INTERNSHIP REPORT

Internship code-MPCE -025

Internship report-MPCE-025

Duration – 12 March 2023 to 07 June 2023

Location –The psyk life

(online mode)

Course code-MPCE (Counselling psychology)

Name ANJALI

Enrollment NO. 2101834875

Ph No. 9318386767

Email ID : anjalijha0065@gmail.com

Study centre- Jagannath community centre Rohini sector-3

Study centre code- 29032

IGNOU Regional Centre Delhi-2

Regional Centre code- 110002

 TABLE OF CONTENT

 APPENDIX I DECLARATION
 APPENDIX II REFERENCE LETTER
 APPENDIX III APPROVAL REQEST ON MAIL FROM THE PSYK LIFE
 APPENDIX IV RECORD OF VISITS/ACTIVITIES CARRIED BU LEARNER
 APPENDIX V EVALUATION SCHEME FOR INTERNSHIP (AGENCY SUPERVISOR)
 APPENDIX VI EVALUATION SCHEME FOR INTERNSHIP (ACADEMIC COUNSELOR)
 APPENDIX VII EVALUATION SCHEME FOR INTERNSHIP (EXTERNAL EXAMINER)
 APPENDIX VIII CERTIFICATE

 PROFILE FOR ORGANISATION

 ACTIVITIES CARRIED BY LEARNER IN DETAILS
 CASE HISTORY TALBE
 CASE STUDY
 PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTS
 COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY
 EDMR
APPENDIX-I

(DECLARATION)

I Ms. ANJALI hereby declare that I am a Learner of COUNSELING OF PSYCHOLOGY, January 2022-23
year, at the study centre code 29032 Regional Centre-2 and I want to do my internship (MPCE-025) at
THE PSYK LIFE on my own free will. I will adhere to the standards of the organization and display
professionalism during my internship

SIGNATURE

2101834875
APPENDIX-II
APPENDIX-III
The PsyK- Life® is a registered mental health organization which was founded by Ms. Kirti Garg who is
a psychologist by profession in the year 2020. The PsyK- Life is a safe space where we advocate about
mental health, normalize therapy, destigmatize mental illness and reach out to masses. In almost
three years, we have already impacted over 10,000 people through various awareness programs,
workshops, trainings, mental health camps and more. During the COVID-19 Pandemic, The PsyK- Life
was one of the major initiative that focused on providing free help to people all over the country.
This included our free self care sessions, meditation classes, free mental health helpline services to
people in crises, to name a few.

Here at The PsyK- Life, we not only talk about taboo topics, share free resources around psychology,
advocate mental health but also provide trainings, courses, diplomas, internships and more
educational services to budding psychologists and mental health professionals. We provide trainings
to organizations around various life skills like empathy building, stress management, team building,
specialized well-being programs around meditation, yoga, etc. We are also building India’s first
mental health store with useful and accessible products aiming at our holistic wellness.

One of our major services include Therapy sessions with our founder and Counseling Psychologist,
Ms. Kirti Garg and team of other mental health professionals. We provide affordable online
counseling sessions and therapy. Clients with issues like relationship conflicts, self growth, dealing
with stress, anxiety, depression, trauma, grief, mental disorders, and more have been taking
professional help from us and the recovery rate speaks for itself.
S.No.
1 NAME OF THE ORGANIZATION OFFERING The Psyk - Life
ONLINE INTERSHIP
2 START DATE OF INTERNSHIP 12-march-2023
3 NAME OF THE LEARNER Anjali
4 ENROLLMENT NUMBER 2101834875
5 ADMISSION CYCLE Online
6 EMAIL AND MOBILE NO. OF THE LEARNER Anjalijha0065@gmail.com
7 PROGRAMME CODE Mapc
8 COUSRE CODE Mpce-025
9 REGIONAL CENTRE IGNOU Delhi-2
10 STUDY CENTRE JIMS
11 NAME AND EDUCATION QUALIFICATION OF Kriti Garg
AGENCY SUPERVISOR
12 NAME OF ACADEMIC COUNSELLOR Kriti Garg
13 DETAILS OF THE ORGANISATION AND THE The PsyK- Life is a registered mental
ONLINE INTERNSHIP health organization which was founded
by Ms. Kirti Garg who is a psychologist
by profession in the year 2020.
14 STRUCTURE AND DURATION OF INTERNSHIP 240 Hours
APPENDIX-IV

