Reality Therapy

REALITY THERAPY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction
Key Concepts
The Therapeutic Process
The Practice of Reality Therapy
The WDEP System
Contributions and Limitations
A Multicultural Perspective
Summary
INTRODUCTION
 Developed by William Glasser
 Based on CHOICE THEORY
 BASIC PREMISE & ASSUMPTIONS:
- People strive to control their lives to fulfill their needs
- We are responsible for what we choose to do
- Problem arise from lack of satisfying present relationship
- Most mental illnesses are ineffective behaviors chosen
Roles and Functions of Reality Therapists:
- establishing a working relationship

- teaching clients choice theory
- helping them make more effective choices in lives
It’s use in a variety of settings
- schools, correctional institutions, general hospitals, state mental
hospital, and substance abuse centers
Reality Therapy approach is applicable to:

- counseling, social work, education, crisis intervention,
institutional management, community development, corrections
and rehabilitation
Views of Human Nature
FIVE INNATE NEEDS
- survival
- love and belonging
- power or achievement
- freedom or independence
- fun
* Human Behavior is purposeful and driven by needs

Needs, wants and perceived ways to satisfy them
are stored in our quality world

quality world is our personal Shangri-La

people are driven to satisfy the pictures through their behavior

people are the most important component in one’s quality world
Characteristics of Reality Therapy
Stresses choices and responsibilities
 “as if” people have choices

 We choose all we do
 We must be responsible for what we choose
 Focus on conscious behaviors that can be more easily and
directly controlled
Reject transference
 Transference seen as refusing ownership and responsibility over
one’s behaviors
 Therapists firmly yet gently reject transference
- Keep the therapy in the present
We may be products of our past but we are not

victims of our past, unless we choose to be
it is the present that we can control
avoid dwelling on clients’ past, especially past
failure
avoid focusing on symptoms
symptoms are results of the frustration of needs
symptoms will disappear once needs are met
4. Challenge Traditional Views of Mental Illness
- Diagnosis attributes illness to brain pathology,

discouraging psychotherapy & responsibilities
psychiatric drugs have negative side effects,
physically and psychologically
mental illness: people choose ineffective total
behavior
THE THERAPEUTIC PROCESS
- Therapeutic Goals
- Help clients choose better ways in fulfilling needs, and

connect with significant others
- for resistant and pleasure-seeking clients, the only goal is to
connect with them first.
- Therapist’s Function and Roles

- 1. establish good relationship with clients
- - teach clients to self evaluate
- - instill hope that they are not alone and change is possible
-clients’ experience in therapy
- find therapists gently, but firmly confronting

- may feel a sense of urgency
- prompted to explore and self-evaluate
- focus on the present and controllable
behaviors
- client decide to take responsibilities over
choices
- should feel motivated and confident to change
- Relationship between the Therapist and Client
- A teacher and the student in mentoring

process
- sincere, understanding, involved, supportive
- good personal qualities of therapists: warm,
has congruence, understanding, acceptance,
concern, respect for the client, openness,
persistence
- therapists should be sincere and comfortable
with their own individual styles
The Practice of Reality Therapy
1. CREATING THE COUNSELING ENVIRONMENT
fair, friendly, supportive, caring, accepting, trusting,

noncoercive choice environent
- gently yet firmly confrontative
- therapists’ involvement is promoted through:
- attending behavior
appropriate humour
- facilitative self-disclosure
- summarizing and focusing
- listening for themes
2. Procedures that Lead to Change
people are motivated to change (i) when convinced

present behavior is not getting what they want AND
(ii) when they believe they can choose other
behaviors that will bring them what they want
A cycle of counseling consisting of several steps
Intensive use of skillful questioning and
confrontation
Paradoxical techniques, being positive, using clients’
metaphor
 The WDEP SYSTEM
- developed by Robert E. Wubbolding

- useful in teaching choice theory and training
therapists
- skillful questioning as the basic technique
W = wants
D = direction and doing
E = self-evaluation
P = planning
1. Wants and Needs in WDEP System
Explore wants, needs, perceptions, hopes, dreams,

expectations of oneself and others of clients in a
conducive counseling environment
 Define expectation of clients of themselves and

of the therapy
 continuous
 “what do you want?” “what is it you want that
you don’t seem to be getting from life?”
2. Direction and Doing in WDEP System
 Explore and describe total behavior

