Reality/Choice Therapy PDF

By: Arce, Ysabela Beatrice D. & Loyola, Yzabele R. its name to choice theory since he believed that his revisions had changed the theory that it was misleading to continue calli...

By: Arce, Ysabela Beatrice D. & Loyola, Yzabele R. its name to choice theory since he believed that his revisions had changed the theory that it was misleading to continue calling it Reality/Choice Therapy control theory. Outline: Robert E. Wubbolding I. Background of the Therapy A. Proponents Wubbolding, an internationally known II. Basic Philosophies teacher, author, and practitioner of reality III. Key Concepts therapy, extended the theory and practice of A. View of Human Nature reality therapy with his conceptualization of B. Choice Theory Explanation of the WDEP system and has introduced choice Behavior theory and reality therapy in Europe, Asia, and C. Characteristics of Reality Therapy the Middle East. 1. Emphasize Choice and II. BASIC PHILOSOPHIES Responsibility Reality therapists believe that clients' problems 2. Reject Transference Reality stem from unsatisfying relationships, which are 3. Keep the Therapy in the caused by inability to connect or succeed with Present significant people. 4. Avoid Focusing on They guide clients towards satisfying Symptoms relationships and teach effective 5. Challenge Traditional behaviors, improving their mental health. Views of Mental Illness Many clients choose behaviors to cope IV. Goals of the Therapy with frustrations from unsatisfying V. Views of the Therapeutic Relationship relationships. A. Therapist’s Function and Role B. Client’s Experience in Therapy Glasser (2003) argued that diagnoses should only C. Relationship Between Therapist & be used for insurance purposes and are Client descriptions of behaviors people use to cope with VI. Key Techniques pain and frustration. A. The Practice of Reality Therapy He suggested neurologists treat B. The Counseling Environment individuals with brain abnormalities such C. Procedures that Lead to Change as: D. THE “WDEP” SYSTEM ○ Alzheimer's disease 1. Wants ○ Epilepsy 2. Direction and Doing ○ head trauma 3. Self-Evaluation ○ brain infections 4. Planning and Action VII. Clients Wubbolding advocated for standard practice and care in diagnosis and medication use, aligning A. Application to the Group reality therapy with the DSM-5. Counseling B. Application of Reality Therapy to Choice Theory School Counseling The theoretical basis for reality therapy Explains why and how we function I. BACKGROUND OF THE THERAPY Delivery system for helping individuals PROPONENTS take more effective control of their lives. William Glasser ○ Choice theory = train track ○ Reality therapy = train delivering Glasser, a chemical engineer and the product. psychiatrist, clarified William Powers' control Focuses on helping clients make better theory, revising it over a decade, and changed choices and dealing with their needs Reality Therapy |1 3P4 Group 10 - Arce, Loyola  Used in a variety of settings: closest to and most enjoy being ○ Counseling with. ○ Social work ○ To be successful, clients must ○ Education consider their therapist as ○ Crisis intervention someone they would choose to put ○ Corrections and rehabilitation in their quality world. ○ Institutional management ○ The art of therapy is getting into the ○ Schools clients' quality world and learning ○ State mental health hospitals how to connect with the people they ○ Halfway houses need. ○ Alcohol and drug abuse centers ○ Military clinics that treat substance CHOICE THEORY EXPLANATION OF BEHAVIOR abusers (preferred approach here) Choice theory suggests that all our actions, from birth to death, are influenced III. KEY CONCEPTS by our internal needs, and our behavior is VIEW OF HUMAN NATURE our best attempt to satisfy them. Choice theory asserts that we are born with five Total behavior teaches that all behavior is genetically encoded needs that all of us have, made up of four inseparable but distinct though each need may vary in strength: components 1. Survival or Self-preservation ○ Acting 2. Love and Belonging ○ Thinking 3. Power or Inner control; ○ Feeling 4. Freedom or Independence; ○ Physiology 5. Fun or Enjoyment. Choice theory is a cognitive behavior therapy that emphasizes thinking and Choice theory suggests that humans need acting, focusing on the client's actions and both love and belonging, as they are social their impact on total behavior, beings. highlighting the purposeful nature of our ○ The primary need is the desire for choices. love and belonging, which is the ○ Paining behaviors: People often most difficult to satisfy. choose misery through this as they ○ Our brain monitors our feelings to are the best they can devise at the assess our progress in satisfying time, often achieving their desired these needs, and feeling bad often outcome. signals unsatisfied needs. Glasser's perspective suggests that Reality therapy helps clients identify and describing depression, headaches, anger, satisfy their unmet needs by teaching or anxiety as passive behaviors is them choice theory. inaccurate. Quality world: the ideal world we want to ○ They should be considered part of live in, consisting of specific images of total behaviors and used verbally, people, activities, events, beliefs, rather than imposed by the external possessions, and situations that fulfill our world. needs. ○ Suffering is an involuntary ○ This inner picture album includes consequence of intentional specific wants and precise ways to behavior, not a choice, and is the satisfy them. client's best attempt to satisfy their ○ Reality therapy helps clients needs. prioritize their wants and discover Robert Wubbolding introduced the idea of what matters most to them. behavior as a language, with actions ○ Another crucial component of our sending messages to influence the world quality world is the people we are to achieve desires. Reality Therapy |2 3P4 Group 10 - Arce, Loyola  ○ Therapists help clients understand For example, being involved in meaningful and appreciate the messages they activities enables people to attain their unintentionally send to others by need for power. asking questions about their ○ Without meaningful activities, it is actions. ○ "What message do you want others difficult for a person to feel good to get?" about themselves. ○ "What message are others getting ○ Engaging in those activities will whether or not you intended to satisfy this need. send them?" ○ Over time, they learn to choose effective behaviors over self-destructive ones. CHARACTERISTICS OF REALITY THERAPY When clients complain about how other Reject Transference Reality people are causing them pain, they are By being themselves, clients can learn asked to reflect on how effective their from the therapeutic relationship to relate choices are, as these choices influence to others in their lives. their relationships with significant people Transference is an obstacle that inhibits in their lives. both the therapist and client from being Choice theory places emphasis on what who they are, avoiding responsibility for clients can control in their relationships, their present actions. describing the things that lie outside their A client might claim, "I see you as my control as of little value. father or mother, and this is why I'm The basic axiom of choice theory is that behaving the way I am.” "the only person you can control is In this situation, the reality therapist must yourself." establish clarity and firmly say, "I am not Complaining, blaming, and criticizing are your mother, father, or anyone but myself." considered the most ineffective behaviors in our behavioral repertoire, and they Keep the Therapy in the Present receive little focus during the therapeutic Many therapeutic models teach that process. revisiting and understanding one’s past is Emphasize Choice and Responsibility essential to functioning well in the present. Reality therapists view clients as people Glasser disagrees with this assumption who are responsible for their own choices, and emphasizes that past mistakes are as they have more control over their own not important in the present. behavior despite what they frequently An axiom of choice theory is that the past believe. is never the entire problem, although it However, this does not justify people being may have contributed to a current issue. wrongfully blamed or punished, unless People must plan and live in the present they break laws. while taking steps to create a better future The focus of responsibility is shifted to for themselves. choice and choosing, where the focus is on Our needs can only be met in the present. areas where clients have a choice. Past achievements or good relationships This allows them to connect better with may be discussed as these could be the people they need. repeated in the present. Reality Therapy |3 3P4 Group 10 - Arce, Loyola  However, reality therapists will only allot Wubbolding advocates for using the enough time regarding past failures to DSM-V in creative ways and adhering to assure clients that they are not completely standard practice, including the diagnosis rejecting them. of mental disorders. Realty therapists tell clients as soon as Glasser criticizes the traditional possible: psychiatric establishment for its heavy ○ "What has happened is over; it can't reliance on the DSM-5 in both diagnosis be changed.” and treatment. ○ “The more time we spend looking The widespread use of psychiatric drugs back, the more we avoid looking often has negative side effects for both forward." physical and psychological aspects. Wubbolding states that "history is not Reality therapy is a mental health system destiny"; although the past led us to the that integrates the Ericksonian principle of present, it does not have to dictate our "people don't have problems, they have future. solutions that have not worked." We are still free to make choices, even if The counselor helps clients view their these choices are limited by our external behaviors from a very different perspective world. by reframing diagnostic categories and Avoid Focusing on Symptoms negative behaviors. This encourages the search for more Spending too much time on symptoms effective solutions and choices. and dwelling on the past "protects" clients from facing the reality of unsatisfying IV. GOALS OF REALITY THERAPY The primary goal is to help clients connect or present relationships. reconnect with the people in their quality People tend to think that what they are world. experiencing is happening to them, Besides fulfilling the need for love and overlooking the fact that their suffering belonging, another basic goal is to help results from the total behavior that they clients learn better ways of fulfilling all of choose. their needs. Instead, symptoms may be viewed as the