The ABCDE Model: How to Understand and Change Your Emotional Responses

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Many of my sessions are structured around the ABCDE model of therapy, developed by Dr. Albert Ellis, the founder of Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT). This model helps us understand how our thoughts influence our emotions and behaviors—and how we can change them.

The Five Components of the ABCDE Model

A: Adverse Event

An adverse event is anything we perceive as upsetting or problematic. It might relate to the past, present, or future.
 Examples include losing a job, being criticized, or anticipating a stressful situation.

B: Beliefs

Albert Ellis made the observation that extreme and rigid core beliefs are at the heart of psychological dysfunctioning. He recognized that there are healthy core beliefs that facilitate our psychological functioning but When we are faced with an adverse event, we automatically interpret and evaluate it. These evaluations—how bad, unfair, or intolerable we think something is—are what lead to our emotional and behavioral responses.

Our evaluations stem from underlying core beliefs—the fundamental rules we’ve developed about how we, others, and the world should or should not be.

  • When beliefs are rational and flexible, they help us navigate life more effectively.

  • When beliefs are rigid, extreme, or irrational, they can lead to distress and dysfunctional reactions.

Examples of irrational beliefs:

“I must not make any mistakes. If I do, it would be horrible.”

“You have to respect me. If you don’t, I can't stand it.”

“Life has to be comfortable. If it isn’t, it will be unbearable.”

These beliefs create emotional turmoil by turning ordinary challenges into perceived catastrophes.

C: Emotional and Behavioral Consequences

These are the feelings and actions that result from our evaluation of a given event.

Common emotional responses include:

  • Anger: frustration, irritation, rage

  • Sadness: grief, loneliness, despair

  • Anxiety: worry, dread, panic

  • Shame or guilt

  • Hurt or embarrassment

Common behavioral responses include:

  • Avoiding people or situations

  • Overthinking or ruminating

  • Crying, yelling, sulking, or lashing out

  • Feeling stuck or indecisive

  • Changes in eating or sleeping patterns

D: Disputation

Disputation involves challenging the unhelpful beliefs identified in the previous step. You can do this by asking questions such as:

  • Is there any evidence to support this belief?

  • Is this belief helping me, or making things worse?

  • Would I encourage someone I care about to think this way?

This process opens the door to changing your thinking.

E: Effective New Belief

The final step is adopting a more realistic and flexible belief—often stated as a preference rather than a demand.

Examples:

“I don’t want to make mistakes. If I do, it would be hard, but not horrible.”

“I’d like to be respected, but I can handle it if I’m not.”

“It would be nice if life were always comfortable, but I can tolerate discomfort.”

You can use the same questions from the Disputation step to test whether these new beliefs are more helpful.

How to Practice the ABCDE Model on Your Own

You don’t need to wait for a therapy session to use this model. Try the following steps with a real situation from your life:

  1. Write down a recent upsetting event (A).
     What happened, or what are you worried will happen?

  2. Identify your beliefs (B).
     What thoughts ran through your mind? What did you say to yourself?

  3. Describe your emotional and behavioral reaction (C).
     How did you feel? What did you do?

  4. Challenge the belief (D).
     Ask questions like:

    • What’s the evidence?

    • Is this belief helping or hurting me?

    • Am I exaggerating?

    • Could I see this differently?

  5. Create a more helpful belief (E).
     Rewrite the belief in a way that’s flexible, realistic, and compassionate.

Start with small, everyday examples—like running late, making a mistake, or having a minor disagreement. As you get more comfortable with the steps, you can apply the model to more difficult situations. With repetition, it becomes a habit that supports healthier thinking and emotional resilience.

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