Reality Therapy
Reality Therapy
“If you want to change attitudes, start with a change in behavior”. William Glasser (b. 1925)
William Glasser, an american citizen born in Ohio began his psychological career in 1948 with the intension of becoming a psychiatrist, but later turned his interests to developing what is best known today as ‘Reality Therapy’ (1962). Glasser leads us to believe that it is best to talk to the sane part of clients, not their disturbed side. The here and now. He stressed that clients must accept personal responsibility for their behavior. Reality therapy provides a structure for helping individuals take more effective control of their lives. During the 80‘s while Glasser continued to focused on reality therapy he admired and seen merit in William Powers ‘Control Therapy‘. Over a period of 10 years he expanded and changed this therapy to ‘Choice Theory’. This is exactly the model Glasser needed to label his work and compliment his already successful reality therapy.
Choice Theory Choice theory expresses a great deal of interest on humans five genetically encoded needs- survival, love and belonging, power or achievement, freedom or independence and fun- that drives us all our lives. Each one of us possess all five of these needs but they vary in strengths. Glasser (2001,2005) believes the need to love and belong is the primary need because we depend on people to satisfy the other needs. Whenever we feel bad, one or more of these five needs is unsatisfied. A reality therapist make clients aware of choice theory so clients can identify which needs are unmet.
A huge part of reality therapy is assisting clients in prioritizing their wants and uncovering what is most important to them. This can bare difficult for the therapist as clients ideal world may be blurry. Reality therapists show little time to complaining, blaming, and criticizing, for these are the most
1
ineffective behavior within our behavioral system, instead, the emphasize is devoted to
“If you want to change attitudes, start with a change in behavior”. William Glasser (b. 1925)
William Glasser, an american citizen born in Ohio began his psychological career in 1948 with the intension of becoming a psychiatrist, but later turned his interests to developing what is best known today as ‘Reality Therapy’ (1962). Glasser leads us to believe that it is best to talk to the sane part of clients, not their disturbed side. The here and now. He stressed that clients must accept personal responsibility for their behavior. Reality therapy provides a structure for helping individuals take more effective control of their lives. During the 80‘s while Glasser continued to focused on reality therapy he admired and seen merit in William Powers ‘Control Therapy‘. Over a period of 10 years he expanded and changed this therapy to ‘Choice Theory’. This is exactly the model Glasser needed to label his work and compliment his already successful reality therapy.
Choice Theory Choice theory expresses a great deal of interest on humans five genetically encoded needs- survival, love and belonging, power or achievement, freedom or independence and fun- that drives us all our lives. Each one of us possess all five of these needs but they vary in strengths. Glasser (2001,2005) believes the need to love and belong is the primary need because we depend on people to satisfy the other needs. Whenever we feel bad, one or more of these five needs is unsatisfied. A reality therapist make clients aware of choice theory so clients can identify which needs are unmet.
A huge part of reality therapy is assisting clients in prioritizing their wants and uncovering what is most important to them. This can bare difficult for the therapist as clients ideal world may be blurry. Reality therapists show little time to complaining, blaming, and criticizing, for these are the most
1
ineffective behavior within our behavioral system, instead, the emphasize is devoted to