Posted by Hugh on January 27, 2023, at 12:02:20
In reply to Re: 'Recovery' » Hugh, posted by SLS on January 1, 2023, at 19:18:42
Hi Scott,
Back in the '90s, I was a big fan of Albert Ellis. I read a dozen or more of his books. What you posted about Ellis reminds me of something David Burns wrote in Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy. In an attempt to get over his shyness, Burns entered a crowded elevator and started talking to people -- announcing each floor the elevator stopped at, etc. Burns said that it wasn't nearly as bad as he feared it would be. I didn't have the courage to try this myself.
This radio report from This American Life has a tape recording of Ellis with a patient:
https://www.thisamericanlife.org/540/a-front/act-three-0
> > For many years, Martin Seligman was one of the leading proponents of cognitive-behavioral therapy, following in the footsteps of Aaron Beck and Albert Ellis. Then it occurred to Seligman that psychology's main focus was on researching and treating sickness, and that very little emphasis was placed on wellness. Seligman changed his focus from helping his patients survive to helping them thrive. He calls this approach positive psychology and flourishing.
> >
> > https://positivepsychology.com/flourishing/
>
>
> Nice.
>
>
> From what I understand, Albert Ellis was all "tough love". Although Ellis might not have been a true *ssh*l*, he certainly went out of his way to portray himself as one when working with people. I heard a story that, early on, Ellis walked up to every woman he came across in the Bronx Botanical Gardens and asked each of them whether or not they would go on a date with him. As you can imagine, he was turned down every time during his first excursion in doing the "homework assignment" he gave himself. Ellis used this exercise as a way to desensitize himself to the fear-provoking situation of asking women out on dates.
>
> "FEAR OF APPROACHING WOMEN"
>
> Article published by the REBT Network:
>
> Ask Dr. Ellis
> May, 2006"
>
> "At the age of 19, he [Albert Ellis] gave himself a homework assignment."
>
> http://www.rebtnetwork.org/ask/may06.html
>
>
> - Scott
poster:Hugh
thread:1120779
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20230117/msgs/1121662.html