ABSTRACT
Couples therapy with reality therapy/choice theory does not occur in a vacuum; the practice of therapy occurs in a series of interlocking systems (Wubbolding, 2000, 2011). While the counseling is decidedly reality therapy, the process for identifying significant issues in the assessment phase often overlaps with intervention. Through exploration of the inseparable elements of total behavior (acting, thinking, feeling, and physiology), reality therapy is applied in an attempt to understand the couple’s relationship. Along with the holistic perspective of ecological counseling, the assessment process offers insight into both the context and meaning within the couple’s interactions. As the couple implements their combined quality world pictures of what is important in their lives (Glasser, 1998, 2000; Wubbolding, 2000, 2011), reality therapy/choice theory helps us to understand the level of congruence within their individual and combined quality worlds.