Reality therapists assist clients in making body's way of warning people that they more effective and responsible choices select ineffective behaviors to satisfy related to their wants and needs. needs. Clients who voluntarily come for therapy are Long journeys by revisiting the past or the easiest to help, while others actively exploring symptoms lead to lengthy resist the therapeutic process due to their therapy, which can be shortened by violent or antisocial behavior and addictions. focusing only on present problems. In this instance, counselors must do Symptoms often stem from an whatever they can to establish a connection unsatisfying relationship in the present, it with involuntary clients to provide would be more efficient to focus on the meaningful help. root cause of the current concerns. Challenge Traditional Views of Mental Illness Choice theory rejects the conventional view of mental illness and what it constitutes. Reality Therapy |4 3P4 Group 10 - Arce, Loyola  V. VIEWS OF THE THERAPEUTIC By focusing on present actions, they can RELATIONSHIP change it to influence how they feel and THERAPIST’S FUNCTION AND ROLE think. Therapy may be viewed as a mentoring Reality therapists will gently, but firmly process where the client is the student and challenge clients by asking questions that the therapist is the teacher. Clients are stimulate the self-evaluation process, which taught to engage in self-evaluation by raising is a central theme in reality therapy certain questions such as: Questions such as these may be asked: ○ "Is what you are choosing to do ○ "Is what you are choosing to do getting you what you want and bringing you closer to the people need?" you want to be closer to right now?" ○ How would you most like to change ○ "Is what you are doing getting you your life? closer to a new person if you are ○ What do you want in your life that presently disconnected from you are not getting? everyone?" ○ What would you have in your life if Clients may also experience urgency as each you were to change? session may be the last. ○ What do you have to do now to They should be able to say to themselves, "I make the changes happen? can begin to use what we talked about today The reality therapist challenges clients to in my life. I am able to bring my present self-examine what they are doing, including experiences to therapy as my problems are in behavioral direction, specific actions, wants, the present, and my therapist will not let me perceptions, level of commitment, escape from that fact." possibilities for new directions, and action RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THERAPIST & CLIENT plans. Reality therapy recognizes that a supportive Then, clients decide what to change and relationship is crucial for effective outcomes. devise a plan to take action, ideally resulting The client must perceive the therapist as in better relationships, increased happiness, someone trustworthy, skilled, and and a sense of inner control over their lives. knowledgeable. Therapists must remind clients that no The counselor must have certain qualities matter how bad things are going, there is such as warmth, sincerity, congruence, hope. understanding, acceptance, concern, respect It eliminates the feeling of isolation that for the client, openness, and the willingness clients experience, reminding them that to be challenged by others. change is possible. A fair, firm, and friendly environment is The therapist is an advocate on the client's necessary for successful intervention, and it side, supporting and collaborating with the may be attained through a variety of client to creatively address a range of attending behaviors the counselors may concerns and choices. perform. CLIENT’S EXPERIENCE IN THERAPY This allows the counselor to assist clients in The utmost importance is placed on what the gaining a deeper understanding of their clients are currently acting and thinking, and current behavior and its consequences. not the past or symptoms. Although the therapeutic relationship is essential, it is not an end in itself and should Reality Therapy |5 3P4 Group 10 - Arce, Loyola  not be viewed as automatically curative on relationships and allows clients to be its own. creative and try new behaviors. A coercion-free atmosphere is essential for successful implementation. VI. KEY TECHNIQUES THE PRACTICE OF REALITY THERAPY PROCEDURES THAT LEAD TO CHANGE Cycle of Counseling Reality therapists operate on the assumption that 1. Creating the counseling environment we are motivated to change when: 2. Implementing specific procedures that We are convinced that our present lead to changes behavior is not meeting our needs. We believe we can choose other behaviors Cycle starts with establishing a rapport with that will get us closer to what we want. clients, then focuses on understanding their wants, needs, and perceptions. Reality therapists help clients clarify their goals Clients evaluate their behavior, make and address unsatisfying relationships, removing changes, and commit to them. mystery and uncertainty. The cycle includes monitoring progress They define clients' wants and focus on and providing additional consultation as what they can control, overcoming needed. resistance to self-reflection. Therapy begins when clients realize they Reality therapy principles require skill and can only control their behavior and focus creativity, applied by