Reality Therapy it Was During

Reality Therapy

It was during the 1960's that Dr. William Glasser developed the new approach to counseling called 'Reality Therapy'. According to this therapy, the various choices that an individual makes are based on the present life that he is leading, and it doesn't matter what the person has undergone in his past, or what has happened to him in his past life. All the choices are based on the situation that he is in at the present time, and his reactions and his behavior are based on the 'here' and the 'now' of the particular situation. The theory also states that the existence of an unsatisfactory relationship or the non-existence of a relationship with others is the primary cause for psychological problems among individuals. (Reality Therapy: (www.cognitive-therapy-associates.com)

Definition of Reality Therapy, what is it?

The focus according to the Reality Therapy, must be on the creation and the development and the maintenance of inter-personal relationships with others based on the choices that the individual makes, depending on his present life and experiences in the 'now' of things. This would inevitably mean that the individual would have to take on a personal responsibility for the different choices that he has made by himself, based on his very own experiences. The past of the person is treated as being the source of his needs, but all the discussions during therapy sessions are based on the present, and the relationships that he is in at the present time, that form the key to the problems that he is facing during the present time. It is a fact that al human beings 'behave' all the time, and all the behavior of a person is grouped under the term 'Total Behavior', that in turn is composed of the four components of acting and thinking and feeling and physiology. The basic categories of human needs are grouped under: power, love and belonging, freedom, fun and survival, and human beings are always on the look out for the ways and the means with which to satisfy these needs. (Reality Therapy: (www.cognitive-therapy-associates.com)

Reality Therapy helps a person see the various maladaptive strategies that he uses in order to get his needs met, and corrective methods are taught to him whereby he can change his behavioral pattern, since the individual's thoughts and actions are taken as the best material with which to work, and not, as in traditional therapy, based on feelings and symptoms. When the therapy focuses on the person's thoughts, the issues of blame and also of externalizing his problems can be totally avoided, and it is a fact that blame is one of the main causative factors for the tension in any inters personal relationship. (Reality Therapy: (www.cognitive-therapy-associates.com)

However, in order to understand this type of therapy better, one has to understand 'what is reality?' Reality is made up of quite a few facets, some of them being: the actual reality that the individual lives in, that can be either physical or spiritual or both, the individual's experience of physical reality, the persons' experiences of super reality, that is any experience that is connected to the mystic, including God and the Spirit, the individual's perception of reality, all that person's beliefs and ideals based on the perception and the experiences that he has with physical reality, and also his beliefs that are based on super reality. The problem generally arises when the individual's beliefs do not match with the experiences as he in fact recognizes or perceives them. A person discovers the world around him by the processes of perception, the interpretation of that perception, and the formation of reason based on the perception. Expectations are generally built up, and these become the model of the real world for the individual. When a person adheres to his own perceptions, then he will not make any mistakes, according to his viewpoint. However, he will not be able to learn much by this reasoning. (Reality Therapy: (www.hazelden.org.uk)

On the other hand, if he is able to reason, then the information derived will be useful but may or may not be wrong. This is the dilemma in which all human beings find themselves, wherein in order to live, they are forced to make decisions, based on assumptions, and these may be wrong at times. When the decision is based on a spiritual model, then the person would be faced with spiritual problems because it will not meet his particular expectations on the subject. It will be a similar dilemma for those persons whose physical world does not match his experiences and this may end up in psychological problems. Reality therapy sees to it that a person bases all his choices on his present experiences and in this way, is a boon in the repairing and bonding and the cementing of broken interpersonal relationships. (Reality Therapy: (www.hazelden.org.uk)

The History of Reality Therapy:

William Glasser, an American psychiatrist, created the concept of Reality Therapy during the 1960's. It has been acknowledged as one of the few therapies that actually begin in an adolescent situation, and the fact that William Glasser was initially employed in a school meant for adolescent delinquent girls will explain why he was interested in the development of this therapy. By the late 1980's the William Glasser Institute was founded in Ireland, and soon it gained in popularity all over the world, and these Institutions were set up everywhere. Ireland hosted the first International Convention of this Institute in the year 1995, and it has continued to grow in popularity all over the world. Reality Therapy is now an acknowledged form of therapy and all Institutes have a specialized faculty trained in the methods to be used in this form of therapy. (the Use of Reality Therapy in Guidance in second Level Schools)

