Private thought in rational emotive psychotherapy

Abstract

This paper, which is theoretical in orientation, advances the argument that the characteristics of a client's thought are overlooked in rational emotive psychotherapy and that new avenues of professional practice and research may evolve from a detailed examination of the nature of thought. Psychodynamic, psycholinguistic, and cognitive-behavioral conceptions of factors that interfere with a client's ability to report his/her private thoughts are discussed. A model of thought is proposed that postulates levels of thought that vary in client awareness and that can be represented on a continuum from covert verbalization to abbreviated, elliptical private thought. Implications of this model for professional practice are discussed in the form of two therapeutic techniques that are directed to ward the assessment of private thought. It is argued that rational emotive assessment techniques may be too directive to ensure sufficient levels of self-discovery. It is further argued that to facilitate the maintenance and generalization of client change, therapeutic instructions should be expressed in a form that is compatible with and can be incorporated within the client's idiosyncratic intrapersonal communication system and cognitive structure.