CCRT Reality Therapy Integration PDF

CHAPTER I CCRT Reality Therapy Integration "1he time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk ofmany things: Ofshoes-and ships-and sealing-wax-Ofcabbages--and kings-And why the sea is boiling hot-And whether pigs have wings." (Alice Through the...

CHAPTER I CCRT Reality Therapy Integration "1he time has come," the Walrus said, "To talk ofmany things: Ofshoes-and ships-and sealing-wax-Ofcabbages--and kings-And why the sea is boiling hot-And whether pigs have wings." (Alice Through the Looking Glass) Dr. William Glasser expresses there is a real need for psychological insight. His prem- ise was simply to expect human normality even in the presence of abnormality. A key concept of Reality Therapy is the rejection of irresponsible, abnormal behavior, without rejecting the person. A key counseling concept in CCRT is to strengthen and build a counseling relation- ship even amid counseling conflict which challenges the client's irresponsible behavior. Most counseling modalities' concept of treatment is to focus on the problem and symptoms. This becomes the filter which the client is viewed. 1his always leads to treating the problem (symptoms) and not the person (client). In the 21st century many counselors are inclined not to have much needed behavior conflicts and redirection of behavior in the client's treatment plans. In CCRT, treatment plans should challenge the client's bad be- havior objectively and overtly. Many counseling modalities avoid challenges thus settling for a revolving door of problems for the client. CHRIST CENTERED REALITY THERAPY FOR THE 21 ST CENTURY The primary reality of the Christian faith is Christ died for the human race. While we were yet sinners, God so very much-loved mankind. He gave Jesus [the Christ) who took our place in judgment.Jesus bore the weight of our individual sins without condemnation of our souls. The theological alignment of Reality Therapy and the Christian doctrine at this point are hitting on all cylinders. God rejected the sin which is abnormal for original mankind and loves all of mankind. In the New Testament Jesus Christ in every personal encounter had a behavioral ex- pectation of the person or of the people he would meet. The behavioral expectation of Christ was for a man to first believe; then next he would be forgiven. The final behavioral expectation was for the man to stop the sinful behavior. He preached the good news, healed the affiicted, and had conflict with many who were saved.Jesus' behavioral expec- tations were met with constant conflict. Jesus' expectation of all men to love God and keep his commandments is normal. The concept is if any individual follows the absolute will of God and is saved by the absolute forgiveness of the Son of God, then a person is spiritually, mentally, physically normal. GOD is the absolute baseline for what is normal. There is no normal outside of the will of God, only degrees of abnormal. Thus, we have all sinned and fallen short of God is normal. Salvation from sins is a process.Jesus also declares it is necessary to be saved from our sins. He further explains the core sin of man has spiritually killed all mankind's eternal spir- it. Separating God's normality, men and women are born in toxic sin which leads to death. The restoration formula for all human beings on earth involves action on the part of each individual person. Each individual person must call upon the name of the Lord Jesus Christ as a personal savior and believe by faith, He is the Son of God. Once spiritually restored,Jesus explains why he has a behavioral expectation of the newborn Christians. CCRT Reality Key: There is a behavioral expectation for Christians. The behavioral expectation is based on God's normal expectations regardless of the individual's mental condition. 7his excludes physical illness or truly diminished capacity. (i.e., a newborn baby, a pervasively mentally handicapped individual, brain damaged and so on... ) 2  CHAPTER I CCRT Galatians 5:22-23 (AMP) 22 But the fruit ofthe [Holy} Spirit {the work which His pres- ence within accomplishes} is love,joy (gladness), peace, patience {an even temper,farbearance), kindness, goodness (benevolence), faithfulness,23 Gentleness {meekness, humility), self-control (self-restraint, continence). Against such things there is no law that can bring a charge. The following excerpt is from a case study notes by Dr. William Glasser. The next statement is critical to the understanding of a fully integrated Christian modality into Reality Therapy. Dr. Glasser is writing about a young, incarcerated client, '1nstead offorgiving her, which used to be my (Glasser) natural impulse before I discovered how wrong it is therapeutically knowing she had thinking to do andfeelings ofguilt to overcome, she realized the discipline cot- tage was the best place far her. It was important not to minimize guilt when it is deserved, and Jerry deserves to feel as bad (far her actions) and she did Although she felt better the next day, she still did not think she was ready to leave the discipline unit 'When I rejected her irresponsi- bility but maintained interest in her, our involvement solidified, and she then began to fu!fill her needs." (Reality Therapy, 1965) CCRT Reality Key: Jesus Christ, first and foremost, would always deal with a person (a sinner) in their immediate present condition. Theologically Jesus would point out the guilt associated with the individual's sin. Next, He made it expressly clear the need for His (Jesus) forgiveness. This is and was a clear condition and not optional. In a very real way Jesus did not soothe or remove the person's guilt. He came to save and heal, not give people a feel-good hall-pass for their sins. On a very human level people desire the removal of guilt but work overtime to maintain their sin. All humans are created in three, very distinctive parts: Mind, Body and Spirit. The behavioral expectations of Jesus become the fulcrum by which a sinful person is lifted out of his or her behavior. When an individual has a deep, rich personal desire for a sinless new life in Jesus Christ, the capacity for fully restored, normal spiritual reality is achievable. 