1. Reality Therapy (William Glasser)

2. Basic Beliefs Key person: William Glasser
Key theory: Choice theory and control theory
Focus on responsibility for choice
Focus on the unsatisfied needs, which are often the cause of problems
The only person you can control is yourself
Behavior = an attempt to get what we want
Focus symptoms = avoid facing unsatisfied needs

3. Five basic psychological needs
Need for Survival
Taking care of oneself by eating, drinking…
Need for Belonging
Need for love or relationship
Need for Power
To be better than others
Need for Freedom
How we wish to live our lives, express ourselves…
Need for Fun
Laughing, joking, sports, reading…

4. View of Human Nature--people
Try to meet basic psychological needs
Try to get what they want
Identify the frustrated need and try to satisfy it.
Choose to be miserable instead of becoming miserable
Store experiences related to how to fulfill their basic psychological needs in their brain

5. Four reasons for choosing depression (based on choice theory)
Keep their anger under control
Being anger can lead to violence, but depression does not
Get others to help them
Depression is a way to get help
Excuse the unwillingness to do something more effective
To avoid searching for a job
Gain powerful control over others
Others must do something for them

6. Therapeutic Goals Help clients meet their psychological needs
Assess how well these needs are being met and what changes should take place
Take an education approach to help clients meet their needs
The more severe the symptom, the more clients are unable to fulfill their needs
Clients determine what they want

7. Therapist’s function and Role
Create a good relationship with their clients
Challenge clients to evaluate themselves
Instill a sense of hope
Therapeutic relationship is a mentoring relationship with therapist as a teacher and client as a student.

8. Therapist Attitudes Do not accept excuses No punishment or criticism
But, make a new plan
No punishment or criticism
But, examine the consequences for not completing the goals; reevaluate the plans and make new ones.
Do not give up
Change is not an easy process

9. The process of reality therapy
Establish a supportive relationship
Explore clients’ needs, wants, and perceptions
Evaluate how effective they are in getting what they want
Make a plan to do better
Make a commitment to plans

10. Reality Therapy Strategies
Questioning
Ask what they want and what their plans are.
Being positive
What the client can do and reinforce positive actions
Confrontation
Not accept excuses, but continue to make effective plans
Paradoxical techniques
Reframing: helps a person change the way they think
Paradoxical prescriptions: choose to depress at certain times only

11. WDEP W Wants - What do you want to be and do?
D Doing and Direction - What are you doing?
E Evaluation - Does your present behavior have a reasonable chance of getting you what you want?
P Planning – identify ways to fulfill their wants and needs.

12. SAMIC S Simple - Easy to understand, specific and concrete
A Attainable - Within the capacities and motivation of the client
M 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?

13. Research on Reality Therapy
Some research published in the International Journal of Reality Therapy.
In general, research on reality therapy is limited
A number of studies have been done internationally.
In Taiwan, group reality therapy as well as lessons on choice theory have positive effect on experimental group members’ locus of control and self-concept compared to the control group.

14. From a multicultural perspective
Contributions
Focusing on acting and thinking reduce resistance to counseling
Allowing for a wide range of acceptable behaviors to satisfy needs
Limitations
Ignoring environmental factors
Not appropriate for some cultural values
it is not considered a value to ask for what they need (i.e., thinking of what is good for the social group as a whole)

15. Summary and Evaluation --contributions
Insight and awareness are not enough
Action and commitment to following through are the core of the therapeutic process
Accepting personal responsibility
Gaining more effective control
Focusing on what they can do in the present to change their behavior

16. Summary and Evaluation --limitations
Not give enough emphasis to
Feelings
Unconscious
Dream
Transference
the effect of early childhood experiences,
the power of the past to influence one’s present personality.