Reality Therapy: A New Approach to Psychiatry

A landmark in psychotherapy, Reality Therapy outlines a positive approach to helping the emotionally distressed. Attacking the whole concept of "mental illness" and orthodox Freudian methods, Dr. Glasser contends that the "mentally ill" are unable to satisfy their needs realistically and behave irresponsibly because they "deny the reality of the world around them." As a therapeutic method, Reality Therapy emphasizes moral values. It does not concern itself with the patient's past, but with his present and future. The therapist, says Glasser, has the task of teaching his patients to "acquire the ability to fulfill their needs and to do so in a way that does not deprive others of the ability to fulfill their needs.

Dr. Glasser’s revolutionary approach is built on several core principles:

• A New Psychotherapy Approach: Explore a practical method that moves beyond Freudian analysis by rejecting the concept of "mental illness" and focusing on what patients can do now.
• The Role of Self-Worth: Understand the core concepts of responsibility, reality, and right-and-wrong, and how they are essential for fulfilling our basic needs for love and a sense of worth.
• Focus on the Present: Learn why Reality Therapy dismisses a patient's past and instead concentrates on their present behavior and future potential.
• Real-World Case Studies: See the therapy in action through compelling examples from Dr. Glasser’s work with delinquent teens, hospitalized patients, and those in private practice.