Anna_Truttier_cf_u09a1_TheoryofCounseling-2

docx

School

Capella University *

*We aren’t endorsed by this school

Course

5239

Subject

Psychology

Date

Dec 6, 2023

Type

docx

Pages

Uploaded by KidMorningCapybara39

1 U09A1 - Theoretical Analysis and Application: Reality Therapy Anna Truttier COUN 5239 – Theories of Psychotherapy Dr. Kathryn J Miller March 13, 2022

2 Theoretical Analysis and Application: Reality Therapy The world of counseling can’t be explained by one theory alone. However, that does not stop the counselor from choosing a theory that speaks to them and will help assist them throughout their journey as a counselor. A counselor’s theory of choice is their road map to assist them along the way of fulfilling the needs of their clients. Theories are not a one size fits all. It is up to the counselor’s discretion on what behaviors the theory of choice will work best for their client. As the counselor develops their craft and gains more experience they can start to pick from different theories and build up on their knowledge. Theoretical Analysis: Reality Therapy Concepts, Principles, and Assumptions of Reality Therapy William Glasser was behind the ideas of Reality Therapy that began to take shape in 1960. Glasser noted that everyone has five basic needs. These needs include survival, love, belonging, freedom, fun, and power. Individuals whose needs are not met, in their scope of reality, they usually seek out satisfaction through choices they have made; this creates the fulfillment they are look for. Throughout Glasser’s career he noticed that many individuals were miserable with their lives. He specifically observed this cycle while working in a veteran’s hospital. According to Glasser, he began helping veterans to take responsibility for their own problems by interrupting their endless ruminations and asking them instead to look at what they were doing and what results this behavior was producing (Montgomery, 2019). There are a few noteworthy characteristics to this approach that mirror other theoretical approaches. The fact that reality therapy relies on freedom and responsibility connects it to existential theory, because it emphasizes outcomes and their ramifications it mirrors behavioral theory, and finally it is like client centered because the client/ counselor relationship is one of help and acceptance (Montgomery, 2019). Reality Therapy relies profoundly on accountability

3 and self-responsibility. It poses four main questions that put Reality Therapy into action; WDEP: 1. What do you want? 2. What are you doing, and possibly not doing, to get what you say you want? 3. What are the consequences of the choices that you have been making? 4. What would you like to do instead (Montgomery, 2019)? Reality therapy is a unique theory that is also tied to assumptions. These assumptions are a part of our human nature. People are driven to satisfy their needs, motivated by their personal desires, become frustrated when these needs are not met, and behave accordingly to get their needs met (Montgomery, 2019). Personal Philosophies and Views Reality Theory plays into my own perspective and outlook, not only counseling but the human nature of individuals. Like Reality Theory, I believe that we all act according to our given circumstances in life. This includes acquiring certain behaviors that we act out in order to have our needs met. All human behavior moves toward satisfaction of needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun (Lujan, 2015). I do think that our environment plays a pivotal role in shaping us. Everyone is given a set of circumstances in life. It is how we navigate and cope with these circumstances that can create maladaptive behaviors and coping mechanisms. Individuals who do adopt such habits are capable of change and resiliency when their needs are being fulfilled. Counseling allows us to gain the resources, understanding, and tools that can help us navigate the world. Evaluation of Evidence Supporting Reality Therapy Reality Therapy is easily tailored to meet the needs of many different individuals. Reality Therapy has been shown effective for older individuals who suffer to make choices that satisfy their needs, but also align with their dreams and aspirations (Sauerheber et al, 2016). It has been

