Reality Therapy is most similar to systems of therapy that see human beings as inner and currently directed. By contrast, it does not ignore the influence of parents, past experience, and the environment, all of which can play a facilitative or restrictive role in the life of the client. In some of the more conventional psychiatric approaches (following the influence of Freud), the therapist is taught to remain as impersonal and objective as possible, regarded by some observers as being somewhat `aloof' from the client. By contrast, in Reality Therapy the creation of effective `involvement' - a term used frequently by Glasser - is regarded as absolutely essential to the counselling process. Indeed, as Glasser states, the more the counsellor can become someone whom the client comes to put into their `quality world', as a professional person whom they trust and who has their best interests at heart, the more effective the counselling process can be. ( Counselling with Reality Therapy, Wubbolding and Brickell, 2001) Choice Theory, and it's delivery tool, Reality Therapy, is very effective when working with children and young people who have emotional and behavioural difficulties, as well as with other types of 'client group'. It is safe to use, is flexible, and although the practitioner needs a sound level of knowledge and understanding of the processes of Reality Therapy, it does not demand a high degree of academic ability. During the past few years there has been a significant increase of practitioners beginning to use Reality Therapy as their preferred method of counselling and supporting clients. Practitioners find that Reality Therapy fits nicely into their 'bag of tools' used within the counselling environment, and that the processes fall in line with current national and organisational professional and ethical guidelines.
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Internal vs External Control Psychology Glasser's work often refers to a form of psychology (External Control Psychology) chosen by most of us in our relationships both in work and at home. Choice Theory is an 'new' (internal control) psychology, of which Glasser says 'should be easy to understand and it must be easy to use once we understand it'.. He continues, '.....Our present psychology [External Control Psychology] has failed. We do not know how to get along with each other any better now than we ever have. Indeed the psychology we have embraced tends to drive us apart...’ (Choice Theory, 1998) Choice Theory (and it's delivery method Reality Therapy) is used very successfully in relationship building (or repairing !), and is not just confined to the 'counselling room'. The core of Reality Therapy is the idea that regardless of what has 'happened' to us, what we may have done, or how our needs may have been unmet or violated in the past, to be happy and effective we must live and plan in the present. It enables people to clarify how they can best fulfil their needs; to evaluate their own behaviours and make more effective and need satisfying choices, both now and in the future and, importantly, without infringing the needs of others. External Control Psychology' is an attempt to get others to do something that they might not want to do. With this type of psychology we believe that others can control us and that we have no choice but to react to the forces around us. This belief does not allow us to make choices about our personal freedom, and advocates that we punish the people that are doing wrong so that they will begin to do right. Because External Control Psychology destroys personal freedom, it thus destroys relationships. Glasser refers to it as ‘a plague on the world’ because it invades every part of our lives. It destroys marriages and families, our health, our ability to get a good education, our willingness to do good quality work, and is responsible for most of the crime and violence in our societies. In Getting Together & Staying Together, (2000) Glasser refers to 'seven deadly habits' of External Control Psychology being: criticising, blaming, complaining, nagging, threatening, punishing, and bribing or rewarding for control. He says that they are deadly because given time they destroy relationships - including relationships in the workplace.
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The idea and approaches of Choice Theory and Reality Therapy are also applied extensively with organisations, including schools, to replace external control psychology with Choice Theory as the psychology that underlies the whole operation or 'system'. In practice, this means moving from a 'boss-management' approach to one of 'Lead-Management'. Lead-managers continually work to create a non-coercive environment where students workers can self evaluate and achieve quality work. The only way any organisation will achieve the goal (of quality work) is if the 'lead-manager' can persuade students/ workers to continually upgrade 'the system' and all they do, by communicating and relating in ways that build trust. This is not to suggest some laissez-faire kind of approach, far from it. But it does mean that the Lead-Manager / teacher becomes more of a 'leader' and 'coach' rather than a 'boss' who tries to use external controls such as punishments, threats or bribes in order to 'motivate' people but in the process drives out creativity, belonging, trust, loyalty, enterprise, responsibility, 'joy in work' and other essential ingredients that lead to quality. Indeed, for a 'boss' the very idea of 'joy in work' would be an oxymoron!
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The idea and approaches of Choice Theory and Reality Therapy are also applied extensively with organisations, including schools, to replace external control psychology with Choice Theory as the psychology that underlies the whole operation or 'system'. In practice, this means moving from a 'boss-management' approach to one of 'Lead-Management'. Lead-managers continually work to create a non-coercive environment where students / workers can self evaluate and achieve quality work. The only way any organisation will achieve the goal (of quality work) is if the 'lead-manager' can persuade students / workers to continually upgrade 'the system' and all they do, by communicating and relating in ways that build trust. This is not to suggest some laissez-faire kind of approach, far from it. But it does mean that the Lead-Manager / teacher becomes more of a 'leader' and 'coach' rather than a 'boss' who tries to use external controls such as punishments, threats or bribes in order to 'motivate' people but in the process drives out creativity, belonging, trust, loyalty, enterprise, responsibility, 'joy in work' and other essential ingredients that lead to quality. Indeed, for a 'boss' the very idea of 'joy in work' would be an oxymoron! The Quality School Training Programme: Schools can also join the 'Quality School Consortium', which is a network of schools, mostly located in the USA, Canada and Australia, who have embraced the Quality School ideas and approach. The role of the consortium is to create networking opportunities for its member schools and to promote Dr. Glasser's Quality School ideas to new schools. The consortium organise an annual conference (usually in October) and produce a newsletter for distribution to Consortium member schools. |
(Courteously of The Institute For Reality Therapy UK)