What is Reality Therapy?

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Reality Therapy states that individuals, not mental health issues, are responsible for their actions and behavior. People make choices that help them get their needs met, but some of these choices are unhelpful, leading to poor relationships skills and ways of relating to others. The therapist’s goal is to motivate individuals to take responsibility for their choices and behavior.

Counselors traditionally use Reality Therapy in prisons and schools. They can use it for individuals, couples, or groups.

Some mental health professionals claim Reality Therapy doesn’t validate mental health diagnoses.

Motivation, behavior, choices, and action are core components in Reality Therapy. Your therapist might help you understand each of these concepts and how they apply to your life. Therapists often spend time asking clients what their needs are. These can range from small things, such as desiring to rid yourself of a bad habit, to larger-scale issues, such as wanting to get your needs more fully met by your partner. Your therapist will help you decide what behaviors can more efficiently get your needs met.

Much of Reality Therapy involves identifying how your behavior, thus far, hasn’t been helpful. Once you gain this understanding, you will be more likely to make choices that align with getting your needs met in healthy, positive ways.

Therapists Who Specialize in Using Reality Therapy

Larry J Colby

Fredericksburg

Virginia

I enjoy working with children who are struggling with emotional and behavioral regulation. My preferred modality with children is play therapy and santray. The goal in these modalities is to use the power of the therapeutic relationship to help the child build internal regulation and an understanding of how to cope in their world. I also enjoy working with youth and adults suffering from trauma...

Brenda Swift, MS, LPC

Bridgeton

Missouri

Are you always tired or sleeping too little or too much? Do you have headaches and stress? Are you bored with your life, but don’t know what you enjoy or what interests you? Maybe it’s time for a change, but you can’t let go of the past. I specialize in helping depressed and anxious people analyze and see their circumstances differently. I consider the whole body. How you live, eat, sleep, and...
Feeling heard and supported and being understood by your therapist is a critical component of mental health care. Claire is invested in an approach emphasizing a more integrative, dynamic, and holistic approach to mental health. Claire is trained in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavior Therapy, Reality Therapy, Solution Focused Therapy, Creative Arts Therapy, Animal Assisted Thera...

Neurosculpting Institute

Denver

Colorado

The affordable therapists at the Neurosculpting Institute help you reduce your suffering by getting you into your body. There's no need to struggle any longer with the results of being stuck in your thoughts! Anxiety, depression, self-doubt, relationship challenges, PTSD and much of the other issues of life can be relieved by getting out of that monkey-mind and into your body. Think about it. W...