What the heck is Choice Theory?

Unlock the secrets to transforming your therapy practice with the revolutionary approach of choice theory. Explore how Dr. William Glasser's groundbreaking work shifts focus towards internal motivations, offering a fresh perspective on human behavior. By mastering the five basic needs—survival, love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun—gain insights into how these needs drive our actions and the crucial role of internal control in fostering self-efficacy and responsibility. Discover the power of the quality world, perceived world, and total behavior as guiding principles for aligning your actions with your vision of personal fulfillment. 

Through Sarah's compelling journey, witness how choice theory can profoundly impact personal relationships. Struggling with isolation, Sarah uses practical techniques like the WDEP system to reevaluate her actions and successfully meet her need for connection. Follow her as she reclaims her social life, highlighting the potential of choice theory to empower individuals in making effective choices that resonate with their quality world. This episode promises to equip you with actionable tools to guide clients in navigating interpersonal challenges, illustrating the transformative impact of taking personal responsibility and fostering positive relationships.

If you need to study for your national licensing exam, try the free samplers at: LicensureExams


This podcast is not associated with the NBCC, AMFTRB, ASW, ANCC, NASP, NAADAC, CCMC, NCPG, CRCC, or any state or governmental agency responsible for licensure.

Chapters

• 0:00 Exploring Choice Theory in Therapy
• 6:48 Improving Personal Relationships Through Choice Theory

Transcript

Sterling: 0:05

Welcome all of you studious therapists out there to another episode of our Licensure Exams podcast. I'm Sterling In today's episodes of Theory to Therapy. We'll explore reality therapy which is based on choice theory. Choice theory developed by Dr William Glasser, a psychiatrist, in the 1960s Prime time for you, linton, and in fact Glasser's story reminds me a little bit of yours. For you, linton, and in fact Glasser's story reminds me a little bit of yours. After a brief career as a chemical engineer, he was drafted into the Army and stationed at Dugway Proving Ground in Utah testing out biological and chemical weapons. Well, I seem to recall that once upon a time you were in pre-med, gearing up to go into the medical field, before you read that book that changed it all. And just like you made the switch to psychology, so did our friend Dr Glasser.

Sterling: 0:53

During his career as a psychiatrist, he developed a theory built on the premise that all human behavior is driven by internal motivations rather than external stimuli. From the moment we are born, our actions are attempts to satisfy five basic needs Survival, love and belonging, power, freedom and fun. We all have these five needs, but the strength of the needs are different for everyone. For example, some people need power more than others Within the reality therapy framework. Power doesn't mean world domination, but it refers to a feeling of a sense of self-worth, self-confidence and a sense of accomplishment. Glasser's theory emphasizes that we have direct control over our choices and behavior, though we can't control others. This internal control framework helps clients recognize their own agency, promoting responsibility and self-efficacy. The process of choice therapy in choice theory in therapy involves helping clients understand their needs and how their behaviors are attempts to meet them. As a reality therapist, your role is to guide the clients in evaluating the effectiveness of their behaviors and to support them in making more fulfilling choices. This often involves exploring their quality world a mental picture of what they want most in life, what makes them feel good and people they most enjoy being around and identifying discrepancies between this ideal and the current reality. It's common for clients who present for therapy to not have anyone in their quality world, or they might have someone there but are not able to relate to them in any way that satisfies their needs.

Sterling: 2:30

Now, choice theory is grounded in several key assumptions. First, it assumes that all behavior is purposeful. Every action we take is an attempt to meet one or more of our basic needs. Second, it assumes that the only person whose behavior we can control is our own, while we can influence others. True change lies within ourselves. This shifts the focus from trying to change others to changing our choices, our responses and behaviors. Third, it assumes that the best way to meet our needs is by building positive relationships. This aligns with the need for love and belonging, which is fundamental in choice theory. Healthy relationships are crucial for our well-being and play a significant role in how we choose to behave. Lastly, it assumes that all long-lasting psychological problems are actually relationship problems. Reality therapists believe that the underlying problem for every client who walks through the door is the same Either they are currently involved in a relationship that is not satisfying this doesn't have to be a romantic relationship or B they don't have a relationship at all.

Sterling: 3:38

Now that we've laid the groundwork, let's explore some of the key concepts of choice theory. The first is the quality world, which we've covered briefly, but to recap, our quality world is a personal mental image of everything that is important to us. This includes people, activities, beliefs and possessions that fulfill our needs. Then there's the perceived world, which is our unique perception of reality. It's filtered through our sensory experiences and shaped by our beliefs and past experiences. Understanding the gap between the quality world and the perceived world is crucial in therapy. The comparing place is where we evaluate whether our current behavior is fulfilling our needs and moving us closer to our quality world. If there's a significant gap, it creates a sense of dissatisfaction, prompting us to change our behavior. Lastly, we have the concept of total behavior, which includes four components acting, thinking, feeling and physiology. Total behavior emphasizes that we have direct control over our actions and thoughts, which in turn influence our feelings and physiological responses.

Sterling: 4:43

Now let's explore some practical techniques used in choice theory. One powerful technique is the WDEP system, which stands for Once, doing, evaluation and Planning. The WDEP system helps clients articulate what they want W. Examine what they are doing D To achieve it. E. Evaluate the effectiveness of their actions and create a plan P For change.

Sterling: 5:10

Let's break it down with an example. Suppose a client feels unfulfilled in their job. Using the WDEP system, the therapist might first ask about their wants what do you want from your career? The client might express a desire for more creativity and autonomy. Next, the therapist explores what the client is currently doing to achieve that goal. What are you doing now in your job that supports or hinders your desire for creativity and autonomy. The client might rearrange that they are not taking initiative or seeking opportunities for creative projects. In the evaluation phase, the therapist helps the client assess the effectiveness of their current actions. How well is what you are doing working for you? The client might acknowledge that their current approach is not fulfilling their needs. Finally, the therapist and client collaboratively develop a plan for change. What can you do differently to create more opportunities for creativity and autonomy in your job? The client might decide to propose a new project to their manager or seek additional training to develop new skills.

Sterling: 6:15

Another technique is self evaluation, where clients assess their behaviors against their quality world. This involves asking questions like is what I'm doing helping me get what I want, and is my current behavior effective in meeting my needs? Positive relationship building is also crucial. Therapists work with clients to improve their interpersonal relationships, which are often at the root of psychological issues. This might involve teaching communication skills, conflict resolution and empathy. Let's consider a case study to illustrate these techniques.

Sterling: 6:49

Meet Sarah, a client struggling with feelings of isolation and dissatisfaction in her personal life. Through choice theory, sarah identifies that her need for love and belonging is unmet. Using the WDEP system, sarah realizes that she spends most of her time working and neglects her social relationships. She evaluates her current behavior and recognizes that it is not effective in meeting her need for connection. Sarah and her therapist develop a plan for change, which includes joining a social club, reaching out to old friends and setting aside time each week for social activities. As Sarah implements these changes, she out to old friends and setting aside time each week for social activities. As Sarah implements these changes, she begins to feel more connected and satisfied in her personal life.

Sterling: 7:32

To wrap it all up, choice theory empowers the clients by emphasizing personal responsibility and internal control. By understanding their basic needs and evaluating their behaviors, clients can make more effective choices that align with their quality. World. Therapists help by guiding clients through this process, helping them build positive relationships and develop plans for change. Techniques like the WDEP system and self-evaluation are practical tools for facilitating this journey. We hope you found this podcast insightful and useful as you study for your licensure exam and remember it's in there. You can do it.