Chapter 7

1. Chapter 7 Reality Therapy

2. Reality Therapy • Formulated by William Glasser in the late 1950’s and early 1960’s. • Emphasizes choices that people can make to change their lives. • Flexible, friendly, firm and action-oriented. • Focuses on two general concepts: • The environment necessary for conducting counseling. • The procedures leading to change.

3. Reality Therapy • Emphasizes: • The fulfillment of psychological needs. • The resolution of personal difficulties. • The prevention of future problems.

4. William Glasser • Born in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1925 and was the youngest child of a close-knit family. • Developed reality therapy because he wanted an approach that was practical and more easily understood by both clinicians and the public. • Founded the Institute of Reality Therapy in Canoga Park, California, and applied reality therapy to the areas of school settings and identity.

5. Control Theory • In 1981, Glasser linked his work with control theory. • Argues that all behavior is generated from inside persons and the only thing that people obtain from the outside world is information.

6. Choice Theory • In 1996, Glasser abandoned control theory as part of his approach and adopted choice theory in its place. • Argues that people choose to be the way they are.

7. View of Human Nature/Personality • A major tenet of reality therapy is its focus on consciousness: • Human beings operate on a conscious level. • They are not driven by unconscious forces or instincts.

8. Health / Growth Force • Believes that there is a health/growth force within everyone which is manifested at two levels: • Physical • Food, Water, Shelter • Psychological • Belonging, Power, Freedom, Fun

9. Need for Identity • The development of a psychologically healthy sense of self. • Identity needs are met by being accepted as a person by others. • Whether these needs are met adequately or not will determine whether a success identity or failure identity will result. • A failure identity is characterized by a lack of confidence and a tendency to give up easily.

10. Child Development • Glasser believes that there are two critical periods in children’s lives. • Ages 2-5 • Children learn early socialization skills. • During this period, children need love,acceptance, guidance, and involvement of their parents or a failure identity may be established. • Ages 5-10 • Children are involved with school and gain knowledge and self-concept. • Many children establish a failure identity during this period because of socialization difficulties or learning problems.

11. Choice Theory • Individuals are ultimately self-determining. • Individuals can choose to be miserable or mentally disturbed or they may choose to live their lives in positive ways and give up trying to control others. • People who are mentally healthy will be in noncontrolling relationships with significant others in their lives.

12. Roles of the Counselor/Therapist • Serve primarily as teachers and models. • Build relationships with clients by developing trust. • They emphasize choice – on what clients choose to do. • Positive, constructive actions are emphasized. • Special attention is paid to metaphors and themes clients verbalize. • There is little attempt to test, diagnose, or otherwise analyze clients’ actions.

13. Goals • Primary goal is to help clients become psychologically strong and rational and realize they have choices in the ways they treat themselves and others. • If this goal is reached, they become autonomous and responsible. • Leads to the formation of a success identity. • Help clients clarify what they want in life.

14. Goals • Formulate a realistic plan to achieve personal needs and wishes. • Establish meaningful relationships between counselors and clients. • Focus on behavior and the present. • Aims to eliminate punishment and excuses from clients’ lives.

15. Process • Process is based on action-oriented techniques. • Helps clients realize they have control in how they respond to events and people. • Counselors should not give up on clients even if clients fail, but should tenaciously encourage their clients.

16. Techniques • Teaching • Employing Behavior • Confrontation • Role-playing • Feedback • Formulation of Specific Plans • Contracts • WDEP System • Wants, Direction, Evaluation, Plan

17. Multicultural and Gender Sensitive Issues • Respects individual cultural differences. • Main criticism is that it does not take into account environmental forces such as discrimination and racism. • Emphasizes the empowerment of clients to make choices regardless of their gender. • May be limited to what it can do for women.

18. Strengths and Contributions • Versatility in application to disorders and populations. • Concreteness. • Emphasizes short-term treatment. • The approach has national training centers. • Promotes responsibility and freedom within individuals without blame or criticism. • Has successfully challenged the medical model of client treatment. • Addresses the resolution of conflict. • Stresses the present.

19. Limitations and Criticisms • Ignores concepts such as the unconscious and personal history. • Holds that all forms of mental illness are attempts to deal with external events. • Criticized for being too simple. • Susceptible to becoming overly moralistic. • Dependence on establishing a good counselor-client relationship. • Dependence on verbal interaction and two-way communication. • Keeps changing its focus and emphasis.

20. The Case of Linda: Reality Therapy • How would you conceptualize this case using reality therapy? • What would be your treatment plan for this client using a reality therapy approach?