certified counselors. on making better choices. Tailoring counseling to each client's needs, Reality therapists explore options using choice theory, and focusing on available to clients, allowing them to satisfying relationships, is the art of change even if the other person doesn't. practice. ○ Give clients hope for a better future, recognizing they have more control Wubbolding significantly contributed to reality than they previously believed. therapy development and the WDEP system, ○ Use choice theory to help clients making choice theory practical for counselors. identify their basic needs, discover His chart in the Student Manual for Theory their quality world, and understand and Practice of Counseling and they are choosing their symptoms. Psychotherapy illustrates the WDEP model, covering counseling, coaching, managing, THE “WDEP” SYSTEM supervising, and parenting. Describes key procedures in the practice of reality therapy. THE COUNSELING ENVIRONMENT clients explore their WANTS Reality therapy relies on a supportive and possible things they can DO challenging environment for clients to make life opportunities for self-EVALUATION changes. design PLANS for improvement The therapeutic relationship is crucial for successful implementation. WDEP is based on choice theory and aims to help Counselors should avoid arguing, attacking, people satisfy their basic needs through specific accusing, demeaning, blaming, bossing, interventions at the appropriate time. criticizing, finding fault, coercing, encouraging excuses, holding grudges, Four strategies designed to promote change: instilling fear, or giving up easily. W (5 wants, needs, perceptions) Clients appreciate the caring, accepting, D (5 direction and doing) noncoercive choice theory environment. E (5 self-evaluation) This mildly confrontive yet always caring P (5 planning) environment leads to successful Reality Therapy |6 3P4 Group 10 - Arce, Loyola Wants (Exploring Wants, Needs, and Focuses on gaining awareness of and Perceptions) changing current total behavior through the Reality therapists help clients identify following questions: their wants and hopes, aligning with five ○ “What are you doing now?” basic needs through skillful questioning. ○ “What do you see for yourself now They explore clients' "picture album" and and in the future?” how their behavior aligns with their inner ○ “What did you actually do world of wants, ensuring ongoing yesterday?” exploration as their pictures change. ○ “What did you want to do differently Useful questions to pinpoint what they this past week?” wants: ○ “What stopped you from doing ○ If you were the person that you wish what you said you wanted to do?” you were, what kind of person ○ “What will you do tomorrow?” would you be? Listening to clients' feelings can be ○ What would your family be like if productive if they are linked to their actions. your wants and their wants ○ Often acknowledge these feelings matched? but encourage clients to change ○ What would you be doing if you their actions and thoughts. were living as you want to live? ○ Easier to change what we are doing ○ Do you really want to change your and thinking than to change our life? feelings. ○ What is it you want that you don’t From a choice theory perspective, seem to be getting from life? discussions centered on feelings without ○ What do you think stops you from strongly relating them to what people are making the changes you would doing and thinking are counterproductive. like? ○ How do you look at the situation? Self-Evaluation ○ Where do you see your control? Cornerstone of reality therapy Questioning aids clients in transitioning “Conducting a searching and fearless from external to internal control, preparing self-evaluation is the royal road to behavioral them for reality therapy procedures. change” Counselors must know appropriate Clients are asked to make the following self- questions, their timing, and relevance to evaluation: “Does your present behavior have gain insights and plan solutions. a reasonable chance of getting you what you In this phase, clients commit to making want now, and will it take you in the direction changes in their behavior. you want to go?” The evaluation process involves a counselor Direction and Doing examining a client's behavior, actions, wants, Reality therapists focus on the present perceptions, and plans, often addressing ○ "What are you doing?" relationship issues causing dissatisfaction, ○ “What do you see for yourself now using skillful questioning to determine if and in the future?” their current behavior is helping or driving Helps clients deal with past problems by them apart. learning better ways to achieve their goals ○ “Is your current behavior bringing ○ Aims to help clients make more you closer to people important to need-satisfying choices. you or is it driving you further Discusses the client's overall life direction apart?” and behavior, evaluating whether it is a Artful questioning helps clients assess their desirable direction current behavior and its direction. The Asks clients about their current and future following are suggested by Wubbolding: self-perceptions, which may take time for ○ Is what you are doing helping or clients to express their perceptions verbally. hurting you? Reality Therapy |7 3P4 Group 10 - Arce, Loyola  ○ Is what you are doing now what you ○ Simple want to be doing? ○ Attainable ○ Is your