reality therapy

Reality Therapy in School 1

REALITY THERAPY

CHOICE THEORY


THEORY• Created by William Glasser• Enhanced by Robert Wubbolding• It is based on Choice Theory and Control

Theory.• One of the basic concepts of Reality

Therapy is that human behavior is control by the individual and therefore base on choice.


THEORY• Individuals who are unhappy with their

current behavior have the capacity for exploring and discovering new behaviors and replacing the old ineffective ones.

• Once individuals find these new behaviors satisfying, they will repeat the behaviors until the new behaviors become a consistent part of their lives


THEORY – BASIC ASSUMPTIONS• Symptoms are the result of choices we’ve

made in our lives.– We can chose to think, feel and behave

differently.

• Emphasis is on personal responsibility.• Therapist’s function is to keep therapy

focused on the present.


THEORY – BASIC ASSUMPTIONS

• We often mistakenly choose misery in our best attempt to meet our needs

• We act responsibly when we meet our needs without keeping others from meeting their needs


THEORY – BASIC NEEDS• Internally driven

You

Love/ Belonging

Freedom

PhysiologyPower

Fun


THEORY – BASIC ASSUMPTIONS• Glasser believes that an individual has five (5)

basic “internally driven” needs:– Belonging (love)– Freedom (independence)– Power (sense of control)– Fun (enjoyment)– Physiology

• Glasser believes that human personality development is an attempt to fulfill these five basic needs.



• Our brain functions as a control system to get us what we want.

• Our quality world consists of our visions of specific people, activities, events, beliefs and situations that will fulfill our needs.



• We create “picture albums” based on our quality world.

– The difference (frustration) between what we want and what we perceive we are getting from our environment produces specific behaviors.



– Human behavior – composed of doing, thinking, feeling and physiological behaviors – is purposeful; that is, it is designed to close the gap between what we want and what we perceive we are getting.

– Doing, thinking, and feeling are inseparable aspects of behavior and are generated from within, most of them are choices


THEORY• Individuals choose their behaviors, which

could be effective or ineffective in helping to satisfy those basic needs.

• They either develop a success or failure identity based on the way they see themselves and how others see them.

SEVEN PRINCIPLES1. INVOLVEMENT2. CURRENT BEHAVIOR3. EVALUATING BEHAVIOR4. PLANNING RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIOR5. COMMITMENT6. ACCEPT NO EXCUSES7. NO PUNISHMENT

7 Principles of Reality Therapy• INVOLVEMENT

The development and maintenance of a close, emotional relationship between client and therapist/counselor.

• CURRENT BEHAVIORThe focus is on the here and now behavior and its ramifications, that behavior is self-selected and so the consequences are self-inflicted.

• EVALUATING BEHAVIORClients are made to look critically at their own behavior and to judge whether or not the behavior is in their best interest; clients determine what is good for themselves and for those around them who care about them.

7 Principles of Reality Therapy

• PLANNING RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIORThe helper helps the client develop a realistic plan to implement the identified value judgment; the therapist is strongly involved in teaching responsibility.

• COMMITMENTClient and helper commit to follow the plan, which may be a written agreement, but is usually an oral exchange. Equivocations (“Maybe, I’ll try”) are not acceptable.

7 Principles of Reality Therapy

• ACCEPT NO EXCUSESThe therapist helps clients gain experiences that will enable them to keep their commitment. New behaviors must be satisfying and thus self-reinforcing. Clients cannot accept or make excuses for failure to keep commitments.

• NO PUNISHMENTThe therapist will not implement sanctions not agreed upon in the commitment. Punishment depletes the relationship and reinforces the client’s loneliness and isolation.


THERAPEUTIC PROCESS• The therapeutic process of RT includes a

working relationship that is agreed to by both counselor and client.

• This agreement usually include the goals of counseling, the responsibilities of counselor and client, the duration of counseling, confidentiality and its limitations, as well as the therapeutic relationship.


THERAPEUTIC PROCESS• The agreement for counseling is usually

introduced and addressed in the first few counseling sessions.

• The reality counselor/therapist normally plays an active and directive role in this section of the counseling process.