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

4 effective most specifically, when using the WDEP approach; exploring wants, finding out what the individual is doing, evaluating its efficacy, and contriving a plan. The aging process is inevitable, however that does not mean that the older population cannot also have their needs met. Relying on Reality Therapy and the WDEP exercise, helps older individuals maintain their sense of empowerment, particularly pertaining to their basic needs (Sauerheber et al, 2016). Incorporating Reality Therapy encourages self-responsibility and control over their lives, it allows for them to maintain their level of activity, they can maintain their independence, and they are able to self-advocate. Appropriateness of Reality Therapy for Diverse Populations The foundations and the backbone of Reality Therapy are the freedoms of choice, control over our lives, and independence. These are very Eurocentric and Western driven ideas towards the world. Not every multicultural individual looks at life in the same way. For example, many Indigenous people’s view of the world and human nature revolve around family support, ties within the community, and the sharing of responsibility (Montgomery, 2019). Individualism in the Western world, as opposed to collectivism in other parts of the world, is challenging to adapt towards culturally diverse populations. Working with culturally diverse populations, is it pertinent to consider that traditional therapies and interventions may be inappropriate. (Graham et al, 2013) Being cognizant of this is crucial as well as taking into consideration what their cultural identities mean to them. To be a culturally competent counselors need to acknowledge understand and embrace everyone’s cultural diversity. Individuals who immigrate to new areas usually go through cultural shock, intergenerational contestation, and cultural conflicts (Graham et al, 2013). Immigrants that travel to the United States would benefit from counseling resources. Reality Therapy would be a beneficial modality because Reality Therapy is easily malleable to the client’s needs. It not only respects the clients but is also socially intuitive, allowing the client

5 to have opportunities to consider their needs but also the needs of those around them, (Graham et al, 2013) especially if these individuals have a strong pull towards collectivism within their family units. Therapeutic Case Goals Aligned to Reality Therapy Susan is a 29-year-old white female who is divorced with two children. Her daughter is four years old, and her son is ten years old. Susan married her husband when they found out that they were expecting. Their marriage was anything but perfect. Susan reports drug abuse along with infidelity. Her ex-husband had her on a tight leash and was controlling. Although divorced, Susan has been steadily dating her partner, John, for a year. Unfortunately, John was recently laid off from his job. Susan has sought out counseling with feelings of lethargy, tiredness, and sleeplessness. Along with these symptoms, she feels a lack of motivation and an incredible dissatisfaction with how things are going in her life. Adjectives that she uses to describe herself are: “dark clouds” “each day is a struggle” These feelings of despair are coupled with her lack of trust toward John. Although John has given her no reason to not trust him, she still cannot help but feel this way. She feels as if he is only with her to provide a roof over his head. When trying to communicate with John, he shuts her down and seems disinterested. She loves him but fears for their future. Along with relationship misfortunes, her son’s school reports behavioral issues. Susan has delt with bouts of depression but never received treatment for them. Susan and her parents have had a rocky relationship. Her mother, who is now sober, once battled addiction. Susan has no relationship with her father. Susan started college but never finished but is currently interested in going back. She mentioned that she can’t find the motivation and is living paycheck to paycheck.

6 Therapeutic case goals for Susan would be to help her find her fulfillment in life, to find what motivates her, figure out what she wants for her future, give her power back to her, and to help her find the love and acceptance within herself. Reality Therapy is a modality that would work well in Susan’s case; essentially fulfilling her needs that have never truly been met in any aspect or stage in her life. Susan has endured many misfortunes in her life. Due to these misfortunes, she has had to adapt and has made certain choices in life that have led her to where she is present day. Every behavior we exhibit is an attempt to have our needs met (Capella University, 2016). Susan is no exception to this. She has developed maladaptive behaviors to meet her needs or the needs that she has perceived in her scope of reality. Reality Therapy relies heavily on accountability; Susan will be asked some tough questions and will have to look inward. In this case, developing a strong, empathic, non-judgmental, and supportive partnership will be important. The partnership between Susan and her counselor will be a collaborative partnership, wherein Susan will have to work alongside her counselor. Application and Evaluation of Reality Therapy: Evidence-Based Techniques The WDEP technique will facilitate Susan in seeking out what is important to her. It will help her discover in what areas she wants to see change and it will act not only as her guide, but the counselors guide as well. The WDEP system is the avenue in which reality therapists uncover, with the client, what goals and outcomes they are seeking to fulfill (Graham et al, 2013). WDEP is to be used as a flexible guide and not something that is rigid and precise. With this flexibility, Susan will see and begin to understand her wants, her needs, how her behaviors are directly correlated, and her discernments of the world. The first letter in the acronym is W. This represents the “wants”. For Susan what would work best for her would be to try and understand her wants. She says that she is not sure she wants to continue with her relationship, and she lacks the ambition in her life to work and

