IJCP Volume 19 • Issue 3 • Autumn 2019 Academic Article correctional facility. During his work there, he learned how to help these A simulated interview teenagers shift from adolescent rebellion to mature self-growth. with William Glasser: Many of his ideas and strategies appear highly useful for clients of all ages. Part 1 – An ideology about Over his years spent conducting psychotherapy sessions, Glasser mental health refined his views on responsibility of choice. Toward the end of By James C. Overholser, Ph.D., ABPP his career, Glasser shifted from treatment to prevention, emphasizing the important role that schools can play in the development of rational choices and adaptive behaviours. In 2013, Dr. Glasser died peacefully at his home in Los Angeles at the age of 88. Although his views on psychotherapy were developed more than 50 years ago, many of these concepts remain useful and relevant today. The remainder of this article will present a simulated interview with William Glasser (WG) conducted by James C. Overholser (JCO). JCO: Thank you for meeting with me. I am eager to hear your views about psychotherapy. WG: “I appreciate your coming here” (Glasser, 2000a, p. 223). “I want Introduction William Glasser was born in 1925 to talk with you, too” (Glasser, illiam Glasser developed an and raised in Cleveland Ohio. He 2000a, p. 201). Wapproach to psychotherapy studied at Western Reserve College called Reality Therapy, designed to where he earned a bachelor’s JCO: Great. Let’s get started. Why enhance self-control and responsible degree in chemical engineering in did you call your approach to decision-making. Glasser espoused 1945. After the war, he returned therapy ‘Reality Therapy’? views that promoted choice and to Cleveland to earn his Master’s personal responsibility aimed to Degree In Clinical Psychology In WG: “Patients, no matter what their satisfy basic human needs that are 1947, And His Medical Degree With psychiatric complaint, suffer from a common to all people. Although he Specialization In Psychiatry in 1953. universal defect: they are unable to was a board-certified psychiatrist, This odd mix of fields helped to fulfill their needs in a realistic way throughout his career, Glasser’s shape his pragmatic views of mental and have taken some less realistic approach focused on psychological illness and patterns of change. way in their unsuccessful attempts treatments instead of psychotropic After completing his training, to do so” (Glasser, 1965, p. 23). medications. Reality Therapy aims Glasser worked as Staff “In their unsuccessful effort to to help clients gain control of their Psychiatrist at the Ventura School fulfill their needs, no matter what lives. for Delinquent Girls, a residential behaviour they choose, all patients 4 Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy Volume 19 • Issue 3 • Autumn 2019 IJCP have a common characteristic: happy, we need to get along they all deny the reality of the world eople are driven well with the people in our lives” around them” (Glasser, 1965, p. “Pto abnormal (Glasser, 2003, p. xxi). “Our 6). behaviour by loneliness inability to get along with the and by feelings of important people in our lives is JCO: So these basic needs guide our worthlessness” the only psychological problem behaviour? that we all have to deal with. It (Glasser in Berges, 1976, p. 10) causes divorce, school failure, bad WG: “Oh, yes” (Glasser in Brandt, parent-child relationships and bad 1988, p. 43). “Except for those situations at work (Glasser, 2016, who live in deepest poverty, WG: No, not at all” (Glasser in p. 55). “People who kill themselves the psychological needs - love, Gough, 1987, p. 662). “The most are having great difficulty satisfying power, freedom, and fun – takes difficult problems are human one or more of their psychological precedence over the survival relationship problems” (Glasser, needs for love, power, or freedom. needs” (Glasser in Gough, 1987, 1997a, p. 598). “What I believe But most of the evidence points to p. 656). “Besides survival … we is the source of almost all clients’ their inability to find sufficient love” are genetically programmed to problems: the lack of satisfying (Glasser, 1993b, p. 18). try to satisfy four psychological present relationships” (Glasser, needs: love and belonging, power, 2000a, p. xvii). “We are social JCO: In your view, psychological freedom, and fun. All our behaviour creatures, we need each other” problems are caused by bad is always our best choice, at the (Glasser in Onedera & Greenwalt, choices? time we make the choice, to satisfy 2007, p. 80). one or more of these needs” WG: “That’s an important question” (Glasser, 1998, p. 28). “Satisfying JCO: So the search for love and (Glasser, 2000a, p. 54). “We one or more of these needs feels belongingness creates the central choose essentially everything very good” (Glasser, 1997b, p. 17). human need? we do, including the behaviours that are commonly called