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Choice

Choice Theory/Reality Therapy emphasizes self-determination and the belief that individuals have control over their own behaviors, focusing on meeting basic psychological needs such as love, power, freedom, and fun. It critiques the biological model of mental illness, advocating for a present-oriented approach in counseling that prioritizes personal choice and effective behavior. The WDEP approach serves as a roadmap for therapy, guiding clients through identifying wants, evaluating actions, and planning effective strategies to meet their needs.

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Ayana Franklin
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
21 views18 pages

Choice

Choice Theory/Reality Therapy emphasizes self-determination and the belief that individuals have control over their own behaviors, focusing on meeting basic psychological needs such as love, power, freedom, and fun. It critiques the biological model of mental illness, advocating for a present-oriented approach in counseling that prioritizes personal choice and effective behavior. The WDEP approach serves as a roadmap for therapy, guiding clients through identifying wants, evaluating actions, and planning effective strategies to meet their needs.

Uploaded by

Ayana Franklin
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Choice Theory/Reality

Therapy
It’s up to you
Assumptions
 Generally positive view of human nature, but understands
that people can (and do) choose to act “ineffectively”
 Emphasis on self-determination. We only have control
over ourselves (more than we believe we do) and very
limited power to control others. Believing one is helpless
is part of Glasser’s “external control” theory.
 Deals with behaviors and cognitions, but can be
considered a constructivist theory - the “real world” is
defined by consensual agreement. Also humanist ‘flavor’
– you might have heard person-centered echoes.
In Glasser’s words
 Strongly disagrees with the trend of locating mental
illness within the biological model and that chemical
changes in the brain cause emotional distress.
 “what alarms me the most is the present direction of
psychiatry to replace psychology altogether with the
pseudoscience of brain chemistry” ... “You are told that
the mental illness is caused by an imbalance in your brain
chemistry that can only be corrected by drugs ” … He
believed prescribed psychotropic medicines have the
potential to be harmful and the emphasis on biological
causation of psychological distress creates the situation in
which “when you are diagnosed with a mental illness
there is nothing you can do to help yourself. ”
Needs – The Central Concept
 What Motivates Behavior? Trying to meet our needs.
 Pleasure (mental health)/pain (mental illness) comes
from satisfying (or not satisfying) basic needs.
 Survival (also safety, security)
 Love and belonging
 Power (inner control) – Be your best, have an impact
 Freedom (independence)
 Fun (enjoyment)
 Recent revision emphasizes importance of having
satisfying personal relationships - most problems are
interpersonal!
 All of our behavior is chosen (often
subconsciously) to try to meet our needs.
 Love and belonging (most important). Satisfied
through family, friends, and intimate partners –
connection. The risk with loved ones is that we often
believe we “own” them and try to control them
(nagging, guilting, criticizing, etc.).
 Fun - through play, relaxation, enjoyment, hobbies
 Freedom - feeling like we are in charge of our lives,
independence, autonomy.
 Power or inner control - to feel important/competent,
recognized, worthy, winning. The “dark side” is
making myself feel good at your expense or zero-sum
game approaches.
 We choose the best way we know to meet our
needs; but we often choose harmful rather than
helpful behaviors. We can learn better ways of
choosing.
What meets our needs?
 We don’t all have equal amounts of all needs. Some have
stronger needs for power than fun, etc. One’s need
profile is present at birth (genetic).
 Although we have the same needs, we all have different
images of what fulfills them (wants).
 The images/pictures of the people, things, situations that
will satisfy our needs (based on experience) comprise
our Quality World. These pictures might not be ‘good
for you.’
 Maladaptive behavior is one’s best attempt at getting
needs met at the time – it’s just not effective or it
prevents others from getting their needs met (external
control).
In each section, list the people, places, and activities that help you meet each of the
psychological needs: love & belonging, power, freedom, fun, and survival. You may want to
list the same need-fulfilling person, place, or activity more than once. What do you notice
about how your needs motivate your behaviors?
Questions to identify quality world
 Who are the most important people in your life?
What makes them important?
 If you became the person you want to be, what
characteristics would you have?
 What does it mean to be a friend?
 If you could have the perfect job, what would it
be?
 Describe a peak experience.
 If money was not a constraint, what would you do
with your time?
 What brings meaning to your life?
Total Behavior
 All behavior is composed of acting, thinking, feeling,
and physiology = total behavior. Acting and
thinking are directly under our control (doing), but
feelings and physical reactions follow our actions and
thoughts. Feelings are important, but not main focus.
 Counselors focus on actions and thoughts.