ACTIVITY SHEET

Date of Visit Days no. Time Duration NATURE OF WORK NAME AND
SIGNATURE
OF
CONCERNE
D
AUTHORITY
12-March-2023 1 1.30 h Introduction of Counselling
15-March-2023 2 1.30 h MSE
18-March-2023 3 1.30 h Mental Health Project
19-March-2023 4 2h CBT
25-March-2023 5 2h REBT
26-March-2023 6 2h How To Deal With Geriatrics
Clients
1-April-2023 7 1.30 h Using
2-April-2023 8 2h SFBT
8-April-2023 9 1.30 h DBT
9-April-2023 10 1.30 h Handling different issues in
counselling
16-April-2023 11 1.30 h Body language and important
skills required
22-April-2023 12 2h Trauma informed therapy
23-April-2023 13 2h Queer affirmative therapy
29-April-2023 14 2h Termination of session and
therapy
30-April-2023 15 2h Self care for THERAPIST
6-May-2023 16 2h ANALYSIS
7-May-2023 17 2h ANALYSIS
13-May-2023 18 2h ANALYSIS
14-May-2023 19 2h ANALYSIS
20-May-2023 20 2h ANALYSIS
21-May-2023 21 2h ANALYSIS
27-May-2023 22 2h ANALYSIS
28-May-2023 23 2h
APPENDIX-V
Comments, if any:

Signature

Name of Agency Supervisor

APPENDIX-VI

EVALUATION SCHEME FOR INTERNSHIP (ACADEMIC COUNSELLOR)

Name of the Programme: ANAJLI Course Code: MPCE025

Study Centre: JIMS SEC -3 Regional Centre: DELHI -2

Name of the Learner: ANJALI

Enrolment No:2101834875

Internal Mark by Academic Counsellor

Detail Maximum Marks Mark Obtained

Report 20
Provisional diagnosis and planning of intervention 5

Overall Understanding of Cases 5

Total Marks 30

Comments, if any:

Signature

Name of Academic Counsellor

APPENDIX-VI

EVALUATION SCHEME FOR INTERNSHIP (EXTERNAL EXAMINER)

Name of the Programme: MAPC Course Code: MPCE025

Study Centre: JIMS ROHINI SEC-3 Regional Centre: DELHI -2

Name of the Learner: ANJALI

Enrollment No: 2101834875

External Marks (Viva Voce)

Detail Maximum Marks Mark Obtained

Viva 40
Total Marks 30

Comments, if any:

Signature

Name & Address of External Examiner

APPENDIX-VIII

HECIRTIFICATE

This is to certify ms. ANJALI of MA psychology second year (MAPC PROGRAMME)has conducted and
successfully completed the internship in MPCE025 in the place THE PSYK LIFE .

NAME :- ANJALI NAME:-

ENROLLMENT NO. :- 2101834875 DESIGNATION:-

NAME OF THE STUDY CENTRE:-JIMS SEC-3 PLACE:-

REGIONAL CENTRE :-DELHI-2 DATE:-

PLACE :-

DATE;-

SIGNATURE OF AGENCY SUPERVISOR

NAME :-

DESIGNATION:-

NAME OF THE ORAGANISATION :-

ADDRESS:-

PLACE:-

DATE:-
Date: 12 March 2023

Counseling Psychology

Counseling Psychology is a generalist health service (HSP) specialty in professional psychology that
uses a broad range of culturally-informed and culturally-sensitive practices to help people improve
their well-being, prevent and alleviate distress and maladjustment, resolve crises, and increase their
ability to function better in their lives. It focuses specifically but not exclusively on normative life-
span development, with a particular emphasis on prevention and education as well as amelioration,
addressing individuals as well as the systems or contexts in which they function. It has particular
expertise in work and career issues.

Specialized knowledge

Psychologists have an understanding of and capacity to engage in evidence-based and culturally-

informed intervention, assessment, prevention, training, and research practices. They focus on
healthy aspects and strengths of their clients (whether they are individuals, couples, families, groups,
organizations, or communities); environmental/contextual influences (such as cultural, sociopolitical,
gender, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation, and socioeconomic factors) that shape people’s experiences
and concerns; the role of career and work in peoples’ lives; and advocacy for equity and social
justice.

