Reality (Choice) Therapy

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Reality (Choice) Therapy
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Themes

• People are born with 5 innate needs that drive us
  all our lives
• Survival
• Love and belonging
• Power (achievement, competence, recognition, self
  esteem)
• Freedom or independence (autonomy)
• Fun or enjoyment
• When we feel bad, one or more of these needs is
  unsatisfied
• Often times these needs are also associated with
  relationships

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Themes

• Behavior has a purpose because it is designed to
  close the gap between what we want and what we
  perceive we are getting
• All human behaviors are composed of doing
  (acting), thinking, feeling, and physiology and
  is generated from within
• We are responsible for our behavior therefore,
  we are capable of change by choosing more
  effective behaviors (we have most control over
  doing, thinking is second most)

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Process

• The focus of reality therapy is on changing total
  behavior by discussing the clients
• current actions
• evaluation of their actions effectiveness in
  fulfilling needs and current wants
• evaluation of the realistic attainability of
  these needs and wants,
• current perceptions or viewpoints along with the
  helpfulness (or hurtfulness) of those viewpoints

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Process

• Emphasizes choice and responsibility (dealing
  with what one can control not what one cannot
  including the past)
• Reject transference
• Keep the therapy in the present
• Avoid focusing on symptoms
• If talking about feelings, need to strongly
  relate them to what people are doing and thinking

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ProcessWDEP (Wants, Doing, Evaluate, Plan)

• Wants (Explore all areas of their wants and
  needs)
• If you were the person that you wish you were,
  what kind of person would you be?
• What would your family be like if your wants and
  their wants matched?
• What would you be doing if you were living as you
  wanted to?
• Do you really want to change your life?
• What is it you want that you dont seem to be
  getting from life?
• What do you think stops you from making the
  changes you would like?

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ProcessWDEP (Wants, Doing, Evaluate, Plan)

• Direction and Doing (Explore current behaviors
  and whether they are moving the individual toward
  meeting their wants and needs)
• What are you doing now?
• What did you actually do this past week?
• What did you want to do differently this past
  week?
• What stopped you from doing what you wanted to
  do?
• What will you do tomorrow?

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ProcessWDEP (Wants, Doing, Evaluate, Plan)

• Evaluation (Does your present behavior have a
  reasonable chance of getting you what you want
  now, and will it take you in the direction that
  you want to go?)
• Is what you are doing helping or hurting you?
• Is what you are doing now what you want to be
  doing?
• Is your behavior working for you?
• Is there a healthy congruence between what you
  are doing and what you believe?
• Is what you are doing against the rules?
• Is what you want realistic or attainable?
• Does it help you to look at it that way?
• How committed are you to the therapeutic process
  and to changing you life?
• After carefully examining what you want, does it
  appear to be in your best interests and in the
  best interests of others?

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ProcessWDEP (Wants, Doing, Evaluate, Plan)

• Planning and Action
• Simple
• Attainable
• Measurable
• Immediate
• Controlled by planner
• Committed to
• Continuously done

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Process

• Therapists role
• Educator and mentor
• Good attending skills
• Willing to be realistic about own behaviors and
  willing to talk about own struggles
• Firm and confrontational
• Provide idea that no matter how bad things get
  there is hope