3 CHRIST CENTERED REALITY THERAPY FOR THE 21 ST CENTURY Read all the questions before you answer! Can you be mentally ill and be a Christian? Can you be mentally ill and not be a Christian? Can you be a Christian and still have bad behavior? (i.e., alcoholism) Can you treat a client Christian's body and mind and not treat their spirit? (i.e., medication) Can you be mentally ill and have good behavior? Can you be mentally ill and not be demonically possessed? Can you be demonically possessed and not be mentally ill? All counseling theories have failings and Dr. Glasser's original Reality Therapy is not exempt. Reality Therapy is an excellent theory with profound insight and strengths. It gives concrete goals and behavioral measurements. Reality Therapy requirements for nor- mal behaviors are all fine and good but never define what is normal. Glasser's Reality Therapy never defines a baseline for normal. Glasser's Reality Therapy also never defines a baseline for abnormal. Algebra teaches us what you do to one side of the equation you have on the other side. If there is a normal, then there must be abnormal. Reality Therapy exclusively focuses on the mind and body, and it never addresses the spiritual nature of man. Most counseling modalities focus on the mind and body. Whereas Christian counseling typically focuses exclusively on the client's spiritual needs. What is real (normal)? 1he center point for man is God, and He expresses this in His Word, the 66 books of the Bible. This provides the absolute unlimited baseline far normal The very first words written in the Bible by God's hand are the Ten Commandments. God gave all of mankind a baseline for normal spiritual and moral behavior. Good news is He kept it simple. Man makes laws and philosophical innuendos to point to the complexity of 4  CHAPTER I CCRT I human behavior, and all this to understand what is normal. They ask the question "Is there a real normal?" All this to justify their sinful behavior outside of normal. God genetically encoded all men from the cr~ation and beginning of time with the need to worship. The worldwide archeological recolrds confirm all cultures and all civiliza- tions of man worshiping God or gods. · In the deepest, darkest rainforest to the most iiolated Indian tribes of South America, historically all men have worshiped a god. This is ~ normal and natural need in all men to worship! All humans and cultures overlay worship[of their god with tradition, timetables, and rituals. The abnormal sin nature of man, lust:for power, corrupts the need for wor- ship and forecloses on the absolute normal with toxic sin. A.W. Tozer writes, "Man has reduced God to manageable terms." All cultures have a set of their god's commandments, a basic moral code for their individual culture. Without exception all societies have a set of cultural moral codes based on their ethics of their society. God being perfect, He is the absolute ground '.fero for normal. Thus, anything outside of God and His perfection is abnormal. This indudes you and me. Next you apply the morals and ethics of Christianity as defined in the Bible. The integration of the concept of normal is focusing on man's mind, body and spirit. Applying these fundamental prin- ciples to Reality Therapy, the new concept is reformulated into Christ Centered Reality Therapy. This concept is utterly rejected by the world system. The counseling world today has become a pseudo-passive, anything goes, politically correct, relativistic culture asking, "What is normal?" It is the Word of God which transformed the world NOT science, not the Greeks! The metaphysical cosmological world of Greek philosophy has all of time, space and life going around in circles. The entire circle of life thing, "Hakuna ma-ta-ta." The Bible gave rise to the modern scientific concept, which is fundamental to the physical universe, linear time postulated by Newton some 300 years ago. It reveals time as an absolute physical reality. Demanding the passage of time is independent of conscious- ness. Modern science is a creation of the Word of God and not Darwin. The 21st armchair 5 CHRIST CENTERED REALITY THERAPY FOR THE 21 ST CENTURY scientists have hijacked science with humanistic philosophy once again and turned science into metaphysic religion. Currently, some statistical information collected by the American Psychological Association in the 21st century states there are 750 (give or take 200 or 300) relatively quantified psychological theories which all seem to be homogeneous. Christ Centered RealityTherapywill make the number 751. Reality Therapy is not homogeneous. Christ Centered Reality Therapy will demon- strate Reality Therapy may be relatively new to modern psychology and its disciplines, but Reality Therapy is the original structure of counseling found