In the UK, Reality Therapy has been growing steadily through the years due to a variety of reasons. The main reason is that it is widely applicable and is also highly practical at the same time. Its method of interactive therapy has established offers in the areas of counseling, of coaching and training, as well as in helping and managing people. Reality therapy has also been used for the purpose of 'addictions counseling' and is generally an extremely useful tool when it is used as a supplement in such types of treatment programs. (Reality Therapy - Basic Intensive Workshop: Castle Craig Hospital)

In truth, the creator of Reality Therapy, William Glasser, is not only a trained physiatrist in the theories of psychoanalysis and theories that had been developed by Freud but is also a student of chemical engineering as well as clinical psychology. William Glasser eventually rejected the theories of Freud and began formulating his own theory on psychoanalysis. He wrote his first book 'Reality Therapy' in 1965, before which he had written the book 'Mental Health or Mental Illness' in 1960. The language of psychotherapy however did not seem suitable for him, and this was why he remained primarily a behavioral technician. In 1969, Glasser wrote another book, 'Schools without Failure' in which he described the educational system by which many students were considered to be failures. In 'Identity Society' he had identified most of his creative ideas and was trying to explain them to the public. He also described the practical applications of Reality Therapy for the common man in his daily life in this book. (From Reality Therapy to Reality Therapy in Action)

Positive Addiction' was the next step, and in this book Glasser explains that it is the individual who makes his own life miserable, and not any one else. This brought out the theory of 'personal responsibility'. 'Stations of the Mind' was written in 1981, and this led to the writing of the book 'Control Theory' almost two decades later in time. (From Reality Therapy to Reality Therapy in Action) Glasser has always maintained the opinion that the person who is behaving in an inappropriate manner does not in fact need any help to defend their behavior. Instead of defense, therefore, the treatment focuses on teaching the person how to identify that his behavior is wrong or inappropriate, and then in teaching him the various means in which he can act better and more logically and more appropriately. Therefore, the individual learns to acknowledge that it is his own behavior that is wrong, and that he must be ready to change it into a more productive sort of behavior, since the world is filled with human beings and the individual must learn to live among this multitude of humans in a manner that would not only satisfy his own wishes and desires, but would also not encroach upon the other person's wishes and desires. (Reality Therapy: moodle.ed.uiuc.edu)

In essence, it is 'Choice Theory' that drives reality therapy, wherein when it is taken as an internal control psychology, it demonstrates the fact that all individuals are governed by the basic needs within them and not by external reality, and in order to meet all his basic needs, the individual must make certain choices, and all his behavior patterns are based on these choices that he makes when he is trying to fulfill his basic needs. Perceptions are generally based on the present, and therefore, the need to explore the past by delving into it in great detail becomes totally unnecessary. Glasser felt that even if the person exhibited bizarre and extremely strange types of behavior at a particular time, it was because of an innate reason of trying and attempting to find the best solution in order to meet the person's needs at that particular time in his life, and therefore, it was logical and sane to him, if not to others who would sometimes label him as strange or insane. (the Use of Reality Therapy in Guidance in second Level Schools) delinquent would make choices based on the best way to meet his basic needs at that time, and therefore, must not be criticized. This, in essence formed the theory of Reality Therapy of William Glasser, wherein the concept of 'Choice Theory' was emphasized to a large extent, and this became one of the reasons why this theory attained so much of popularity over the years, not only in America but all over the world, where William Glasser Institutions are to be found in every place where there is a need for a new state of the art therapy institute for the individual of today. (the Use of Reality Therapy in Guidance in second Level Schools)

Current Research on Reality Therapy:

The theory of Reality Therapy has not been accepted by everyone as being a special and effective type of therapy. As there will be criticisms for everything that takes place in today's world, so must the criticism on Reality Therapy taken in the right spirit. A study conducted by Christian and Eclectic JC Disciples enumerate the reasons why they feel that Reality Therapy is not as good as it sounds. When the book called Reality Therapy was first published in 1965, it came as a surprise for many conventional therapists who followed the thinking of the time that stated that all patients suffered from their own high-from-reality standards of morality. The therapist would take on the figure of authority and try to convince the patient that he would be happier if he were to be less inhibited and freer. (Reality Therapy, by William Glasser)