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

7 continue with school. Trying to decipher what Susan wants will help understand the areas that Susan wants to change and what she deems essential. A question that could be used to guide this is “What do you want?” After discovering and understanding Susan’s wants, the next letter is D. The D stands for “doing”. What is Susan doing at this very moment, i.e., what behaviors is she exhibiting that are congruent or not congruent with her wants. Ask Susan “What are you doing to get what you want?” E is the next letter in the acronym, and it stands for “evaluation”. This will be an important piece for Susan to partake in. The professional counselor will construct a dialogue that will allow for questions to be asked to have Susan self-assess whether her behaviors are in congruence with her wants. (Graham et al, 2013). After she has been evaluated, asking her “Is it working?” would allow for continued self-assessment on her actions. The last letter of the acronym is P. P stands for “plan”. Once Susan has been able to self-evaluate her wants, and her needs have been spoken out loud, the next step is to construct a plan. This is where the work begins. With temporary or longstanding plans, this is where the transformation and fulfilling her needs will transpire. Following up in Susan’s next session, Susan and her professional counselor can assess to see if the plans that have been constructed are working. If they are, then Susan can continue with how she is operating. If the plan does not seem to be working well for Susan, then as a collaborative team, they can go back and decide what changes need to be made. For Susan and her counselor to be as successful as possible, they must recognize and acknowledge limitations and strengths when working together; this is an imperative part of the Reality Therapy process. Limitations that could come up while working with Susan would be her experience, growing up, and in her early adult life. Since Reality Therapy focuses on present as opposed to the past, this could possibly effect Susan’s success. Unresolved feelings and issues may come up that Susan had not realized existed. A good thing about Reality Therapy is that it is

8 easily adaptable, and leaves room for tailoring to fit each client’s needs. This will be a strength if the need arises to focus on moments from Susan’s past. Culturally, for Susan and her counselor, there should be no underlying issues that will play a role in the effectiveness of Susan’s counseling sessions. Conclusion The world of counseling can’t be explained by one theory alone. However, that does not stop the counselor from choosing a theory that speaks to them and will help assist them throughout their journey as a counselor. As the counselor develops their craft and gains more experience they can start to pick from different theories and build up on their knowledge.

9 References Capella University. (2016, November 7). Theories in Action [Video]. Multimedia. https://media.capella.edu/CourseMedia/ces8756element238247/wrapper.asp Graham, M. A., Sauerheber, J. D., & Britzman, M. J. (2013). Choice Theory and Family Counseling. The Family Journal , 21 (2), 230–234. https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480712466538 Lujan, S. K. (2015). QUALITY COUNSELING: AN EXAMINATION OF CHOICE THEORY AND REALITY THERAPY. International Journal of Choice Theory and Reality Therapy, 34 (2), 17- 23. Retrieved from http://library.capella.edu/login?qurl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.proquest.com %2Fscholarly-journals%2Fquality-counseling-examination-choice-theory%2Fdocview %2F1678809777%2Fse-2%3Faccountid%3D27965 Montgomery, J.A.K.A.M. J. (2019). Theories of Counseling and Therapy (3rd Edition). Cognella, Inc.. https://capella.vitalsource.com/books/82126-1A Sauerheber, J. D., Graham, M. A., Britzman, M. J., & Jenkins, C. (2016). Using Reality Therapy to Facilitate Successful Aging in Clinical Practice. The Family Journal , 24 (2), 174–181. https://doi.org/10.1177/1066480716628630 I Anna Truttier have submitted my work into safe assign before turning in my paper.

Your preview ends here

Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version

Access to all documents
Unlimited textbook solutions
24/7 expert homework help

Anna_Truttier_cf_u09a1_TheoryofCounseling-2

Related Documents