Problems addressed

Counseling psychologists focus on normative developmental and mental health issues and challenges
faced by individuals across their lifespan, as well as systemic challenges (such as prejudice and
discrimination) experienced in groups, workplaces, organizations, institutions, and communities.
They use strengths-based perspectives and practices to prevent and ameliorate emotional, relational,
physical/health-related, social, cultural, vocational, educational, and identity-related problems.

Population served

Counseling psychologists serve persons of all ages and cultural backgrounds in individual, group
(including couples and families), workplace, organizational, institutional, and community settings.
They work with groups and communities to assist them in addressing or preventing problems, as well
as to improve the personal and interpersonal functioning of individual members. Counseling
psychologists also intervene in organizations, institutions, workplaces, and communities to enhance
their effectiveness, climate, and the success and well-being of their members.

15-MARCH2023

MSE

Case records

C.R.F. No.: 1 Dated: 22/4/2023

SOCIO-DEMOGRAPHIC DETAILS

1. Name: Ajay

2. Gender: Male
3. Age: 11 years

4. Address (Local) – XYZ

5. Telephone No.: 27834***

6.Address (Permanent) - XYZ

5. Marital Status: Single

6. Mother Tongue: Hindi

7. Education: Class 5

8. Occupation: NIL

9. Religion & Caste: Hindu

10. Residence: Urban

11. Family Type: Nuclear

12. Family Size: 3

Adults: 2 Children (below 18 years): 1

13. Socio- economic status: Middle class

14. Income

a) Income Sources: I. Father’s salary II. Mother’s salary)

Family Income: 5-6 lakh/ year

c) Patient’s Income: NIL

SOURCE OF REFERRAL

a friend of M. R’s Mother working in the field of psychology

REASONS FOR REFERRAL

Child was showing deteriorating academic performance and had difficulty in remembering studying
material

PRESENTING COMPLAINTS:

Mother complains “Difficulty in following academic instructions and difficulty remembering studied
material since early childhood, of insidious onset, continuous course and deteriorating progress” and

“Difficult temperament”.

HISTORY OF PRESENT ILLNESS

The client, Mr. M.R, was doing well until he started going to school, he started showing deteriorating
academic performance since early childhood, with insidious onset and continuous course and
deteriorating progress. He had difficulty following academic instructions and difficulty remembering
studied material. He has a history of caesarean delivery, delayed birth cry, birth complications
including prolonged labour and promotion in class by request and consideration (as reported by
mother).

Course: continuous

Onset: insidious

Progress: Deteriorating

TREATMENT HISTORY (For Present Illness);

No past history of treatment

FAMILY HISTORY

1. Family Tree

2. Consanguinity: Absent

Father

i. Age- 54

ii. Living

iii. Education- M.A in Fine Arts

iv. Occupation- Artist

v. Relationship with / attitude towards patient- good and friendly (as reported by mother)

3. Family Interaction Pattern

i. Communication- direct

ii. Leadership- Father takes most decisions

iii. Decision Making- mainly by father, least in case of client

iv. Role- active role as a family member, interactive and dependent on each other.

v. Family Rituals-none

vi. Cohesiveness- very cohesive

vii. Family Burden- none

viii. Expressed Emotion: Client has a difficult temperament

4. Family History of Psychiatric Illness/ Mental Retardation/ Substance Dependence/ Epilepsy- none

PERSONAL HISTORY

1. Birth & Developmental History

Father

i. Age- 54
ii. iii. Education-B. A in Psychology
iv. Occupation- Psychologist

vi. Relationship with / attitude towards patient good and friendly (as reported by mother)

Mother

i. Age 25

ii. Living

iii. Education- M.A in Fine Arts

iv. Occupation- Artist

v. Relationship with / attitude towards patient- good and friendly (as reported by mother)

3. Family Interaction Pattern

i. Communication- direct

ii. Leadership- Father takes most decisions

iii. Decision Making- mainly by father, least in case of client

iv. Role- active role as a family member, interactive and dependent on each other.

