ALBERT ELLIS, PHD
Albert Ellis, PhD, was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on September 27, 1913, and raised in New York City. He received his MA and PhD degrees in clinical psychology from Columbia University in New York City. Dr. Ellis held many important psychological positions, including chief psychologist of the state of New Jersey and adjunct professorships at Rutgers and other universities. He was the founder of rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT), the first of the cognitive behavior therapies. In 1959, he founded the Albert Ellis Institute and was dedicated to its work and growth. However, in his final years he felt that the directors of the institute were not fulfilling his vision for its role. Dr. Ellis served as president of the Division of Consulting Psychology of the American Psychological Association (APA) and of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality. He also served as officer of several professional societies, including the American Association of Marital and Family Therapy, the American Academy of Psychotherapists, and the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists. He was a diplomat in clinical psychology of the American Board of Professional Psychology and several other professional boards. Professional societies that have given Dr. Ellis their highest professional and clinical awards include the APA, the Association for the Advancement of Behavior Therapy, the American Counseling Association, and the American Psychopathological Association. He was ranked as one of the Most Influential Psychologists by both American and Canadian psychologists and counselors. He has served as consulting or associate editor of many scientific journals and has published more than 80 books and monographs, including a number of best-selling popular and professional volumes. His autobiography, All Out, was released in 2010, to be followed by other books he wrote and coauthored with his wife, Dr. Debbie Joffe Ellis. Albert Ellis died on July 24, 2007.