Choice Theory and Reality Therapy (CTRT) Group Counseling Module
Ahmad Jazimin Jusoh2, Shifa Podikunju Hussain2
1Department of Psychology and Counseling,
Faculty of Education and Human Development, Sultan Idris Education University, Tanjong Malim, 35900 Perak, Malaysia.
2Shifa Podikunju Hussain
Indiana University Southeast
School of Education, Hillside Hall 0015,
4201 Grant Line Road, New Albany, IN 47150
Corresponding author’s email: ahmadjazimin [AT] yahoo.com
______________________________________________________________________________________________
ABSTRACT— Choice Theory and Reality Therapy (CTRT) are counseling theories that are often used by counselors in group settings. This article explores the contents of the CTRT Group Counseling Module philosophy, objectives and activities, as used in a total of ten group counseling session, including pre and post-evaluation sessions. The validity of the module contents were evaluated by thirteen experts in the field of counseling and Choice Theory and Reality Therapy. The findings indicated that the overall validity coefficient was 0.83, and the coefficient of validity and legality of activity sessions was 0.89. Meanwhile, reliability studies were also conducted and the reliability coefficient for group counseling CTRT module was 0.83.
Keywords— Choice Theory, Reality Therapy, group counseling, WDEP
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1. INTRODUCTION
In counseling sessions that utilize Choice Theory and Reality Therapy (CTRT), the counselor helps a group of people to face the realities of life. According to Glasser (1965), this theory teaches people to gain effective control over their lives after they realize and accept responsibility for the behaviors they choose to take, and then make better choices thereafter CTRT seeks to identify a client’s goals independently of external factors and of other people. The counselor plays an active role in helping a client to understand that one does not have direct control over one’s feelings only over how one chooses to act and think.
Thus, CTRT group counseling teaches members of a group to accept responsibility in changing their total behavior. There is often a confusion that arises in regards to the objective of CTRT. In some instances, a group member can make a choice to change, but may not take action according to the plan that he or she develops in the group sessions; thus, the member’s plan fails. Because of this result, some reality therapy practitioners assume that group sessions (as well as making plans to change) do not lead to actual changes in behavior. However, the focus of CTRT is not to force change in behavior, but rather to understand and determine the effects that particular actions and choices can have on an inidividual’s life. Therefore, CTRT educates clients to take responsibility for any decisions they make, whether they decide to change or not to change.
CTRT assert that people are able to change when they become comfortable with behaviors that are consistent with their individual will. Intervention begins when members’ forge relationships with the therapeutic expert, who creates cohesion between the rest of the group. Next, a procedure based on WDEP is used to carry out effective sessions. WDEP refers to: W = Wants, Needs and Perceptions
- = Direction and Doing
- = Self Evaluation
P = Planing and Commitment .
The following sections outlines the philosophy, objectives and activities of the CTRT Group Counseling module that was used in ten group counseling sessions with adolescent polulations. Overall validity and reliabitlity coefficients are also provided.
2. PHILOSOPHY OF CTRT GROUP COUNSELING MODULE
This module was built based on the stages of group counseling presented by Corey (2004), Corey & Corey (2006) and Jacobs, Marson & Harvill (2009). Philosophy is an important foundation in a module. In group counseling CTRT, philosophical counseling sessions were described in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Philosophy of CTRT Group Counseling Module
Sub-Module Philosophy
|
Pre-Session (1 Hour) Group counseling is conducted in a professional and ethical manner.
Level 1 : Initial Stage
Session 1: Introduction and Relationship Building (1 Hour 30 minutes) I love everyone
Session 2: Exploring the Real World (1 Hour 30 minutes) Self exploration is beneficial for individuals who want to change
Level 2 : Transition Stage Session 3 : Understand the Quality World and Basic Needs (1 Hour 30 minutes) Each individual has the will and desire to control one’s life.
|
|
| Session 4 : Conflict of Basic Needs and Real World (1 Hour 30 minutes) | The conflict arises when we do not get what we want |
| Session 5 : Understand Doing And Direction (1 Hour 30 minutes) | Understand oneself through total behavior (acting, feeling, thinking, behavior, and physiology). |
| Level 3 : Working Stage
Session 6 : Self Evaluation (1 Hour 30 minutes) |
Each new behavior must be positive and clearly, understood by the individual. |
| Level 4 : Final Stage
Session 7: Planning (1 Hour 30 minutes) |
Each plan is designed to be simple, accessible, affordable and measurable. |
| Session 8: Termination (1 Hour 30 minutes) | Every life must have an end. |
| Post-evaluation
(1 Hour 30 minutes) |
A successful person always assesses his or her own shortcomings and weaknesses. |
3. OBJECTIVES OF CTRT GROUP COUNSELING MODULE
The CTRT Group Counseling Module requires ten meetings that are structured according to four stages in the process of group counseling as explained by Corey et al. (2006): Initial, Transition, Working, and Final. Each session consists of its own objectives and focuses, as detailed in Table 2 below (Ahmad Jazimin et al. 2011).
Table 2: Objectives Of CTRT Group Counseling Module
| Sub-Module | Objectives Session | |
| Pre-Session
(1 Hour)
Level 1 : Initial Stage |
1.
2. 3. |
Outline the purpose of group counseling.
Obtain knowledge and information about the group. Provide early exposure of the group session to its participants |
|
Session 1: Introduction and Relationship Building (1 Hour 30 minutes) |
1.
2. |
Identify the group members’ names and get to know one another. Cultivate an attitude of cooperation and strengthen relationship between the members of the group |
| 3. | Understand groups ethics and build regulatory groups.
|
|
|
Session 2: Exploring the Real World (1 Hour 30 minutes)
|
1.
