Reality Therapy is a method based on Choice Theory that will help individuals who like to gain more effective control over their own lives.
The therapy process has been proven effective in personal mastery, mental wellness, relationships, education, parenting, marriage, leadership, and even management; and it lends itself to any situation where people need to learn how to satisfy their needs in responsible ways.
Reality Therapy is based on the belief that we all choose what we do with our lives and that we are responsible for our choices. Responsibility is defined as learning to choose behaviors that satisfy our needs and, at the same time, do not deprive others of a chance to do the same.
Practitioners of Reality Therapy seek to persuade individuals to look honestly both at what they want and what they are doing to get what they want. An individual who is frustrated, or is frustrating others, is taught to evaluate what he or she is doing and, from this evaluation, learns about and puts into practice more effective (need-satisfying) behaviors.
Reality Therapy is a non-coercive way of communicating that enhances people’s ability to make effective, need-fulfilling choices. It is an ongoing process with two major components:
- The therapy environment and
- Specific procedures that lead to changes in behavior.
The art of Reality Therapy is to join these components in ways that lead people to evaluate their lives and decide to move in better directions.
Source: Reality Therapy: A New Approach to Psychiatry by William Glasser, M.D.