The Troubled Teen come o the reality of life Through work such as horse care, feeding baby calves, participating in cattle drives, building fences, and being a mechanic, the boy takes on responsibilities and learns self discipline. He quickly grasps that his own work is necessary for the survival of the ranch. Each troubled teen sees that he becomes part of something bigger than himself, he learns cooperation with a parental figure, and enjoys his confidence in work which builds self-esteem.
The idea of Reality Therapy was a technique that Dr. William Glasser, used. Reality Therapy takes a very different approach.
The problem is not that the standards set for troubled boys has been too high; the problem is that the boy’s behavior has been insufficient. Reality Therapy is a method of counseling based on Choice Theory and aimed at helping teens in trouble gain more effective control over their lives. A counselor using the principles of Reality Therapy helps at risk teens to face reality and meet their needs in the world.
At risk teens can also use Reality Therapy to improve their success in the world. The process has been proven effective in education, parenting, and leadership. This type of behavioral modification lends itself to any situation where people need to learn how to satisfy their needs in responsible ways.
Reality Therapy is based on the belief that we all choose what we do with our lives and that we are responsible for our choices. Responsibility is defined as learning to choose behaviors that satisfy our needs and, at the same time, do not deprive others of a chance to do the same.
Reality Therapy rejects the concept of mental illness and focuses on the troubled teen’s behavior in his approach to therapy. The therapist becomes involved with the patient and helps him to examine his current behavior with a goal of improvement in the future. An individual who is frustrated, or is frustrating others, is taught to evaluate what he or she is
Reality Therapy doing and, from this evaluation, learns to practice more effective (need- satisfying) behaviors
Reality Therapy helps At risk teens learn to be in effective control of their lives. It is a non coercive method of communicating that enhances people's ability to make effective, need-fulfilling choices.