throughout the Bible. The Word of God is real, tangible and concrete. The Bible's center piece is man and humanity from Adam until the end of time. The focus is a fallen world and abnormal man becoming normal reuniting in a complete relationship with God's perfection. It does not get more real than this. The 21st century criticisms and limitations of Reality Therapy, in and of itself, provide an opportunity to integrate Christ Centered Reality Therapy without contradicting the original intent of its developer. Reality Therapy has a distinct lack of absolutes which Christianity provides. CCRT is not a rewrite of Dr. Glasser's theoretical body of work. CCRT intended to complete the work or metaphorically put a period at the end of the sentence. The term reformulating, as applied to Reality Therapy in this body of work means integration and completion. The created dilemma is Dr. Glasser's work hinges on relatively limited application and empirical research as compared to other counseling and psychological modalities. The sharpest criticism by Dr. Glasser's contemporaries about Reality Therapy is its lack of con- struct and concrete systematic structure. The integration will amplify the effectiveness of Reality1herapy. CCRT PROVIDES A SYSTEMATIC FORMAT OF ABSOLUTES OF NORMAL AND ABNORMAL. Reality Therapy becomes authentically holistic with the reformulation of the application of Christ Centered Reality Therapy. 6  CHAPTER I CCRT Christ Centered Reality Therapy utilizes a full range of counseling techniques and introduces a new set of technical tools and principles. CCRT is a body of work which agrees with the foundational theory of Reality Therapy and applies the absolutes of the Gospel ofJesus Christ. Reality Key: To accomplish this integration, it is necessary to understand God's rule of creation. Remember this is God~ rule, not my rule. God created the human mind, body, and spirit. This is an absolute. Man is a three-dimensional creation and nature is an absolute physical reality, which is independent of his consciousness. Free will presides in man's conscious. Humans are only a total person when the three-dimensional person is intact by design and nature. This is an absolute God formulated human beings to move in concert with God, not in opposition. In all the created universe, humans are created three dimensionally, man and man alone have the capacity to reason and understand why we reason. This is an absolute. Man's original toxic sin corrupted all of mankind and the created world. With the infusion of original sin man became toxic to himself and his environment. This is an absolute. God created all of man's original needs. The needs include mental, emotional, physical and spiritual. God met each of humans' needs through intelligent design. God's normal master plan and original design was perfection. Outside of the master design is imperfection. This is an absolute. The Natural Toxic Man has chosen to meet his needs with abnormal man-made sources. Since Adam and Eve walked out of the garden, humanity has continued to expand human toxic behavior. This is an absolute. 7 CH RIST CENTERED REALITY THERAPY FOR THE 21 ST CENTURY Man's original sin is the foundation for abnormal and toxic behavior and a belief system. This system is demonstrated in man's actions and abnormal behaviors. This is an absolute. Original sin gave birth to all abnormal bad behavior and toxic abnormal belief systems. Toxic patterns of destruction, abnormal behavior, and false belief systems have fully integrated into all three dimensions of man.1his is universal and worldwide from the time man exited the garden. Reality Key: Reality Therapy fully aligns with Christian absolutes without rendering any redefinition of Dr. Classer's original intent. Christ Centered Reality Therapy com- pletes Reality Therapy to its highest potential effectiveness.  CHAPTER I CCRT CHAPTER I WHAT IS REAL? Study Guide Question: (From the study guide questions you canform counseling ques- tions for your clients, church members, students and others who need help.} Directions: Answer the following study guide questions. Some of the questions are sub- jective and only based on your opinion. Utilizing the chapter text, answer in complete thoughts and concepts. 1. Who is the God of your life? Please explain in detail. 2. What does reality mean to you (mind, body, and spirit)? 3. What does normal mean to you (mind, body, and spirit)? 4. Is society today real or not (mind, body, and spirit)? 5. How does society influence reality (mind, body, and spirit)? 6. What is the definition of abnormal as you understand it? 7. What is the definition of normal based on the above text? 8. Does the following statement conflict with counseling? "Theologically Jesus Christ would always point out the guilt associated with the individual's sin. In this very real way Jesus did not appease a person's guilt but cured the specific cause for the individ- ual's guilt." 9. How could utilizing the constructs of Christian faith help reshape a counseling theory (mind, body, and spirit)? 10. Read the following statement. "The sharpest criticism by Dr. Glasser's contemporaries about Reality Therapy is its lack of construct and concrete systematic structure. The reform realization utilizing the absolutes of the Christian faith will demonstrate ef- fectiveness of the integration between Reality Therapy and Christ Centered Reality Therapy."Howwould this simple concept reshape your approach to counseling or even listening to a problem? 9