Rational emotive behavior therapy for disturbance about sexual orientation.

Abstract

I am a 39-year-old White man. A licensed clinical psychologist, I received my doctorate from the Graduate School of Psychology and my master's degree from the School of Theology at Fuller Theological Seminary. I practiced full time for 4 years as a U.S. Navy psychologist, then continued my clinical career while serving as a faculty member in a doctoral training program-first in part-time private practice and then as a consulting psychologist in a clinic for low-income children and adolescents. For the past couple of years, my responsibilities have been exclusively academic and supervisory.I consider myself Christian in a broad and ecumenical sense and no longer identify with any single protestant denomination, though my background is conservative and evangelical. I do not endorse some of the tenets or doctrinal views common of most evangelical denominations. I have no interest in literalism, dogma, or religious performance, but 1 have a great deal of interest in the person of Jesus and modeling Christlike humanity for those I engage professionally.

Can We Change Sexual Orientation?

“…In working with those who value traditional religion, APA encouraged clinicians to base their work on the psychology of religion that understands the importance of religion and spirituality as it also addresses the harm due to the human errors of such practices (cf. Johnson, 2004). Overall, resolving sexual orientation conflicts seems to entail diverse trajectories, similar to other aspects of identity.…”

Identifying and integrating helpful and harmful religious beliefs into psychotherapy.

“…Johnson (2001) provided a strategy to deal with religious beliefs that harm by focusing disputation on clients' cognitions rather than on the content of their religious beliefs. For instance, although rational emotive behavior therapy as conceived by Ellis would dispute "irrational" religious beliefs by challenging their logical consistency, consistency with empirical reality, reliance on absolutistic and dogmatic reasoning, tendency to elicit disturbed emotions, and block attaining the client's goals, Johnson (2004) explored and disputed the irrationality of the clients' thinking about the religious teachings "without questioning or creating dissonance regarding specific religious beliefs" (p. 260). For example, he challenged client thinking that led to pain by questioning the validity of the "demandingness" (I should, I ought), the "awfulizing" (what I did was horrific and unforgivable), the human worth rating (I am evil, as opposed to what I did was a mistake), and the low frustration tolerance (I can't stand what I did) that accompany the beliefs.…”

“…They tend to involve themes of inadequacy; anticipated abandonment, failure, or harm; and unrealistically high standards for self-control, selfsacrifice, or approval. Johnson (2004) For instance, Johnson (2004) suggested that the client's belief that the problem is awful and catastrophic could be changed to, it is unfortunate and a problem, but it can be dealt with. This approach accepts the truth of the client's fundamental commitment to his faith, rarely challenges aspects of his religious training, and mostly focuses on correcting the client's thinking errors.…”

Chapter 8. Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy and the God Image

“…23: "As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he"). A number of authors have described how REBT might be specifically accommodated to client religious faith (DiGiuseppe, et al, 1990;Ellis, 2000;Nielson et al, 2001;Johnson, 2001;2003), and there is preliminary outcome research demonstrating the efficacy of REBT in the treatment of depressed religious clients (Johnson, DeVries, Ridley, Pettorini, & Peterson, 1994;Johnson & Ridley, 1992).…”

“…When a client's God image appears linked to his or her clinical disturbance, the REBT therapist can select between two broad approaches to religiously-sensitive disputation (Johnson, 2001(Johnson, , 2003Johnson & Nielsen, 1998). Using a General Disputation approach, the therapist attacks the client's evaluative and demanding beliefs without challenging or disputing the specific content or the religious client's world view or doctrinal beliefs.…”