behavior working for you? ○ Measurable ○ Is there a healthy congruence ○ Immediate between what you are doing and ○ Involved what you believe? ○ Controlled by the planner ○ Is what you are doing against the ○ Committed to rules? ○ Consistently done ○ Is what you want realistic or Clients gain more effective control over their attainable? lives with plans that are: ○ Does it help you to look at it that ○ Within the limits of the motivation way? and capacities of the client ○ Is it really true that you have no ○ Simple and easy to understand control over your situation? ○ Involves a positive course of action ○ How committed are you to the and stated in terms of what the therapeutic process and to client is willing to do changing your life? ○ Carry out independently of what ○ After carefully examining what you others do want, does it appear to be in your ○ Effective, repetitive, and performed best interests and in the best daily interest of others? ○ Carried out as soon as possible Reality therapy helps clients evaluate their ○ Involved process-centered behavior, making responsible choices and activities developing effective plans. ○ Evaluated with their therapist to Therapists help clients self-assess their determine whether it is realistic actions and decide if a change is more and attainable and whether it advantageous, introducing the idea of choice relates to what they need and want and encouraging clients to evaluate their ○ Firmed up in writing actions, thoughts, feelings, and physiological Commitment is crucial for effective components of their behavior. resolutions and plans. Reality therapists offer directive guidance to ○ Therapists should assess clients' clients, particularly those in crisis or those commitment and willingness to with alcoholics or children, to help them change, promoting self-directed recognize ineffective behaviors. living. ○ As clients grow and interact with ○ Reluctant clients should be helped the counselor, they learn to make express fears and remain more informed decisions. optimistic, fostering better choices. Wubbolding's axiom of reality therapy: “To fail Planning and Action to plan is to plan to fail.” Key question: “What is your plan?” The counseling process involves helping VII. CLIENTS clients identify ways to fulfill their wants and APPLICATION TO THE GROUP COUNSELING needs, explore behaviors, and create an Reality therapy is well-suited for group action plan. counseling, as it emphasizes connection and ○ Encourages acceptance of interpersonal relationships. consequences and considers ○ The WDEP system can help group personal and social impact. members satisfy their basic needs The effectiveness of the counseling cycle by redirecting them to their current depends on the client's self-evaluation and actions and encouraging honest determination to change their behavior. reflection, helping members Wubbolding uses the acronym SAMIC3 to understand their current situation capture the essence of a good plan: and their desired changes and Reality Therapy |8 3P4 Group 10 - Arce, Loyola  allowing them to explore demonstrating the tool's practical alternative behaviors within the application in their lives. group. Reality therapy/conceptualization (RT/CT) is The group model involves members beneficial for school counselors as completing homework assignments between consultants. meetings, but with the leader's help, they Glasser's Quality School emphasizes the use evaluate their behavior and decide to change of RT/CT in classroom management, aspects of their lives. fostering a school climate that encourages ○ Members take the lead in setting choice and responsibility, thereby homework tasks to achieve goals. empowering students to find positive ways to ○ Reality therapists encourage fulfill their basic needs. members to evaluate their current The WDEP model's most challenging step, behaviors, as if they admit they're "W," involves asking students what they want, not working, resistance melts. focusing on controllable happiness or Reality therapy helps members formulate behavior, challenging adolescents who action plans and evaluate their success by believe only they can change. providing structure and feedback. ○ It emphasizes that change is not VIII. REFERENCES achieved by insight alone but Corey, G. (2024). Theory and practice of requires action. counseling and psychotherapy. Cengage. ○ It encourages members to take an active role in shaping their own destiny, as significant people may never change. ○ The focus is on helping group members change their own patterns of acting and thinking, emphasizing that the only life they can control is their own. APPLICATION OF REALITY THERAPY TO SCHOOL COUNSELING School counselors work in academic settings with teaching as a primary purpose. ○ Due to large case-loads, they need brief interventions and a teaching-incorporating theory. Reality therapy/choice theory (RT/CT) meets these criteria. William Glasser's school counseling theory rejects "mental illness" and emphasizes present-focused sessions, focusing on the present rather than past issues. ○ School counselors focus on the present, not the origins. School counselors offer preventive guidance lessons, teaching key concepts of Relationship and Cognitive Therapy (RT/CT) to prevent relationship and developmental problems. ○ Students apply these principles to their own situations, Reality Therapy |9 3P4 Group 10 - Arce, Loyola