Acceptance

Emotionally healthy human beings develop an acceptance of reality, even when reality is highly unfortunate and unpleasant. REBT therapists strive to help their clients develop three types of acceptance: (1) unconditional self-acceptance; (2) unconditional other-acceptance; and (3) unconditional life-acceptance. Each of these types of acceptance is based on three core beliefs:

Unconditional self-acceptance:

• I am a fallible human being; I have my good points and my bad points.
• There is no reason why I must not have flaws.
• Despite my good points and my bad points, I am no more worthy and no less worthy than any other human being.

Unconditional other-acceptance:

• Other people will treat me unfairly from time to time.
• There is no reason why they must treat me fairly.
• The people who treat me unfairly are no more worthy and no less worthy than any other human being.

Unconditional life-acceptance:

• Life doesn't always work out the way that I'd like it to.
• There is no reason why life must go the way I want it to.
• Life is not necessarily pleasant but it is never awful and it is nearly always bearable.