v. Family Rituals-none

vi. Cohesiveness- very cohesive

vii. Family Burden- none

viii. Expressed Emotion: Client has a difficult temperament

4. Family History of Psychiatric Illness/ Mental Retardation/ Substance Dependence/ Epilepsy- none

PERSONAL HISTORY

1. Birth & Developmental History

a. Type of Birth- full term caesarean delivery

b. Birth Complications- prolonged labour and delayed birth cry

c. Significant Prenatal factors- prolonged labour

d. Significant Perinatal factors- delayed birth cry

e. Milestones- delay and inefficiency in achievement of almost all cognitive Developmental

Milestones (from object permanence and recognizing faces to forming schemas and learning small
words)

f. Current Developmental Status- Memory deterioration (reported by mother as “difficulty in

remembering”) and problems in following academic instructions.

2. Childhood Disorders: None

3. Relationship of parents with children- the mother reported that the patient was provided with a
warm, congenial environment with adequate care and love. Although, she reported the client
showed difficult temperament.
4. Academic History

a. Age of school admission- 5 years

b. Highest grade completed- 5th

c. Academic performance- below average

d. Reason for Discontinuation: NIL

e. Peer relationships: healthy and close peer relationships, big friend circle

f. Any disciplinary problems: none, the child is very well behaved, has difficult temperament

g. Hobbies & Interests: role playing with puppets, art work

5. Home situation / environment in childhood & adolescence – the relationship of the parents with
the client congenial, the environment provided is warm and friendly.

6. Menstrual history (if applicable)- NA

a. Age of Menarche

b. Date of L.M.P.

c. Duration

d. Associated physical / psychological symptoms

e. Any related symptoms

GENERAL TEMPERAMENT & PERSONALITY ATTRIBUTES:

Mother reports “difficult temperament” by the client. Described as moody, non-adaptable and
overreactive.

GENERAL TEMPERAMENT & PERSONALITY ATTRIBUTES:

Mother reports “difficult temperament” by the client. Described as moody, non-adaptable and
overreactive.

PAST HISTORY (Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Outcome)

1. Medical- the child had birth complications including prolonged labor and delayed birth cry.

2. Psychiatric- NIL (Symptoms, Diagnosis, Treatment, Outcome)1. Medical- the child had birth
complications including prolonged labor and delayed birth cry.

2. Psychiatric- NIL

MENTAL STATUS EXAMINATION

Initial Observation- Well kempt and tidy appearance

Body built age appropriately

Eye contact and touch with surroundings present

Attention & Concentration

Attention and concentration could be aroused and sustained

Activity Level & Motor Behaviour

Good gross and fine motor skills

Speech & Language Ability

The child was Communicable and had no speech defects.

General Intelligence & Other Cognitive Functions

Intact recent and remote memory and below average cognitive functioning

Mood & Affect

Rapport was established easily, child showed a cooperative attitude towards the clinician with
cheerful affect, stable and of adequate range and communicable.

Thought Process

Normal thought form and stream

Perception

Normal perceptual process

Child’s version of the problem

Child reports not being able to solve problems, remember, learn, and make decisions and defects in
reasoning all parts of cognition. The child denied showing any difficult temperament at home, he
reported that he was very cooperative and cheerful even at home.

3-wish test & Animal Test

Any other observation or comments, such as playroom observations

. DIAELECTICAL BEHAVIOUR
Rachel is a complicated and, at times, an unlikeable and unreliable character. In her own perspective,
she is a divorcée, deeply depressed over her infertility and a failed marriage. She longs for what she
believes to be a happy suburban family life, desperate to matter to others and be helpful. Others,
however, see her as a creepy stalker with a potential for violence. When she is drunk, she is self-
destructive, yet when she is sober, she is relentless in trying to uncover the truth of the events of
that drunken Saturday night, turning her into the engine that moves the novel forward. Rachel is an
unconventional detective hunting for clues in her fractured memories. Finally facing the truth of her
abusive marriage to Tom, she overcomes her emotional dependence, finally rejects victimization, and
resumes control over her life, revealing herself to be the strongest female character in the novel.
Despite her flaws, she is guided by a strong moral compass and empathy

DMCBT AND CNRBS

NAME OF CLIENT:- ANJALI

AGE 26
SEX :- FEMALE

MARITAL STATUS :- MARRIED

DATE OF DMCBT

I met with Anjali she facing difficulty in intimacy with her husband. As she is unable to forget her ex
she is still in love with her ex. So, she wants to know the process technique or therapy that can help
to her to forget about her ex. She is trying to maintain her marital life but she is unable to it in an
appropriate way. In her adulthood she tried to convince her family to marry with her bf what her
family did not agree for this because his financial status was not good. he was not rich like as girls’
parents. So, her family didn’t allow her to marry with her ex they threat her if she will think about
elopement when they will caught to them they will kill them . but now when she tried to intimate
with her hubby she do not feel comfortable the way she was comfortable with her ex she always
think about her ex her lovable moment with him .

Treatment

I asked to her about her strength she told me she is good in making friends she is adventurous
person so I advised to her firstly try get comfortable zone with her hubby . share her memory with
her hubby talked with him or those people to whom she loves make a journal of her memory she
noticed now she is amazed to know mare about his hubby life she is giving time to her marrital life .
getting herself more close to her hubby but her ex memories is still bothering her .

The steps that she is taking

Making journals

Breathing exercise giving appropriate time to her hubby trying to get more close to her hubby .

RATIONAL EMOTIVE BEHAVIORAL

THERAPY
Ajay is a 33 year old married man, who has recently become a father. He explains that he
feels his self-esteem has been gradually deteriorating ever since he was married. He says that
he can’t find reasons to enjoy life with his wife due to feelings of inadequacy as a husband.In
his new role as a father, Ajay had hoped to find the happiness that he was looking for;
however this has not been the case. He mentions that his relationship with his wife’s family is
strained and thinks that this is the root of his problem. In this scenario, the Professional
Counsellor will be using a Rational Emotive Behavioural approach with Ajay.For ease of
writing the Professional Counsellor is abbreviated to “C”.

Background Information

Ajay was married 4 years ago to Helen. They met after leaving school and have been in a
continuous relationship since that time. Ajay describes his relationship with Helen as a strong
friendship, but also explains that they have experienced recurring problems in their
relationship.Ajay feels that the main problem is the interference of Helen’s family in their
partnership. Helen has had a close relationship with her mother and father and had been
living with them up until 5 years ago. Neither Helen’s mother or father approved of her
relationship with Ajay, since their first meeting. Ajay is at a loss to explain their disapproval
of him, and it appears that he has tried in many ways, to gain their respect.Initially Helen was
hesitant to continue a relationship with Ajay, due to her parent’s strong reaction to him. At
times they even carried on their relationship in secret to avoid her parent’s reaction. It became
more apparent to them that they would eventually have to overlook Helen’s parents’ opinions
of their relationship and follow their own wishes.Finally, Helen and Ajay moved into their
own apartment and became engaged to be married. Since becoming married and having their
first child, Ajay has continued to extend himself to great personal lengths to maintain any of
his parents-in-law’s support. It is his belief that if he extends himself enough, that they will
come to love him as much as they love their daughter.He finds this position very demanding.
Of particular difficulty is that Helen’s parents expect to be visited on a weekly basis, by their
daughter and new grandchild. These weekly meetings are very draining for Ajay as his
parents-in-law are still openly critical of him. At best, he says, they ignore him. In these
situations, he finds that Helen is quite passive, though she tells him that she wishes her
parents were less critical. Helen has said to him that it is usually best to just let them have
their way, and this appears to reflect her pattern of coping with the situation.

