Choice Theory is a psychology developed by William Glasser that focuses on personal freedom and responsibility. It posits that we have control over our own behaviors and cannot be controlled by others, though we can indirectly control our feelings and physiology through our thoughts and actions. The theory explains personality through 10 axioms, including that we are driven by 5 basic needs and behave to satisfy pictures in our "Quality World." Reality Therapy applies Choice Theory in counseling by having clients evaluate their behaviors and develop new plans to get what they want. While empowering for clients, some critics argue Choice Theory does not adequately address unconscious influences and may blame clients for mental illnesses outside their control.

1. CHOICE THEORY
A NEW PSYCHOLOGY OF PERSONAL FREEDOM
Presenter: Toni-Jan Ifill
CCP-504 Tutorial
International University of the Caribbean

2. Choice Theory, Reality Therapy –
What’s the connection?
 In the counselling process there are (as categorised
by Gladding, year?) approximately eight categories
of theories that one can use as a framework for
therapy.
 Reality Therapy (RT) falls under the categories of
cognitive and behavioural counselling.
 This therapy was founded by William Glasser (1925)
and focuses mainly on the goal of responsible
behaviour.

3. Reality Therapy:
The Cart before the Horse
 Glasser developed Reality Therapy as a means
of treating the ‘human condition’ of
unhappiness.
 The therapy came before the theory; as such
Glasser now needed to explain the condition he
claimed to cure.

4. Choice Theory:
A Journey … To The Beginning

5. Choice Theory:
A Journey To The Beginning
 1981: Glasser publishes the book Stations of the
Mind – based on the tutelage of William Powers (a
scientist and engineer)
 1984: Glaser published his first 'concrete' theory:
Control Theory – after reading Powers’ book
Behaviour: The Control of Perception.
 1996: Glasser gave Control Theory a 'rebirth' and in
Choice Theory was born

6.  1998: Glasser Published Choice Theory: A New
Psychology of Personal Freedom - the official
manuscript for Choice Theory
 2010: Choice theory takes off as the International
Journal of Reality Therapy (1997-2009) is renamed
International Journal of Choice Theory and Reality
Choice Theory:
A Journey To The Beginning

7. So, What exactly is
Choice Theory?

8. Choice Theory Is:
The Freedom Of Choice
 "Choice theory explains that, for all practical
purposes, we chose everything we do, including the
misery we feel. Other people cannot make us
miserable nor make us happy … We choose all our
actions and thoughts and, indirectly, almost all our
feelings and much of our physiology.”
Glasser, 1998

9. Choice Theory Is:
Effective/ Efficient Control
 “… We [sic] are in much more control of our lives
than we realise. Unfortunately, much of that control
is not effective.” (Glasser 1998 pp. 4)
 “The real question is, . . . are we in “efficient control"
of our lives, or are we in “inefficient control” of our
lives?” (Parish, 2010, pp.10)

10. The 10 Axioms of Choice Theory:
Explaining Personality

11. 10 Axioms of Choice Theory
1) “The only person whose behaviour [sic]we can
control is our own.” (Glasser 1998 pp.332)
 Glasser posits that once we realise that we chose our own
behaviour and that other people cannot control us; we
also realise that we, in turn, cannot control others.
 No one can make us do or feel anything. We chose to do
and feel, we choose to give up power and sacrifice the
freedom of choice.
 Likewise we can chose to take hold of and redefine our
personal freedom

12. 10 Axioms of Choice Theory
2)“All we can give or get from other people is
information.” (Glasser 1998 pp.333)
 What we do with that information (or how we process that
information) and our resulting behaviour is our choice.
 We have total control over what information we give others
 How we present the information to others is also a choice.
E.g. Do we continuously present the same information
(nagging)? When presenting information we should consider
possible reactions. Do we chose to deal with those reactions?

13. 10 Axioms of Choice Theory
3)“All long-lasting psychological problems are
relationship problems.” (Glasser 1998 pp.333)
 Glasser explains that or need for relationships and our use of
external control psychology (trying to control others) cases
much psychological misery.
 A Relationship is simply how we relate to each other. If we
constantly use external control psychology in our
relationships, we will always be unhappy simply because it is
impossible to control another person

14. 10 Axioms of Choice Theory
4)“The problem relationship is always part of our
present lives.” (Glasser 1998 pp.334)
 We cannot be free to live happy lives without even one
satisfying relationship. (Glasser, 1998)
 The present relationships, for Glasser, is the where we find our
misery, not in the past relationships or the future ones.
 It is also in the present relationship however, that we have the
opportunity to redefine our freedom to chose
 What we choose to do in our present relationships sets the
foundation for our future relationships

15. 10 Axioms of Choice Theory
5)Painful past events have a lot to do with what we are
today. Revisiting this painful past however will not
benefit our present or future relationships. (Glasser 1998
pp.334)
 Our focus should be on improving our present relationships
 Revisiting the past should only be for pleasant experiences.
 “we are not doomed to repeat our past unless we chose to
do so.” (Glasser 1998, pp. 334)

