Sunday, July 29, 2007

Dr. Albert Ellis Dies at the Age of 93


" July 24, 2007, New York City – It is with deep sadness that the Albert Ellis Institute announces the death of Albert Ellis, Ph.D. on July 24, 2007. Dr. Ellis, who was 93 years old, died of natural causes. At the time of his death, he was President Emeritus of the Albert Ellis Institute in New York City.

Dr. Ellis was born in Pittsburgh in 1913, grew up in New York City, and received a master’s degree and doctorate in clinical psychology from Columbia University.

As a practicing psychoanalyst from 1947 to 1953, Dr. Ellis grew increasingly doubtful about the efficacy of that form of psychotherapy, concerned that no amount of talk would help his clients if they failed to take action against their habitual thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. By late 1953, he had stopped calling himself a psychoanalyst and begun developing Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), an action-oriented therapy aimed at making emotional and behavioral change through challenging self-defeating thoughts.

REBT is today widely acclaimed as a pioneering approach to psychotherapy and the foundation of all modern cognitive behavior therapies. In 2003, the American Psychological Association named Dr. Ellis the second most influential psychologist of the 20th century, second only to Carl Rogers. In 2005, Dr. Ellis’s 78th book, The Myth of Self Esteem, was published.

In 1960, Dr. Ellis established a nonprofit institute chartered by the New York State Board of Regents known today as the Albert Ellis Institute (AEI). Since its founding, AEI has provided educational programs and psychotherapy to hundreds of thousands of professionals, individuals and families.

“We all owe a great debt to Dr. Ellis,” said Robert O’Connell, Executive Director of AEI. “His students and clients will remember him for his tremendous insight and dedication as a psychotherapist. His innovations in the field will continue to influence the practice of psychotherapy for decades to come, and the institute he founded will continue to provide outstanding professional education programs and treatment based on the principles of REBT which he originated”.

During his career, Dr. Ellis served as President of the Division of Consulting Psychology of the American Psychological Association, as a member of the APA’s Council of Representatives, and as a Fellow and President of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sex. He was a Fellow of the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapists; the American Orthopsychiatric Association, the American Sociological Association; the American Association of Applied Anthropology and the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Dr. Ellis was also a Diplomate in Clinical Psychology of the American Board of Professional Psychology, a Diplomate in Clinical Hypnosis of the American Board of Psychological Hypnosis, a Diplomate of the American Board of Medical Psychotherapists, and a Diplomate of the American Board of Sexology, as well as a sex therapist certified by the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (Rebt.org)."

THE OFFICIAL MEMORIAL FOR DR. ALBERT ELLIS WILL BE HELD THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 2007, 7:30 PM,
AT ST. PAUL'S CHAPEL AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY."

Information provided courtesy of Albert Ellis Institute

2 comments:

  1. I am extremely sad Dr Ellis is gone.
    I knew this only now.
    I owe a lot to his little book "Myth of Self Esteem."

    However, I am going to post a blog entry, criticizing his errors in that book soon.

    I feel really bad to write a criticism when some one cannot defend themselves any more.

    george

    http://ethicminds.blogspot.com/

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  2. Dr Albert Ellis basically said in that book that
    (1) The so-called self is so fragmented, so transient, so temporary.

    Isn't that the basic claim of Buddhism?

    He read only 1 "elementary" Buddhist book and even that 1 book, shallowly, hurriedly, impaitiently and full of pre-concieved, pre-determined biases.

    A pity that such a brillinat mind missed the fruits of Buddhist peace.


    george
    http://ethicminds.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete