Albert Ellis

NEW YORK (AP) _ Albert Ellis, one of the most provocative figures in modern psychology and the founder of a renowned psychotherapy institute, died Tuesday at age 93.

He died of kidney and heart failure after a long illness, said his wife, Debbie Joffe Ellis.

Ellis developed what is known as rational emotive behavior therapy, which stresses that patients can improve their lives by taking control of self-defeating thoughts, feelings and behaviors. Many consider his work to be part of the foundation of cognitive behavior therapy.

''We all owe a great debt to Dr. Ellis,'' said Robert O'Connell, executive director of the Albert Ellis Institute in Manhattan.

A 1982 survey of clinical psychologists ranked Ellis as the second most influential in the field _ ahead of Sigmund Freud and behind Carl Rogers, founder of humanistic psychology.

Ellis had been involved in legal battles with the institute he founded more than four decades ago, accusing its board of improperly removing him. The board said the ouster was done out of economic necessity.

Last year, a judge ruled that the board had removed Ellis without proper notice and reinstated him to the board. He returned to the institute in June, O'Connell said.

''He helped countless people, and a large number of people he helped now help other people,'' Debbie Joffe Ellis said. ''And in that, there's no question that he has influenced the world in an intensely positive way. In this crazy, violent world, he was a compass for truth.''

Ellis initially devoted most of his spare time to writing fiction, and when he couldn't get anything published he turned exclusively to nonfiction, promoting what he called the ''sex revolution.''

In the late 1930s, as he collected material to make a case for ''sexual liberty,'' his friends began regarding him as an expert on the subject. They often asked for advice, and Ellis discovered that he liked counseling, as well as writing.

After receiving a doctorate in clinical psychology from Columbia University, he started a private practice specializing in sex and marriage therapy. R.E.B.T. grew out of his own experiences and the teachings of Greek, Roman and modern philosophers.

Early in his career, Ellis drew criticism from some in the psychological and psychiatric establishment because of his critical views of Freud and psychoanalysis.

Ellis wrote or co-wrote more than 60 books including ''A Guide to Successful Marriage,'' ''How to Live With a Neurotic'' and ''A New Guide to Rational Living.''


Copyright © 2007 The Associated Press