Session Content

“C” firstly aims to assist Ajay to understand his feelings and beliefs about the current
difficulties. They discuss Ajay’s beliefs and feelings about his relationship with his wife and
parents-in-law. It appears that for a long time Ajay has held the belief that if he just tries hard
enough, Helen’s parents will stop their criticism and come to respect him. He also thinks that
without their approval, he will never completely gain the full respect of his wife.“C” used
humour to begin to challenge Ajay about his views. The use of humour in REBT is a strategy
to reduce the importance and value that clients place on certain irrational beliefs. This
strategy does need to be balanced with sensitivity and timing, to ensure clients do not become
offended by the counsellor’s use of humour. Humour is most effective when the client is also
able to enter into the joke and it shouldn’t be used to belittle the client or their feelings.“Ajay
it seems to me that you have been seeking the approval of these people, since the first day
that you met them. In that time you have been ignored, belittled, backstabbed and denied
respect. Even after your public declaration of love to their daughter, their behaviour towards
you has not changed. Under these trying circumstances, I must congratulate you on your
undying loyalty to your wife and her family!”Ajay reacted well to the humour and responded
with a joke about his wedding vows, “On my wedding day, I never realised that I also had to
love, honour and cherish my wife’s mother and father!”“I am absolutely certain that you
never would have vowed that on your wedding day. After all, a marriage is the unity of only
two people”, replied “C”. “This leads me to wonder about your reasons for continuing to
appease Helen’s parents, in what appears to be beyond the call of duty and in the face of such
adversity.”Ajay responded to “C’s” confrontation. “I’ve always felt this need for their
approval. To me, it is all wrapped up in my role as a husband. It is my duty to be a good son-
in-law and I’ve just hoped that they’ll come to accept me in time.”“C” asked Ajay about how
he would prefer to be treated by his parents-in-law. Ajay replied that he wanted a friendship
with his new family and to be respected by them. He wanted them to be less pushy and more
cooperative with himself and Helen.“C” spent some time then explaining the nature of
irrational beliefs with Ajay. “Due to certain learning experiences in our lives, we come to
accept certain beliefs about ourselves and others. These beliefs may be inappropriate for us if
they don’t allow us to realise happiness or acceptance of the disappointments in life. Our
beliefs are reinforced by particular thoughts that we should behave in certain ways.If our
thoughts and behaviours are more concerned with the welfare of others, rather than ourselves,
this can lead to lowered self-esteem and further self-condemnation. The task that all of us
face at sometime, is to realise that some of our thoughts and behaviours are not healthy and to
replace these with more self-appreciating thoughts and behaviours.”From this discussion,
Ajay came to understand that he had control over his own beliefs and therefore, control over
his behaviour and a chance to improve his self-esteem. The first step, “C” explained, was to
identify the irrational beliefs that were controlling his life. The irrational beliefs that “C” and
Ajay identified are listed below:

1. “I must have the respect of my parents-in-law”.

2. “It is my duty as a good son-in-law and husband to meet the approval of my wife’s
parents”.
3. “My wife will never completely respect me if her parents do not respect me”.
4. “If I keep trying, they’ll eventually accept me”.
5. “My need for happiness is secondary to the needs of my in-laws”.

“C” said, “Ajay, you said before that you want Helen’s parents to be less pushy and more
respectful of you. I would challenge you that these are preferences that you have, which you
have little personal control over. You cannot expect to change another’s behaviour. Instead I
would like you to think about your own behaviours and how you might have more control of
them, by changing your irrational beliefs. We can do this through a process of debate, where
we weigh up the pros and cons of your beliefs”

“C” began the debate by challenging Ajay about his beliefs through a series of questions.
“Why do you need your parent’s-in-law approval to be a good son in law? What constitutes
good parents-in-laws? If you had a son-in-law, how would you treat him? At what point do
parents need to reduce their control of their children? Do you expect to be meeting your
parents-in-laws demands for the rest of your married life? Where did you learn that you have
a duty to obey Helen’s parent’s wishes?”

Through open debate and discussion of these questions, Ajay was able to view his irrational
beliefs from different angles. He was able to see how his belief impacted on his own well
being, and that his future happiness was dependent on his ability to change his belief and
subsequent behaviours.

The next step involved identifying and constructing new, more appropriate beliefs with Ajay.
“C” encouraged Ajay to rethink alternatives to the irrational thoughts that he identified
earlier. Instead of the belief, “I must have the respect of my in-laws,” Ajay was encouraged to
rephrase this as a preference. “I would like to have the respect of my in-laws.” To this belief
he also added some other preferences such as “I would like to be able to respect my in-laws
in return.” Other modified beliefs for Ajay included:

1. “It is not my duty as a son-in-law to accept personal criticism or being ignored”.

