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What is Reality Therapy?

March 18, 2023 by navigatelifeco

Hi folks! Today I want to talk to you about a type of therapy that you may not have heard of before: Reality Therapy. This is a form of counseling that focuses on helping you make better choices in your life and improve your relationships with others. Sounds good, right? Let me tell you more about it.

Reality Therapy was developed by William Glasser in the 1960s and is based on a concept called Choice Theory. Choice Theory says that we all have five basic needs that drive our behavior: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom, and fun. These needs are genetically programmed and cannot be changed. However, we can choose how we try to satisfy these needs and how we relate to others.

According to Reality Therapy, most of our problems stem from unsatisfying or missing relationships. We may feel lonely, rejected, powerless, or bored because we are not connected with people who care about us and support us. We may also choose behaviors that are harmful to ourselves or others because we are unhappy or frustrated with our situation.

The goal of Reality Therapy is to help us take responsibility for our choices and actions and learn how to create more fulfilling relationships. A reality therapist will not focus on your past or your diagnosis but on your present situation and your future goals. They will ask you questions like:

  • What do you want?
  • What are you doing?
  • Is it working?
  • What else can you do?

These questions are designed to help you evaluate your current behavior and its consequences and explore alternative ways of meeting your needs and reaching your goals. The therapist will also encourage you to practice positive relationship habits such as supporting, listening, trusting, accepting, respecting, negotiating differences, and staying with one person at a time.

Reality Therapy can be used for various issues such as addiction, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, relationship problems, etc. It can also be applied to different settings such as schools, workplaces, prisons, etc. It is suitable for anyone who wants to take charge of their life and improve their happiness.

I hope this blog post has given you some insight into what Reality Therapy is all about and how it can help you make better choices for yourself and others. Remember: You are the only person who can control your behavior and change your life!

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What is Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)?

March 17, 2023 by navigatelifeco

Have you ever felt like your thoughts and emotions are getting in the way of your happiness and success? Do you often find yourself thinking things like “I must be perfect”, “I should never fail”, or “I will never be good enough”? If so, you might benefit from learning about Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT).

REBT is a type of therapy that was developed by psychologist Albert Ellis in the 1950s. It’s based on the idea that our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors are connected, and that we can change how we feel and act by changing how we think. REBT helps us identify and challenge our irrational beliefs that cause us to feel stressed, depressed, anxious, angry, or guilty. It also helps us replace them with more realistic and positive beliefs that empower us to cope better with life’s challenges.

For example, let’s say you have an irrational belief that you must always succeed at everything you do. If you fail at something, you might feel ashamed and worthless. This might lead you to avoid trying new things or give up easily when faced with difficulties. REBT would help you realize that this belief is unrealistic and harmful. It would help you replace it with a more rational belief such as “I want to succeed at what I do, but I don’t have to be perfect. Failure is not a reflection of my worth as a person. It’s an opportunity to learn and grow.”

REBT uses a simple model called ABC to help us understand how our beliefs affect our emotions and behaviors:

  • A stands for Activating event: This is something that happens in our environment that triggers our thoughts and feelings.
  • B stands for Belief: This is how we interpret or evaluate the activating event based on our assumptions and expectations.
  • C stands for Consequence: This is how we react emotionally and behaviorally to our belief.

For example:

  • A: You get rejected by someone you like.
  • B: You believe that this means you are unlovable and doomed to be alone forever.
  • C: You feel depressed and lonely. You isolate yourself from others.

REBT helps us change our beliefs by using different techniques such as:

  • Disputing: This involves questioning the validity and usefulness of our irrational beliefs. We can ask ourselves things like “Is this belief true?”, “Is this belief helpful?”, or “What evidence do I have for or against this belief?”
  • Substituting: This involves replacing our irrational beliefs with more rational ones that are based on facts and logic. We can use phrases like “It would be nice if…”, “I prefer…”, or “I can cope with…” instead of phrases like “I must…”, “I should…”, or “I can’t stand…”
  • Visualizing: This involves imagining ourselves acting differently in situations where we usually feel distressed or behave unproductively. We can picture ourselves feeling calm, confident, and competent instead of anxious, insecure, or incompetent.
  • Practicing: This involves applying our new beliefs and behaviors in real life situations until they become natural and automatic.

REBT can help us with various issues such as anxiety, depression, anger management, self-esteem problems , relationship difficulties , procrastination , eating disorders , addiction , etc . It can also help us achieve our personal goals by enhancing our motivation , resilience , creativity , problem-solving skills , etc .

I hope this blog post was helpful for you . Remember : You are not your thoughts . You have the power to change them . And when you do , you’ll change your life for the better .

Filed Under: Uncategorized