How does reality therapy apply to school counseling? What are its positive and negative impacks in a student counseling environment?

-- Rosilene (roz@fiber.net), August 09, 2000

Answers

Here in Ireland a great proportion of high school counsellors has taken at least some training specifically in reality therapy. In fact it was the Institute of Guidance counsellors here who first brought William Glasser to Ireland. For a comprehensive answer to the second part of your question I suggest you look up the index of Reality Therapy journal articles on Specifically one entitled "Efficacy of Reality Therapy in the schools: a review of research from 1980 to 1995". Journal of R.T. 1997 16(2) pp 12-20

-- ken lyons (kenlyon@gofree.indigo.ie), August 13, 2000.

Rosilene - I use RT as a school counsellor. Here's a quick summary of its benefits from my point of view: common sense, nothing eccentric and so has immediate face validity for young people; does not dig up painful past memories; does not lay blame on "dysfunctional families" etc but looks directly at what the young person might do for themselves to sort out the problems; is efficient and hence saves on valuable time in the hurly-burly of school life; Glasser's Quality School ideas mean that we can have the same ethos in the classroom as in the counselling office - there is not conflict between a humanitarian counsellor approach and some sort of "authority figure" in the classroom.

Drawbacks???? .... I didn't learn about it early enough!

Remember it is probably the only counselling approach that was formed in the context of work with adolescents. Right from the start Glasser was applying his ideas in a combined therapy/education environment.

Hoping this was helpful.

-- Brian Lennon (blennon@indigo.ie), October 11, 2000.