260 likes | 457 Views
How’s That Working for You? Utilizing Reality Therapy with Court Referred Clients. By Laura Heil Chloe Lancaster Rachel Payne. Garcia Center Background. 1993 – Center for Hispanic Arts 1997 – South Texas Institute for the Arts
E N D
How’s That Working for You? Utilizing Reality Therapy with Court Referred Clients By Laura Heil Chloe Lancaster Rachel Payne
Garcia Center Background 1993 – Center for Hispanic Arts 1997 – South Texas Institute for the Arts 1998 – Dedicated as the Antonio E. Garcia Arts Education Center 2004 – College of Education – OJJDP Grant: Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention
Population Characteristics • 94 % Hispanic • Average age: 14 • 65% male • At risk • Low SES • Court referred • Resistant to counseling (Lipsey & Cullen, 2003) • Benefits of counseling program (Lipsey & Cullen, 2003)
Comparison of Recidivism Rates Between Garcia Center Clients and Control Group
Garcia Center Counseling Programs • Provides psycho-educational programs and psychotherapy to high-risk, court- mandated youth and their families • Helpsstudents and families grow, relate, support one another, show respect, and succeed.
Garcia Center Counseling Programs • Conflict Resolution ( 7 session group) • Life Enhancement & Academic Direction Program (LEAD) • Family Connectivity • Healthy Interactions • Academic Success • Family Night Out • Family Counseling
Reality Therapy Principles • Developed by Dr. William Glasser, psychiatrist in 1965 • needs: survival, love, power, freedom, and fun • Behavior is an attempt to satisfy our needs • Are you succeeding in meeting your needs? • If not, what could you do differently? • Self-responsibility: the only person you can control is yourself Source: Glasser, W. (1998). Choice theory: A new psychology of personal freedom. New York: Harper-Collins.
Reality Therapy Strategies • Establish a relationship with the client by creating a need-satisfying environment • Move away from the past by asking, “What do you want?” • Focus on action: “What are you doing to get what you want?” • Encourage clients to analyze their behavior by asking, “Is what I am doing getting me closer to what I want?” • Assist clients in developing concrete, attainable plans to fulfill their needs in the future Source: Wubbolding, R. E. (2000). Reality therapy for the 21st century. New York: Brunner-Routledge.
WDEP • W: What do you want? • D: What are you doing to get what you want? • E: Is what you are doing getting you what you want? Evaluate • P: What is your plan? Source: Wubbolding, R. E. (2000). Reality therapy for the 21st century. New York: Brunner-Routledge.
What we decide is our choice, and the goal of reality therapy is to help clients figure out and put into practice better choices than those they have been making” ~Glasser, 1982
Developmental Level Typical 14 year old • Formal operational - abstract thinking Piaget (1969) - cause and effect • Identity versus role confusion - Developing a self image Erikson (1968) - Who am I ? Where am I going?
Why Reality Therapy ? • Training site • Practical approach • Focus on the present • Phenomenological approach Corey, 2000
Role and Function of the Group Leader • The foundation is a phenomenological relationship. • Leader becomes a guide along with the client • Facilitate insight • Hold up a mirror so that they can evaluate their choices. • The therapeutic relationship attempts to fulfill the client’s need for love and belonging. Glasser, 1998; Wubbolding, 1996c
Quality World • Quality world (Glasser, 1998) • Window into client world and potential world • Counselor become part of quality world • Integrated into client’s goal Goal • Establishes the client’s want
Needs Venn Diagram • Informed by reality therapy principals: Survival, Love (primary need), Power , Freedom , & Fun. • Goal: All behavior can be understood in relation to need fulfillment. • Focus on the process
Mind body connection body map • Opportunity to understand mind body • Externalizing activity – Helps kids cope with situations which feel overwhelming • Normalizes experiences • Normalizes differences • Creates meta-awareness • Put the brakes on
Choice Mobile • Modeled on concept of total behavior: Feeling, Physiology, Thinking, Acting (Glasser, 1998) • Goal : Clients understand that they make choices based on their own volition
Swamp Drawing • Goal: • Identify client’s goal • Formulate a plan of action • Recognize their strengths and resources • Evaluate possible stumbling blocks Schroder, 2005
Conclusion • Meaningfully connected theory to practice • Tailored interventions to meet client need, age, and developmental level. • Empowered our clients to consider the function of their behavior • Engaged clients in a self evaluation process to reduce incidences of negative behavior
References Corey, G. (2000) Theory and practice of group counseling 5th ed. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. Erikson, e. (1968). Identity, youth, and crisis. New York: Norton. Glaser, W. (1998). Choice Theory: A new psychology of personal freedom. New York: Harper Collins Lipsey, M. W., & Cullen, F. T. (2003). The effectiveness of correctional rehabilitation: A review of the literature. Annual Review of Law and Social Science. 3, 298-316. Piaget, J., & Inhelder, B. (1969). The psychology of the child. New York: Basic Books. Schroder, D. (2005) Little windows into art therapy. Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. Wubbolding, R. E. (1996c). Professional issues: The use of questions in reality therapy . Journal of Reality Therapy, 16 (1), 122-127.
laughinglane@gmail.com • chloelan@netscape.com