2. “It is my duty to be respectful of my wife’s family, though not to the point of
sacrificing my happiness”.
3. “My wife respects me as her husband and partner”.
4. “My wife’s love is not determined by the influence of her parents”.
5. “My wife and I have the right to determine how we will be involved in the life of our
families”.
6. “My priorities for happiness begin with myself, my wife and my son”.
7. “I accept that my in-laws may never accept me for who I am”.

“C” and Ajay also listed behaviours that could increase his personal happiness and reflect his
new beliefs about himself:
 1. Personally invite his parents-in-law around for visits, instead of visiting them.
2. Address any demands from parents as requests and notify them that the matter will be
discussed by Helen and himself in private. With Helen, redefine boundaries between
couple issues and family issues. For example, discuss the amount of time that should
be spent with various family members.
3. Expect parents to be more respectful of him and do not tolerate criticism. Determine
the consequences if this behaviour is not forthcoming, ie: politely leaving, hanging up
the phone or ending conversations if no respect is shown to him. Encourage ways in
which Helen could also expect more respect from her parents.
4. Discuss his personal changes with Helen and talk about the implication of these for
both of them.

In summary of the session, “C” expressed enthusiasm at Ajay’s willingness to explore his
irrational thoughts and self-condemning behaviours. “C” recommended a further discussion
of Ajay’s self-statements and establishment of a program of behaviour change, structured on
his new beliefs.

For homework, Ajay was required to identify other problems and self-defeating beliefs that
were affecting his life. For each of these, he needed to challenge their rationality and record
these thoughts in a personal log book. The log book would act as an inventory of all of Ajay’s
irrational thoughts and beliefs. He could refer to this book as a reminder to himself of the
beliefs that he was challenging.

“C” also suggested that he could begin to identify more appropriate thoughts to supplement
his irrational thoughts and record these in his log book. “C” highlighted to Ajay that disputing
irrational beliefs was something that required practice and to not expect this to happen
automatically.

Ajay also suggested inviting Helen to take part in counselling with him, so that she would be
more aware of his new beliefs and for them to discuss mutual strategies for managing their
family problems.

At the end of the session, “C” reminded Ajay of the presence of irrational and self-defeating
beliefs that he holds and how these impact on his opportunity for personal happiness and self-
confidence. The challenge for Ajay was to continue to become more aware of the presence of
self-defeating beliefs in his life and to energetically replace these with more personally
satisfying thoughts.

End of Session

Some points to consider with Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy are as follows:

People have the capacity for rational and irrational thoughts and beliefs. Irrational beliefs
can also be described as absolutistic cognition’s. Absolutistic cognitions by nature demand
that certain situations or behaviours should, or must occur in order to meet certain standards
that the client believes to be necessary.

REBT proposes that humans are fallible and imperfect and endeavours to help clients realise
and accept their fallibility and construct more satisfying thoughts and beliefs. We often seek
counselling due to the consequences that we are experiencing because of our irrational
thoughts and beliefs.
The focus of REBT is to help the client to understand the connection between their irrational
beliefs and their present problem. The counsellor aims to expose the irrational and self-
destructive beliefs and to challenge their value to the client. For example, if a client thinks
that they need the approval of everyone around them, then the REBT therapist will identify
this belief and dispute the client’s reasons for holding this belief.

Once exposed, the therapist and client can then work towards identifying more appropriate
and rational beliefs. From these beliefs it is hoped that new feelings and thoughts will arise
for the client. This process is known as the ABC theory of personality where:

(a) The activating event or stimulus, paired with the

(b) belief about the activating event, causes a

(c) consequence (the emotional and behavioural response)

(d) is the disputing intervention that is introduced to change the (b) belief. After which
a new

(e) effect (more appropriate belief) becomes associated with the original (a) activating
event. Lastly new

(f) feelings arise which are associated with the new beliefs about ourselves.
The methods involved in REBT include:

1. Disputing irrational beliefs in a systematic and logical way.

2. Changing one’s language from shoulds, oughts and musts to preferences.
3. Using humour to reduce the exaggerated effects of irrational thoughts and beliefs.
4. Doing cognitive homework to identify absolutistic beliefs behind their problem. This
can include assignments to observe their self-fulfilling prophesies, reading self-help
books and listening to tapes of earlier counselling sessions to critique their original
self-defeating beliefs.
5. Using modelling and role play in the session to encourage the client’s use of more
rational thoughts and beliefs.