2. |
Allow group members to identify experiences in the real world. Allow members to re-live or relate the experience in the present. |
| Level 2 : Transition Stage | 3. | Stimulate members’ to open up in the group.
|
| Session 3 : Understand the Quality
World and Basic Needs (1 Hour 30 minutes) |
1. Encourage members to see what quality is desired by their individual “worlds”.
2. Identify members’ basic needs 3. Identify individual relationships between the quality world with basic needs.
|
|
| Session 4 : Conflict of Basic Needs and the Real World (1 Hour 30 minutes) | 1. Identify members’ basic needs and how they operate in the real world.
2. Identify conflicts between basic needs and the real world. 3. Encourage group members to see how they can meet their needs while in the real world.
|
|
| Session 5 : Understand Doing And
Direction (1 Hour 30 minutes) |
1. Encourage group members to see which identity their total behaviors are contributing to: successful and failed.
2. Stimulate members to control and address the needs of their total behaviors. 3. Examine total behavior in regards to the overall picture of a clients’ problems. |
|
Level 3 : Working Stage
| Session 6 : Self evaluation
(1 Hour 30 minutes) Level 4 : Final Stage |
1. Assess new desired behaviors as shared
by the group 2. Evaluate treatments that can be implemented. 3. Share new behavior patterns that can be implemented. |
| Session 7: Planning (1 Hour 30 minutes) | 1. Share individual plans that group members intend to implement.
2. Evaluate plans that have been created by other members of the group. 3. Provide suggestions and evaluate the plan so that it can become a reality. |
| Session 8: Termination (1 Hour 30 minutes) | 1. Discuss the experience gained by each member during the session.
2. Encourage one another 3. Reinforce members that they are responsible for their behavior after the group session is terminated. |
| Post-evaluation
(1 Hour 30 minutes) |
1. Measure behavior change of members after attending the group counseling session.
2. Assess whether members managed to change the behavior desired according to plans that they made. 3. Assess whether the modules are implemented to help individuals change their behavior. |
4. ACTIVITIES WITHIN THE CTRT GROUP COUNSELING MODULE
Activities conducted in the session must meet the objectives of group counseling. Group counseling activities are as detailed in Table 3 below:
Table 3: Activity CTRT Group Counseling Module
Pre-Session (1 Hour) Identify the members of the group and brief them about the sessions.
Level 1 : Initial Stage
Session 1: Introduction and Relationship Building (1 Hour 30 minutes) Introduce each of the members to one another and build rapport.
Session 2: Exploring the Real World (1 Hour 30 minutes) Draw out members’ understanding of the real world.
Level 2 : Transition Stage
Session 3 : Understand the Quality World and Basic Needs (1 Hour 30 minutes)1. Explore the quality worlds of the group members.
- Understanding quality world experts in the group.
- Drawing techniques in moving clients out
Session 4 : Conflict of Basic Needs and Real World (1 Hour 30 minutes) Use the drawing out technique to understand individuals’ basic needs and their real world.
Session 5: Understand Doing And Direction (1 Hour 30 minutes) Discuss members’ current total behaviors and also identify the sort of behavior that can fulfill members’ basic needs.
Level 3 : Working Stage
Session 6: Self evaluation (1 Hour 30 minutes) Encourage members of the group to assess whether their behaviors are appropriate or not in achieving what they want.
Level 4 : Final Stage
Session 7: Planning (1 Hour 30 minutes) Remind clients to make the most conducive choices, and then, navigate the client to see whether the selected design is appropriate or not to be used.
| Session 8: Termination (1 Hour 30 minutes) | 1. | Assist members to identify their strengths and weaknesses. |
| 2. | Give members the opportunity to make their final speeches, in which they offer affirmations and words of motivation to the group. | |
| 3. | Encourage members to share what they got out of the group session. |
Post-evaluation Assess changes in members’ behaviors as a result (1 Hour 30 minutes) of attending the group sessions
5. VALIDITY AND RELIABILITY OF CTRT GROUP COUNSELING MODULE
Ahmad Jazimin et al. (2011) reported that, based on the majority of expert opinions, the module is valid in terms of content and compliance activities; however, experts also provided constructive suggestions in further improving CTRT group counseling sessions. Based on field research by Ahmad Jazimin et al. (2011), the data showed that the module had a reliability coefficient of 0.83. This value indicates that the module is consistent and appropriate to be used by counselors; but, again, researchers idenitified several sub modules that can be strengthened to futher supplement CTRT group counseling.
6. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
The CTRT group counseling module was built based on the theoretical and practical aspects of Choice Theory and Reality Therapy. This module can be used by counselors in a variety of ways without compromising the main concepts of CTRT. Continued studies using and evaluating this module can ensure that its concepts, philosophy, and activities are consistent at all times, and under any sort of circumstances. Thus, the CTRT group counseling module may act as a counseling tool that contributes to human development in all areas of the world.
7. REFERENCES
- Ahmad Jazimin Jusoh, Zakaria Mohamad, Abdul Malek Abdul Rahman, Mohammad Nasir Bistamam, Mohammad Aziz Shah Mohamed Arip & Kamaruzaman Jusoff (2011). Construction, Reliability And Validity Of Choice Theory And Reality Therapy (CTRT) Group In Malaysian Problematic Students. International Journal of Arts & Sciences, 4(23):391–404.
- Corey, G. (2004). Theory and practice of group counseling (6th).Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole.
- Corey, M.S. & Corey, G. (2006). Process and practice groups (7th). Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole.
- Glasser, W. (1965). Reality Therapy: A new approach to psychiatry. New York: HarperCollins.
- Jacobs, E.E., Masson R.L. & Harvill R.L. (2009). Group counseling : strategies and skills. Belmont, CA:Brooks/Cole.