I'm not so keen on cognitive therapy / rational emotive behaviour therapy because I think it is a little too invalidating of peoples emotional experience. Also because... It is based on a couple of assumptions that are not universially true as they are required to be (an example of over-generalising or wishful thinking?)

So, for example...

Someone says that they think people don't like them / reject them because they have red hair...

And one thing you could do is challenge the evidence they have for the belief...

And one thing you could do is challenge the belief directly...

Another thing you could do is accept that the person feels like other people reject them.

I mean...

Isn't that the point?
That the person feels pain...
Because they feel rejected...

And to call that belief 'irrational' is extremely invalidating. Not to mention... Judgemental.

In fact... The person may well have good reason to feel rejected by people (maybe there was an important person in their life who left them).

And to call their belief 'irrational' and try and change it...

Well...

Doesn't work for me...