mental JCO: Are some needs disturbed or WG: “All long-lasting psychological illnesses” (Glasser, 2000a, p. pathological? problems are relationship xv). “If we focus on the symptom, problems” (Glasser, 1998, p. we enable the client to avoid the WG: “The needs of all people, 333). “All unhappy people have the real problem, which is improving normal or abnormal, are the same” same problem: They are unable present relationships” (Glasser, (Glasser, 1960, p. 3). “The strength to get along well with the people 2000a, p. 23). of each need is fixed at birth and they want to get along well with” does not change” (Glasser, 1998, (Glasser, 1998, p. 5). “All our lives, JCO: Do you believe that depression p. 91). “What gives us our different we search for ways to satisfy our is due to relationship problems? personalities is that our five basic, needs for love, belonging, caring, or genetic, needs differ in strength” sharing, and cooperation” (Glasser WG: “Right” (Glasser in Onedera (Glasser, 1998, p. 91). in Gough, 1987, p. 657). “When we & Greenwalt, 2007, p. 80). “To fail to connect with other people … me, everything boils down to JCO: In modern society, why do so we suffer because the need to do relationships” (Glasser, Haight, & many clients continue to struggle? so is as much built into our genes Shaughnessy, 2003, p. 410). “I as the need to survive” (Glasser, believe people are unhappy because WG: “While the traditional struggle 2000a, p. 1). “Satisfying the need they are not getting along as well as for a goal – a job, a diploma, a for love and belonging is the key they would like with the important home, a secure family – still exists, to satisfying the other four needs people in their lives” (Glasser, now suddenly it has been preceded (Glasser, 2000a, pp. 22-23). 2016, p. 31). “People are driven to by the struggle to find oneself as a abnormal behaviour by loneliness human being” (Glasser, 1975, p. 2). JCO: Why are relationship problems and by feelings of worthlessness” so important? (Glasser in Berges, 1976, p. 10). JCO: So you do not focus on a client’s academic success or career WG: “We are by our nature social JCO: So how do clients “fix” this advancement? creatures and to be healthy or situation? Irish Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy 5 IJCP Volume 19 • Issue 3 • Autumn 2019 WG: “To gain control over our lives, Some of these ways are very we need to get along well with he psychiatric irresponsible, debilitating, and those close to us” (Glasser, 2013, “Testablishment crazy” (Glasser, 2016, p. 44). p. 131). “I focus on four major has replaced science relationships … husband-wife, with common sense. JCO: This is all very helpful. If it parent-child, teacher-student, and If you have symptoms, would be okay, let me shift topics manager-worker” (Glasser, 1998, something must be a bit. As a psychiatrist, do you p. ix). “I don’t believe that there wrong with your brain” see mental illness as a biological are hundreds of human problems, malfunction? but only one and that is learning to (Glasser, 2003, p. 17). get along better with the important WG: “No, not at all” (Glasser in people in our lives and removing Gough, 1987, p. 662). “The basic all of the external control that we WG: “Getting rid of the deadly habits human problem has nothing to do can from our lives” (Glassser, in all your relationships is central with the structure or physiology of 2016, p. 181). to leading a happier life” (Glasser, our brain” (Glasser, 2003, p. xxi). 2013, p. 11). “I never use the JCO: What do you mean by external deadly habits with anyone. I never JCO: Has your opinion of control? criticize, never blame” (Glasser medications changed over the in Robey & Wubbolding, 2012, p. years? WG: “Let me explain” Glasser, 29). “To replace the deadly habits, 2000a, p. 179). “You don’t try there are seven caring habits WG: “No, it hasn’t” (Glasser, to change people around you” (Glasser & Glasser, 2007, p. 34) … 1996b, p. 176). “The psychiatric (Glasser in Onedera & Greenwalt, “supporting, encouraging, listening, establishment has replaced 2007, p. 80). “The world is accepting, trusting, respecting, and science with common sense. If dominated by what I call the seven negotiating differences” (Glasser in you have symptoms, something deadly habits of external control - Onedera & Greenwalt, 2007, p. 85). must be wrong with your brain” criticizing, blaming, complaining, (Glasser, 2003, p. 17). “I think nagging, threatening, punishing, JCO: Wow! These are great ideas, there’s nothing wrong with and bribing” (Glasser, 2000b, p. but I don’t know how to implement your brain” (Glasser, Haight, & 79). “If we use external control them in daily action. Shaughnessy, 2003, p. 408). psychology which is ‘I know what “The basic human problem has is right for you and I’m going to WG: “The only behaviour we can nothing to do with the structure change you’, it will harm your control is our own” (Glasser, or physiology of our brain.