1. Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy
Chapter11: Reality Therapy

2. Reality Therapy Basic Beliefs
Focus on responsibility to choice
keep therapy focused on the present
Focus on the unsatisfying relationship or the lack of connection, which is often the cause of problems
The only person you can control is yourself
Behavior = our attempt to get what we want
Focusing symptoms is protect clients from facing the reality of unsatisfying present relationships

3. View of Human Nature
All internally motivated behavior is geared toward meeting our basic human needs
Belonging and love
Power or achievement
Freedom or independence
Fun or enjoyment
Survival (Physiological needs)
Our brain functions as a control system to get us what we want

4. View of Human Nature
Teach clients choice theory so clients can identify the frustrated need and try to satisfy it.
Quality world: we store experiences of how we can fulfill our basic psychological needs in our brain.
From the relationship with the therapist, client learn how to get close to the people they need

5. Therapeutic Goals
Help clients get connected or reconnected with the people they have chosen to put in their quality world
Help clients learn better ways of fulfilling all of their needs

6. Therapist’s function and Role
Create a good relationship with their clients
Challenge clients to evaluate themselves
Are your behaviors getting you what you want and need?
Instill a sense of hope
Therapist is someone who is on the client’s side

7. Client’s Experience in Therapy
Clients are not expected to go back to talk about the past or symptoms
Therapists often ask clients questions to challenge them to evaluate themselves
“Is what your are choosing to do bringing you close to the people you want to be closer to?

8. Relationship Between Therapist and Client
Emphasize an understanding and supportive relationship by warmth, caring, concern, acceptance…
Both involvement with and concern for the client are demonstrated throughout the entire process
Once relationship is established, therapists challenge the reality and consequences of their actions
Continually assist clients to evaluate the effectiveness of their behavior
Therapy is a mentoring process with therapist as a teacher and client is a student.

9. Therapeutic techniques and procedures
Establishing a supportive relationship
Exploring clients’ needs, wants, and perceptions
Evaluating how effective they are in getting what they want
Realizing they can control only their own behavior

10. Procedures That Lead to Change: The “WDEP” System
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.
****Apply WDEP to your life experiences?

11. Planning For Change 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?

12. From a multicultural perspective
Contributions
Focus on acting and thinkingless likely to display resistance to counseling
Relationships are the problem in all cultures
Allow for a wide range of acceptable behaviors to satisfy these needs
Limitations
Ignoring environmental factor may let clients feel misunderstood
Some cultural values---not values to be assertive to ask what they need instead of thinking more of what is good for the social group.

13. Summary and Evaluation
Contributions
Insight and awareness are not enough; the client’s self-evaluation, a plan of action, and a 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

14. Summary and Evaluation
Limitations
Not give enough emphasis to feelings, unconscious, dream, transference, the effect of early childhood experiences, and the power of the past to influence one’s present personality.