Using Reality Therapy

Basic Needs

Belonging or Love Power Fun Freedom

Principles of Picture Album

1 – Human beings are motivated to fulfill needs and wants. Human needs are common to all people. Wants are unique to each individual

2 – The difference )frustration) between what human beings want and what they perceive they are getting from their environment produces specific behaviors

Principles of Picture Album

3 – Human behavior – composed of doing, thinking, feeling and physiological behaviors – is purposeful; that is, it is designed to close the gap between what the person wants and what the person perceives he or she is getting.

4 – Doing, thinking, and feeling are inseparable aspects of behavior and are generated from within, most of them are choices

Principles of Picture Album

5 – Human beings see the world through perceptions. There are two general levels of perception; Low and High. The low level of perception implies knowledge of events or situations. A high level of perception gives values to those events or situations.

Reality Therapy guidelines

Always be Courteous Determined Enthusiastic Firm Genuine

Suspend judgement Do the unexpected

Reality Therapy guidelines

Use humor Be yourself Share yourself Listen for metaphors Listen for themes Use summaries and focus Allow or impose consequences Allow silence Be ethical

Things to avoid

Don’t accept excuses Don’t punish, criticize or argue, allow

consequences Don’t give up easily

Other guidelines

Consultation Follow-up Continuing education

Procedures of exploring

“What do you want?” “What do you Really want?” “What do you think people want from you?” “How do you look at it?” Tell them what you have to offer, what you

want from them, how you look at the situation Get a commitment to counseling

Procedures of exploring total behavior “What are you doing?”

What - specific Are – current You – client Doing – total behaviors

Evaluations – Value Judgements “Is your behavior helping or hurting you?” “Is what you’re doing helping you get what you

want?” “Is what you’re doing against the rules?” “Is what you’re doing realistic or attainable?” “Does it help you to look at it that way?” “How committed are you to the process of therapy

and to changing your life” – will that level work to your advantage?

“Is it a helpful plan?”

Levels of Committment

1 – I don’t want to be here – I was forced 2 – I want the pleasure resulting from

change, but I don’t want to make the effort 3 – I’ll try 4 – I’ll do my best 5 – I’ll do whatever it takes

A Positive Plan

Need Fulfilling Simple Realistic and Attainable “Something to DO, not Stop doing” Dependent on the Doer Specific

A Positive Plan

Repetitive Choose to approach others first Choose to achieve something Choose to have fun Choose to act independently

Immediate Realistic Process Centered Evaluated Firm Reinforced

Paradoxical Techniques

Learning reality Therapy Easy to understand – difficult to practice

Fulfillment of Needs Cannot fill directly – only through album

Conflict in Need Fulfillment Conflict with one another

Behavioral System Focus on Doing, more aware of thinking, feeling Don’t talk about feelings – deal with them

Paradoxical Techniques

Process of Reality Therapy Attacking one issue on several fronts Cause of problem can be the effect

Types Reframing – re-labeling and redefining

Ask what they are choosing to do Negative symptom seen as a positive

Prescriptions Scheduling a symptom Restraining a behavior – can fail in efforts to overcome Prescribing a Relapse

When not to use Paradoxes

Person feeling little involvement with the therapist Sociopath Paranoia When there is acute stress With families – need additional training in family

systems With much chaos/confusion Immature/hostile adult members Projection onto others