 “Symptoms” (like depression) are made into actions
(behaviors). One is depress-ing or anxiety-ing - this
conveys the emphasis on the personal choice rather
than the external world happening to the person.
 Language reflects our choices – are we using inner or
external control
External Control Psychology
 Since we can control ourselves (but only ourselves),
choice theory is in contrast to external control
psychology.
 External control beliefs are:
 My behavior is controlled by external factors (she made me
so mad…). Takes no personal responsibility so does nothing
to change. Often hear this in domestic violence work.
 I can make others do what I want them to do. Never-ending
battle that also leads to frustration.
 It is my obligation to punish or reward (or ‘save’) others
depending on if they meet my standards for behavior (public
correctors)
 Glasser felt external control is the root cause of the
world’s problems (violence, crime, abuse)
Trying to control others
 7 Deadly (Disconnecting) Habits
 Criticizing, Blaming, Complaining, Nagging,
Threatening, Punishing, Bribing/Rewarding to control
 We use the above because we want to control
situations to satisfy our needs and using them
seems ‘easier’ than using the 7 Caring
(Connecting) Habits
 Supporting, Encouraging, Listening, Accepting,
Trusting, Respecting, Negotiating Differences
 Unfortunately, the deadly habits diminish rather
than help relationships. A lot of maladaptive or
ineffective behavior (and counseling issues) falls
under the umbrella of trying to control others.
Maladjustment is…
 Failure to effectively satisfy our needs and choosing
behaviors that don’t meet our needs; they may be
commonly labeled as “mentally ill”
 Because of primary importance of relationships,
dysfunction occurs when we are disconnected from
others and choose painful and destructive behavior in
an effort to reconnect. What are people who cut/harm
themselves trying to do?
 Failure identity comes from not being able to
effectively meet needs on routine basis, give up
trying, might resort to addictions to gain a false sense
of control.
Personality Development (?)
 Not extensive aspect of the theory. One ’s
personality is based on the relative strength of
the needs and that is thought to be fixed at birth.
How we behave to meet our needs reflects who
we are.
 Painful early experiences - based on powerful
others thinking they knew what was best and
trying to control us (external control) – set the
stage for present unhappiness, but revisiting the
past isn’t useful. We behave in the ‘now.’
 Wrote a lot about parenting and early education
because he rejected use of punishment.
Reality Therapy Process
 No formal assessment for diagnosis (except for
insurance) because that implies mental illness. DO
assess needs/wants/behavior.
 Counseling relationship very important – it ’s a genuine
relationship to support client while challenging their
choices.
 Counselor will be very active, asking many questions,
focused on behaviors and thoughts. Often teaches clients
basics of theory first.
 Counselors want clients to make better choices that meet
their needs effectively without interfering or hurting
others.
 Counseling is present-oriented. Help clients let go of
past and focus on improving current relationships and
meeting needs - building a success identity.
WDEP Approach – Counseling Roadmap
 Wants- Specific questions help identify
clients’ wants related to their needs and what
they feel will satisfy those wants. What are
their quality worlds? Are those quality world
pictures healthy?
 Doing/Direction - What are the clients’ current
actions as they try to get what they want?
 Evaluate - Help client self-evaluate whether
current behavior is effective. If not, then client
can choose another action.
 Plan - Help client develop simple, attainable,
action plans that may be more effective in
getting needs met. Help client follow through
on plan.
Techniques or Therapy actions
 Questioning is extensively used.
 What do you want? What will that look like?
 Is what you want genuinely good for you? Is it realistically
attainable?
 What are you doing now to get what you want?
 How is what you’re doing/telling yourself helping you get what you
want?
 What is your plan?
 New choices/plans are specific and detailed so client will be
more likely to follow through
 No criticisms or dwelling on negative
 Ineffective choices are directly confronted, but not
“punishing the client.” If client doesn’t do homework,
question how that choice helps them get what they want.
Accept no excuses, but don’t blame either.
Evaluation
 Focus on present and conscious reactions doesn’t allow
for processing of past or repressed conflicts.
 The assumptions that everything is within one’s choice
doesn’t take oppression into account. Glasser responds by
saying people choose how to respond to adversity.
 Does seem to discount biological determinants of mental
illness, although he did ‘allow’ brain pathology.
 May be useful across cultures because allows the person
to determine what meets their needs - in culturally
compatible ways. Also short-term and action focused.
 Focus on behavior does allow for observing change (so
can be combined with behavioral work).
Resources and Training
 Glasser Institute for Choice Theory
 Demonstration by Wubbolding
 Demonstration by Glasser
 They do training sessions for certification.
Used to be held in regional areas – many are
online now since the pandemic.
 Their 2023 National Conference will in St.
Louis

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