RT-COUNSELOR CHARACTERISTICS• Always be

– Courteous– Determined– Enthusiastic– Firm– Genuine

• Suspend judgment• Do the unexpected


RT-COUNSELOR CHARACTERISTICS• Use humor• Be yourself• Share yourself• Listen for metaphors• Listen for themes• Use summaries and focus• Allow or impose consequences• Allow silence• Be ethical


RT-COUNSELOR CHARACTERISTICS• Don’t accept excuses• Don’t punish, criticize or argue, allow

consequences• Don’t give up easily


TECHNIQUES• Procedures That Lead to Change:

The “WDEP” System formulated by Robert Wubbolding – The WDEP system:

• Want• Doing (action) or Direction • (self)-Evaluation• Plans


TECHNIQUESW Wants - What do you want to be and do?

Your “picture album”D Doing and Direction - What are you doing?

Where do you want to go?E Evaluation - Does your present behavior

have a reasonable chance of getting you what you want?

P Planning – “SAMIC3”


TECHNIQUESPlanning For Change

S Simple - Easy to understand, specific and concreteA Attainable - Within the capacities and motivation of the clientM Measurable - Are the changes observable and helpful?

I Immediate and Involved - What can be done today? What can you do?C Controlled - Can you do this by yourself or will you be dependent on others?- Can you do this on a continuous basis?


TECHNIQUES• The WDEP system ask clients what they

want, what they are doing now or direction they are going, to conduct a thorough self-evaluation, and to make plans that will help them fulfill their needs.

PROCEDURES OF EXPLORING

• “What do you want?”• “What do you Really want?”• “What do you think people want from you?”• “How do you look at it?”• Tell them what you have to offer, what you want

from them, how you look at the situation.• Get a commitment to counseling.

PROCEDURE OF EXPLORING TOTAL BEHAVIOR

• “What are you doing?”– What - specific– Are – current– You – client– Doing – total behaviors

Evaluations – Value Judgments• “Is your behavior helping or hurting you?”

• “Is what you’re doing helping you get what you want?”

• “Is what you’re doing against the rules?”• “Is what you’re doing realistic or attainable?”• “Does it help you to look at it that way?”• “How committed are you to the process of therapy

and to changing your life” – will that level work to your advantage?

• “Is it a helpful plan?”

Levels of Commitment• 1 – I don’t want to be here – I was forced.• 2 – I want the pleasure resulting from

change, but I don’t want to make the effort.

• 3 – I’ll try.• 4 – I’ll do my best.• 5 – I’ll do whatever it takes.

A Positive Plan• Need Fulfilling• Simple• Realistic and Attainable• “Something to DO, not Stop doing”• Dependent on the Doer• Specific

A Positive Plan• Repetitive

– Choose to approach others first– Choose to achieve something– Choose to have fun– Choose to act independently

• Immediate• Realistic• Process Centered• Evaluated• Firm• Reinforced


TECHNIQUES• With the WDEP system:• The counselor takes the lead in asking the

questions but allows the client to fully describe his/her issue/s in a systematic way.

• The counselor also shows a caring attitude towards the client but does not accept any excuses from the client.

Total BehaviorOur Best Attempt to Satisfy Our

Needs• DOING – active behaviors

• THINKING – thoughts, self-statements

• FEELINGS – anger, joy, pain, anxiety

• PHYSIOLOGY – bodily reactions


GLASSER’S BEHAVIORAL CAR

Feeling Physiology

Acting Thinking

The 4 wheels on the car describe a person’s total behavior. In order for the car to move, the four wheels have to move together. It is the same for a person to display any behavior, all four components are present and work simultaneously.

Glasser's Reality Therapy• Two Assumptions:

– A. Need to love and be loved– B. To be worthwhile as a person

• Three Theoretical Components:– A. Involvement– B. Rejection of unrealistic behavior– C. Relearning

• How might you work with a student who wants to get out of gang/delinquent behaviors?

reality therapy

Documents

choices reality therapy

lives reality therapy

needsreality therapy

new behaviors

specific behaviors

physiological behaviors

driven needs

control theory