve meaningful, lasting change.
Alice Lurie
M.A., Registered Psychotherapist & Founder of Fireside Psychotherapy
Credentials
- Gottman Level 1 & 2
- Gottman Couples Addiction & Recovery Training
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- EMDR
- REBT & MBCT
- Specialized training in stepfamily therapy
Areas of Specialization
- Individual Therapy & Couples Therapy
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Stress & Grief
- Emotional Regulation
- Relationship Challenges
20 Years of Experience
Alice offers direct billing for select insurance providers, including Canada Life, Medavie Blue Cross, Manulife, and Sun Life. Coverage and eligibility may vary by plan.
Why Choose Fireside Psychotherapy for REBT?
Choosing a therapist for REBT is about more than learning the ABC model. The approach requires meaningful collaboration as you identify the beliefs influencing your emotional responses and work toward ways of thinking and behaving that are more flexible and effective.
At Fireside Psychotherapy, therapy is tailored to your individual circumstances, goals, and pace. The practice offers REBT alongside a range of other therapeutic modalities, allowing your therapist to consider which approach or combination of approaches best fits your needs.
REBT may be particularly appropriate if you want a therapy approach that is active, practical, and focused on creating change in the present. Your therapist can help you move beyond simply recognizing unhelpful thinking patterns by practising how to question rigid beliefs and respond differently when challenging situations arise.
The focus is not on telling you what you should believe. Instead, therapy can help you examine your beliefs, understand their consequences, and develop perspectives that better support the life and goals you want to pursue.
What Sets Fireside Psychotherapy Apart?
Effective therapy needs to account for the person, not just the therapeutic model. At Fireside Psychotherapy, the goal is to create a supportive environment where you can be open about the challenges you are experiencing while actively participating in the process of change.
REBT’s collaborative nature fits well with this approach. Your beliefs, goals, experiences, and priorities provide the context for the work. Therapy is not about imposing a particular worldview or telling you that you need to think positively. Instead, it involves examining whether certain beliefs are helping you respond effectively and whether more flexible alternatives could better serve you.
Fireside provides psychotherapy in Ottawa with in-person and virtual options, making it possible to access support in a setting that works for you. The practice emphasizes individualized care across its range of therapeutic approaches.
Frequently Asked Questions About REBT
Q: What is Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT)?
A: Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) is an evidence-based form of psychotherapy that helps people identify, challenge, and replace unhelpful beliefs that contribute to emotional distress. REBT focuses on how thoughts influence emotions and behaviours, helping individuals develop healthier perspectives, improve coping skills, and respond more effectively to life’s challenges.
Q: How is REBT different from CBT?
A: REBT and CBT both examine the relationship between thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. REBT places a stronger emphasis on identifying irrational beliefs, rigid expectations, and self-defeating thinking patterns. The goal is to develop more flexible, realistic beliefs that support emotional well-being and long-term resilience.
Q: What mental health concerns can REBT help with?
A: REBT can be effective for anxiety, depression, stress, anger, low self-esteem, perfectionism, relationship difficulties, work-related stress, and life transitions. It helps individuals understand how beliefs influence emotional reactions and teaches practical strategies for managing challenges more effectively.
Q: How does REBT help with anxiety?
A: REBT helps people identify irrational beliefs that often fuel anxiety, such as catastrophizing or assuming the worst will happen. By challenging these beliefs and replacing them with more balanced perspectives, individuals can reduce anxiety, improve emotional regulation, and approach situations with greater confidence.
Q: What happens during an REBT session?
A: During an REBT session, you and your therapist explore current challenges, identify unhelpful thinking patterns, and examine the beliefs contributing to emotional distress. Sessions often include guided discussion, practical exercises, and strategies that can be applied in everyday situations to support lasting change.
Q: Is REBT a long-term or short-term therapy?
A: REBT is often considered a short- to medium-term therapy, although the length of treatment varies based on individual goals and circumstances. Many people begin learning useful skills within the first several sessions and continue building those skills throughout therapy.
Q: Can REBT help improve self-esteem?
A: Yes. REBT helps individuals challenge self-critical beliefs and unrealistic standards that can negatively affect self-esteem. By developing more balanced and compassionate ways of thinking, people often experience greater self-acceptance, confidence, and emotional resilience.
Q: What are the main goals of REBT?
A: The primary goals of REBT are to identify irrational beliefs, develop healthier thinking patterns, improve emotional well-being, and encourage constructive behaviours. REBT aims to help individuals respond to life’s challenges with greater flexibility, resilience, and self-awareness while supporting long-term personal growth.
Ready to Pull Up a Chair at Fireside Psychotherapy?
You may not be able to change every difficult situation you encounter, but you can develop greater flexibility in how you interpret and respond to those situations.
Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy provides a structured framework for understanding the connection between events, beliefs, emotions, and behaviours. By identifying rigid beliefs, examining them critically, and developing more flexible alternatives, you can learn to respond to challenges without allowing unrealistic demands or harsh self-judgments to take over.
If you are looking for Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy in Ottawa, Fireside Psychotherapy can help you explore whether REBT is appropriate for your concerns and goals.
Contact Fireside Psychotherapy to learn more about REBT or to take the next step toward developing more flexible, effective ways of responding to life’s challenges.