Reality Therapy: A New Approach to Psychiatry

William Glasser's classic bestseller examines his alternative to Freudian psychoanalytic procedures, explains the procedure, contrasts it to conventional treatment, and describes different individual cases in which it was successful.

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 framework rejects the psychiatric couch in favor of a direct, effective path to mental health:

• A Challenge to “Mental Illness”: Discover why Glasser argues that irresponsibility, not sickness, is the root of human suffering and how this shift in perspective empowers both therapist and patient.
• Two Basic Human Needs: Explore the fundamental drive to love and be loved, and to feel worthwhile, and learn why fulfilling these needs is the cornerstone of a satisfying life.
• Focus on the Present, Not the Past: Learn why Reality Therapy dismisses probing into a patient’s history and instead concentrates on what they are doing now to build a better future.
• Therapist Involvement, Not Detachment: Understand the crucial role of the therapist as a teacher and guide who becomes humanly involved to help patients face reality and learn better ways to behave.
• Right and Wrong Behavior: Grasp the essential role of moral values in therapy, where confronting behavior directly is key to developing self-worth.

William Glasser, M.D., is a world-renowned psychiatrist who lectures widely. His numerous books have sold 1.7 million copies, and he has trained thousands of counselors in his Choice Theory and Reality Therapy approaches. He is also the president of the William Glasser Institute in Los Angeles.