Dr. William Glasser Presents to MSE Community

Dr. Willliam Glasser

In March, Dr. William Glasser, well known psychiatrist and developer of choice theory, gave a special presentation to MSE students and faculty titled "Every Teacher Can Succeed."

Glasser's comments, directed to students preparing to be teachers, were centered on how to apply the principles of his choice theory to help students succeed. Choice theory, as he explained it, posits that behavior is central to a person's existence and happiness.

Glasser uses choice theory to help people make decisions and changes that will allow them to live happier lives. He gave an interesting analogy: Life is like an automobile. The front wheels of the car symbolize our thinking and acting, while the back wheels symbolize the things that come as a result of them. He stated that in psychiatry people are too often more concerned with the back wheels than with the front, and therefore, ineffective treatments are prescribed. He said that when a patient comes to see him he tries to get her to change her thinking from reporting the symptoms and problems she is experiencing to focusing on the thoughts and actions that may be causing those reactions.

One of Glasser's main points was that society's current understanding of mental illness is completely flawed. He believes that mental illness is a term we use completely inappropriately. "Most psychiatrists, when they talk about mental health, use it as a synonym for mental illness. It's not for me. When I talk about mental health, I mean mental health," Glasser said. "Mental health is not very difficult to define. It is the ability to get along well with everyone in your life who you want to get along well with."

Glasser explained that choice theory applies to everyone, not just those with problems. "People I work with have nothing wrong with their brain. Their brain is ok," he said. "What they have not learned is how to really use the knowledge that they have received."

While working at the Ventura School for Girls, a correctional institution for young women in California, Glasser developed choice theory. He explained that the students were delinquent adolescent girls-convicted murderers, drug addicts, thieves, etc. His application of choice theory, which does not include discipline or punishment, radically changed the ways the girls viewed life and school. "Whatever you do at this school, there is going to be no punishment" was the instruction he gave to the students. "We do not punish people, and we will not punish you,"

A girl responded, "What if I break a window?"

"Well, these are little tiny windows and it is not that cold, so we will give you a piece of cardboard, and eventually we will get around to changing the window," he replied. Glasser explained that the whole concept of running a school without punishment turned the once-miserable institution to a school without failure. Only good grades were given, and the results were positive.

Glasser began his university work as an engineering major, but later changed his mind. "I decided I wanted to be a psychologist," he said. "What I have been doing is expanding what I learned years ago, and I have been working on these ideas for probably fifty years."

30 April 2008