16. 10 Axioms of Choice Theory
6) We are driven by our genes to satisfy five basic
needs: survival, love and belonging, power, freedom
and fun.(Glasser 1998 pp.335)
 This list is similar to Maslow's hierarchy of needs but differ in
that these needs do not occur in hierarchical order, they
overlap, conflict with each other and are satisfied from
moment to moment.
 “We can never satisfy anyone else’s need, only our own.”
(Glasser 1998 pp.335) For the most part we do this through
relationships
 Satisfying these needs can be delayed but not denied

17. 10 Axioms of Choice Theory
7)We can only satisfy our needs by satisfying the
pictures in our Quality World (Glasser 1998 pp.335)
 In essence, a quality world is simply a combination of wants,
all in place. It is picture album of how we would ideally want
our worlds to be.
 Our quality world is changeable and is constantly changing
Glasser posits that these pictures (our wants that meet the 5
basic needs) fall into 3 categories:
 People we want most to be with
 Things we want most to own / experience
 Ideas or systems of belief that govern much of our behaviour

18. 10 Axioms of Choice Theory
7) Quality World continued…
 Bruce Davenport elucidates Glasser’s Topic on Quality world:
 Our quality world stands in contrast to our reality (perceived world)
 Our Perceived Worlds are, for each of us, our reality. Because they
are made up of perceptions. we experience the real world via our
perceptual system (5 senses) and make sense of it.
 We constantly compare our quality world (what we want) with our
perceived world (what we have).
 Whenever the two don’t match we “behave” in order to bridge the
gap
 We may adjust our thinking etc..

19. 10 Axioms of Choice Theory
8) All behaviour is total behaviour; and all we do
from birth to death is behave(Glasser 1998
pp.335)
 Total behaviour encompasses the four components of
behaviour: thinking, action, feeling, and physiology.
 “Glasser (1984) explains that we have total control over
our actions and some direct control over our thinking.”
(Howatt 2001 p. 7)

20. 10 Axioms of Choice Theory
9. All Total Behavior is designated by verbs and
named by the part that is most
recognisable. (Glasser1998 pp.335)
 That is, the behaviour does not happen to us – e.g. We
do not say I am depressed – depression dos not
happen to us. Rather we choose to depress are we are
depressing.

21. 10 Axioms of Choice Theory
10.“All Total Behaviour is chosen.” (Glasser1998
pp.336)
 but we only have direct control over the acting and
thinking components.
 We can only control our feeling and physiology indirectly
through how we choose to act and think..
 “If we succeed in coming up with more satisfying actions
and thoughts, we gain a great deal of personal freedom
in the process.” (Glasser 1998, pp. 336)

22. Choice Theory &
Psychopathology
For Glasser, mental illness does not exist. Instead, he
posits that much of human psychology stems from
unhappy relationships; which in-turn stems from one
or both parties using external control psychology.
Psychopathology is used by individuals to retrain
anger, get help and for avoidance.

23. Reality Therapy:
Choice Theory in action
 As previously mentioned Glasser initially began with
the treatment before the theory.
 Reality Therapy is the application of Choice Theory.
 Based on 3 components:
 Personal Responsibility
 Self-evaluation
 Planning for change

24.  Reality Therapy focuses on 5 main Questions:
 What do you want?
 Quality world inquiry
 What are you doing (to get what you want)?
 Total behaviour inquiry
 Is it helping?
 Evaluation of total behaviour
 What else can you do?
 Introduction of Choice Theory.
Choice Theory in action

25. The Critique
 Strengths of Choice Theory
 Empowerment for clients as they learn that they
are in control of their own lives
 Clients are not viewed as hopeless but rather as
doing the best they can.
 Helps clients focus on self-evaluation and
improvement
What do the critics have to say?

26. The Critique
 Limitations of Choice Theory
 Does not give enough focus on the past and
closure on past events.
 “… does not take into account factors such as
repressed conflicts and the power of the
unconscious in influencing how we think feel and
behave” (Corey 2005).
 The idea that most Psychopathology is “chosen
behaviour may place unnecessary guilt on clients
who suffer from ‘illnesses’ such as schizophrenia
(with hallucinations).
What do the critics have to say?

27. In Closing…
Choice Theory is a new Psychology to personal
freedom. It lets people know that they cannot be
controlled by others, nor can they control anyone
other than themselves. The theory is another way
to view life and the human functionality in society.

28. References
Corey, G. (2005). Theory And Practice of Counseling & Psychotherapy (7th
ed.).
Fullerton: Thompson Learning Inc.
Glasser, W. (1998). Choice Theory: A New Psychology Of Personal Freedom. New
York: HarperCollins (paper).
Howatt, W. (2001). The Evolution of Reality therapy to Choice Therapy. International
Journal of Reality Therapy, XXI(1), 7-12.
Parish, T. S., Burdenski, T. K., Lennon, B., Wubbolding, R. E., Roby, P., & Brickell, J.
(2010). International Journal of Choice Theory and Reality Therapy ®. International Journal of
Choice Theory and Reality Therapy, XXIX(2), 105.
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CHOICE THEORY