REALITY THERAPY
–William Glasser
[After World War II many GIs were in mental institutions and could not be cured thru therapy. Glasser was put in charge of the program, and sought for a new system of therapy which could be effective. Reality Therapy was the answer. The principles can also be used in the informal “counseling” we all do.]
CONCEPT
Mental illnesses involve one of two characteristics
Neurotics: Afraid of reality [All of us, to some extent]
Psychotics: Deny reality [Need serious professional help]
People are social animals, with 2 basic needs
1] Love and be loved. 2] Be worthwhile to self and others
To be healthy, must have at least one responsible person for whom one cares and with whom one has an association
One must have the ability to care and to accept care
To fill these needs requires a satisfactory level of behavior
In that sense, no such thing as “unconditional love”
Success, relationships, and happiness occur thru accepting responsibility and acting responsible
It must occur continually, and the result is self respect
We must learn and develop ability to function effectively
It does not come naturally thru instinct
Failure causes pain and irresponsible behavior
REALITY THERAPY
Definition: The attempt to teach in an artificial environment what should have been learned growing up
May be formal or informal; professional or from friends
Process requires: Intense personal committment and caring by the therapist; Mutual acceptance and respect; Examination of values, goals, daily behavior; Confrontation of reality;
Rejection of non-responsible behavior; Learning of new ways to behave and to fill needs responsibly
Therapy is conversation involving interests, goals, values, etc.
With analysis of effectiveness and ways to improve
Relate to present life: The past and subconscious are ignored
Emphasize “what” not “why”, e.g. “What are you doing?”
Not “Why are you doing it?”
Investigate, together, new opportunities, goals, behaviors
Analyst must tell own struggles, failures, ways to cope
Change occurs thru learning to fill needs more responsibly
Aberrant behavior is evasion/inability to accept responsibility
Patient must decide current behavior is not responsible
Analyst must accept person but never aberrant behavior
No matter how much it upsets the patient
No acceptance of excuse that it’s caused by the past
Ignore it, if possible, to focus on change to good behavior
Keep forcing issue: “How does this behavior help?”
Liberals sympathy for others is disguised self-pity
New responsible behavior must be learned
Often people don’t know how to act, or what is effective
Reality and responsibility continuously emphasized and reinforced
Models provided (Analyst must be responsible model)
Put together goals and plans
Dream; look for opportunities and potential
Work for an initial change in behavior, and work from that
Look for, and reinforce, good qualities and behaviors
DIFFERENCES: Reality Therapy v. Pschotherapy
Psychotherapy
Classifications of mental illness, treated by diagnosis
Probe into past for root of illness
Transference to analyst, i.e. he “becomes” the problem person from the past
Must gain insight into unconscious mind
Avoids issue of morality
Analyst remains detached, impersonal: “No opinion”
Therapy usually becomes a permanent, expensive process
Reality Therapy
Patient is not considered “mentally ill”
Simply not acting responsibly
Work only in the present, work to fill present needs
Analyst relates as self, not as transference figure
Ignore unconscious motivation
It merely reinforces aberrant behavior
Insights do not motivate change, merely give an excuse
Emphasize right and wrong
Become involved, as a friend with a conscience
Therapy is completed quickly, at minimal cost