Dr Glasser in his alternative therapy attempted to explain that the real problem lay not with the moral inhibitions and high standards of behavior expected of the patient of his own self, but of the fact that the patient's behavior has in fact been insufficient, and when this is corrected with making the person face the real world as it is, then he would have a much better chance at full recovery, as he would eventually have to live in the world filled with other people. Love and personal self-worth must flow between the patient and others who are connected to him in any way, as it is a fact that man is a social animal and will therefore thrive on a sense of self-worth fuelled by others in close proximity to him. It is only when these two basic needs are not met that the individual will resort to irresponsible behavior, and this can be changed with Reality Therapy. Glasser managed to reject completely the theory of a person being 'mentally ill'. Instead, he said that it was the patient's behavior that was more important, and with the total involvement of the therapist in the analysis of this behavior, the patient was bound to delve into the details of his behavior patterns with the specific goal of improving such behavior that may be irresponsible. (Reality Therapy, by William Glasser)

Brian Lennon, the Psychologist and Guidance Counselor of St. Oliver's Community College, Ireland, has conducted a lot of research on the concept of Reality Therapy, and is of the opinion that though the book 'Reality Therapy' was published in the year 1965, the theories have been changed and adapted to the constant changes taking place in the world today. As a result, the theory is no longer the same one that was written many decades ago; in fact, though the basic principles remain the same, there have been quite a few major clarifications and adaptations since that time. Choice Theory was created later, and this theory states that all human misery is based on a break down of human interpersonal relationships, and when this is addressed specifically by the therapist, then the problem could be solved much more easily and quickly. Internal control would be achieved, and the control of external factors would be to some extent eliminated. This was and still is an entirely new vision of psychology and therapy. (From Reality Therapy to Reality Therapy in Action)

When the book was published in 1965, it was hailed as the true 'landmark in psychotherapy', and the book 'Reality Therapy in Action' that came later in 2000 was described as being one of the 'most creative books on psychotherapy ever written'. While the older book described a totally new type of therapy and challenged traditional thinking as well as practices in the field of psychotherapy, the new book served to provide an actual theoretical base for the reality therapy that he had created. The ideas were from a physics graduate and demonstrated the author's origins in engineering and related subjects. This was why it was felt that the tenacious links between perception and behavior could be explained with such ease and understanding, and that was the reason why this concept became such a huge success. William Power's book entitled 'Behavior: the Control of Perception' held echoes of the original 'Reality Therapy' by Glasser, and the various concepts of internal control, of a persons dependence on perceptions rather than on true physical reality were adapted from Power's book, and this was adapted in the book 'Choice Theory'. (From Reality Therapy to Reality Therapy in Action)

What is the relevance of Reality Therapy today for individuals and the general population?

The theory of William Glasser states that all patients denied the reality around them instead of fulfilling their needs and wants responsibly. When the ability to fulfill one's needs was taught to them, they would learn to identify those needs and fulfill them without encroaching on the needs of other people. This theory would benefit an individual as well as an entire group of people. (Historic Overview of Psychiatric Care) it is a fact that Reality Therapy is meant for those persons who are needy of a people friendly and people needy type of psychotherapy that would help them to overcome their psychological problems in an easy way. The theory is based on the five principles of the basic needs that everyone has, which are those of love, freedom, power, belonging, and survival. All individuals on this earth are constantly striving to fulfill these needs, whether they are aware of the fact or not, and this is how the reality therapy helps those persons who feel that they are living unsatisfactory and unfulfilled lives, and helps them, as individuals, to recognize these needs and strive towards achieving them. (Reality Therapy and Choice theory) human being is definitely a social animal, and most of the time in his life is spent in socializing with other people, of his own age and social standing, etc. when a person is made aware of what he wants, he would be able to function better, and this is achieved by the reality theory. The individual may not think of his needs; he may think of his wants, like for example, he will say 'I want to meet my friends on Saturday night', rather than saying 'I need my social and belonging need to be met today'. When the answers to the three questions: what do you want, what will you do to get the thing that you want, and is the plan to get what you want effective and is it working? Reality therapy urges the individual to 'act' rather than wait for another person to 'act'. For example, when the marital relationship is under stress, the spouse is asked to take action and make the other spouse talk to him rather than wait for the other to take action and talk.