Certified Advanced Alcohol and Drug Counselor (CAADC) Practice Exam 2026 - Free Practice Questions and Study Guide

In Rational Emotive Therapy (RET), the A-B-C model is fundamental for understanding how individuals respond to events and the beliefs that influence their emotional and behavioral outcomes. This model emphasizes that an Activating Event (A), such as a stressful situation, leads to Beliefs (B) about that event, which then result in Consequences (C), including emotional responses and behaviors.

The core idea is that it is not the events themselves that cause emotional distress but rather the beliefs and interpretations individuals hold about these events. For instance, if someone experiences a setback (the activating event), their beliefs about that setback—such as feeling like a failure—can lead to negative emotional consequences like depression or anxiety. Thus, the focus of RET is on identifying and restructuring these irrational beliefs to foster healthier emotional responses and behaviors.

The other concepts mentioned, such as the RET Model, If-then model, and Solergistic model, do not encapsulate this fundamental aspect of how beliefs mediate the relationship between events and emotional experiences in the same straightforward way as the A-B-C model does.