 Focus on the present
 Emphasizes thinking and doing
 Link feelings and physiological reactions to
thinking and doing/acting
 The choices and responsibilities of clients for
total behaviors are emphasized
 “what are you doing now?”
3. Evaluation in WDEP System
 Confront clients with the consequences of their

chosen behavior
 Lead them to judge the quality of their choices
 Cornerstone of reality therapy is to drive change
“is what you are doing helping or hurting you?”
“does what you are doing stand a good chance in
bringing what you want?”
 Self-evaluation, except for certain groups of
clients. EG: alcoholics or alcoholics’ children
4. Planning and Action in WDEP System
i. Exploring possible new choices
ii. Formulating action plans

– help clients come up with a good plan
iii. Committing to action plans

- Assess commitment to carry out plan
- Help clients explore and express fear in failing
- Firm commitment in writing
iv. Devise a new plan if necessary

- Do not accept excuses, nonjudgmental, convey belief
 The importance of formulating a good plan
 Essence of a good plan: SAMIC by Wubbolding
 Simple
 Attainable
 Measurable
 Immediate, involved
 Controlled by planner, committed to,
continuously done
Contributions of Reality Therapy
 Short-term focus, thus less time efficient and more

cost efficient
 Development of therapeutic processes that strongly
support behavioral changes
 Phenomenological stand
 Existential orientation
- people are choosing their own goals and are
responsible for the world they create
Limitations and Criticisms
- Neglect unconscious struggles and drives

- repressed conflicts, defense mechanism
- Focus on the present

- one’s past and traumatic experiences have
tremendous influence
- Do not make use of dreams

- dreams reveal internal conflicts, wants, needs,
hopes, fear and visions of the future
 Reject transference
- transference reflects past interpersonal influence
- insights brought on by transference can improve
present relationships
 Simplistic views of psychological disorders

- there are biochemical and genetical factors
- causes additional guilt in patients
 May affect growth & autonomy if used by

manipulative therapist
Contribution to multicultural counseling
 A nonjudmental, accepting counseling environment

 Demonstrate respect for clients’ personal values
through encouraging clients’ self evaluation and
own decision
 Helping clients to formulate and execute plans that
are consistent with clients’ cultural values
 Specificity and direction of effective action plans
Limitations to multicultural counseling
 Wubbolding (2000) expanded practice to multicultural

situations: Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Korea, India,
Kuwait, Australia, Columbia, Slovenia, Croatia, etc
 Differences in various issues

-Collectivism vs individualism
-Assertiveness and communication style
-Concept translation
-Discrimination and racism
Adaptations for Multicultural Counseling
 Therapists must be aware and flexible

- accepting clients’ priorities in innate needs
- accepting a wide range of acceptable ways
to satisfy needs
- make adaptations tailored to each client’s
needs
Summary
 Reality therapists function as teachers and role models
 Therapists create a caring, accepting, involved, supportive
and noncoercive environment
 Following specific procedures and through skillful
questioning,
Clients make better choices through the following:
Explore wants, needs and perceptions

Evaluate total behavior
Self evaluation and decision
Planning, commitment and action

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REALITY THERAPY

- establishing a working relationship

Reality Therapy approach is applicable to:

FIVE INNATE NEEDS

* Human Behavior is purposeful and driven by needs

 “as if” people have choices

We may be products of our past but we are not

- Diagnosis attributes illness to brain pathology,

- Help clients choose better ways in fulfilling needs, and

- Therapist’s Function and Roles

- find therapists gently, but firmly confronting

- A teacher and the student in mentoring

fair, friendly, supportive, caring, accepting, trusting,

people are motivated to change (i) when convinced

- developed by Robert E. Wubbolding

Explore wants, needs, perceptions, hopes, dreams,

 Define expectation of clients of themselves and

 Explore and describe total behavior

 Confront clients with the consequences of their

ii. Formulating action plans

iii. Committing to action plans

iv. Devise a new plan if necessary

 Short-term focus, thus less time efficient and more

- Neglect unconscious struggles and drives

- Focus on the present

- Do not make use of dreams

 Simplistic views of psychological disorders

 May affect growth & autonomy if used by

 A nonjudmental, accepting counseling environment

 Wubbolding (2000) expanded practice to multicultural

 Differences in various issues

 Therapists must be aware and flexible

Clients make better choices through the following:

Explore wants, needs and perceptions

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