ABSTRACT
Reality therapy, widely accepted and used in schools, originated in a mental hospital and a correctional institution. From the very beginning, it focused on mental health as an entity distinct from mental disorders. Because of this emphasis, reality therapists attend less to diagnosis and psychopathology than to their alternatives. Clients demonstrating emo-tional distress, cognitive disorders, or unacceptable behaviors are led to alternative choices, especially action-centered plans. Their tactical and strategic plans aim at increasing their positive human relationships. In addressing mental health, Glasser (2005) stated, “You are mentally healthy if you enjoy being with most of the people you know, especially with the important people in your life such as family, sexual partners and friends” (p. 5). Thus, people are happy if they experience satisfying human relation-ships. For such people, life is enjoyable, and they appreciate others who think and act differently. The mentally healthy person rarely criticizes or attempts to control others. Glasser stated, “If you have differences with someone else you will try to work out the problem; if you can’t you will walk away before you argue and increase the difficulty” (p. 6).
