A collaborative, present-focused counselling approach for looking at what matters to you now, the choices within your reach, and practical next steps. Registered Psychologists regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). Registered Provisional Psychologists, Registered Social Workers regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW), Canadian Certified Counsellors (CCCs) certified by the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA) and Mental Health Therapists on the team. In-person sessions in Edmonton and St. Albert, and virtual sessions across Alberta.

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You Might Be Wondering Whether Reality Therapy Is Right for You

You may be wondering whether an approach built around choices will end up feeling like blame. Maybe you have already been told to "just try harder," and the thought of a counsellor asking what you are doing about it makes you tense. Or you may not be sure your situation is serious enough to bring to anyone at all.

Some people arrive here after months of handling things the same way and feeling frustrated with themselves for getting the same result. Others notice they have drifted from people they care about and cannot tell what to change first. And some have simply lost track of what they want, because most of their energy goes into getting through the week.

None of this means you are lazy, broken, or doing life wrong. Feeling stuck is a common response to pressure, disappointment, or relationships that have not gone the way you hoped. It usually says more about what you have been carrying than about who you are.

If you are curious whether a practical, present-focused conversation could be useful, you may wish to read on. This page explains what this kind of counselling involves and where its limits are.

Who We Help

Reality Therapy counselling may be a good fit if you:

• want to focus mainly on what is happening in your life now
• would like a collaborative, practical style of conversation
• want to think through relationships, priorities, or decisions
• prefer working toward small, realistic steps you can try between sessions
• are looking for support for yourself, or gathering information for someone you care about

It may not be the right fit, or not the right fit yet, if:

• You are in crisis or at immediate risk. Please use the crisis resources below.
• You need a legal, forensic, or court-related service. Those needs are outside this counselling service, and psychological assessments are a separate service.
• You want detailed work on past experiences to be the main focus. A therapist can talk with you about other approaches that may suit that goal better.
• You are looking for a program that addresses harm you have caused to a partner or family member. This page does not describe that kind of program. The admin team can talk with you about where to look.

If You Need Help Right Now

Counselling is not an emergency service. If you or someone else needs immediate help, please contact:

• 9-1-1 if there is immediate danger or urgent medical help is needed
• 9-8-8 (call or text) for suicide crisis support, available across Canada, 24/7 (Government of Canada, n.d.)
• Alberta Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642 (24/7)

Wholesome Psychology is not an emergency or crisis service.

What Reality Therapy Is, and What It Is Not

Reality Therapy can be described as a present-focused, collaborative counselling approach. It is commonly associated with Choice Theory. Rather than concentrating only on the past, it makes room to look at your current experiences, your relationships, your priorities, and the choices that may be open to you now.

Sessions may include talking about what feels important right now, how current patterns are working for you, and small steps you might want to try. The focus comes from your goals. A therapist may also suggest a different approach if it seems better matched to what you want from counselling.

Reality Therapy counselling is not:

• a legal service, an investigation, or crisis intervention
• a psychological assessment (assessments are a separate service with their own process)
• a way of diagnosing whether you have a particular condition
• a fixed program. You set the pace, not your therapist.

What you share is confidential, within some legal limits that your therapist will explain at the start. You can read more in the confidentiality section below. Each clinician works within their own training and scope of practice. This page offers general information, not personal medical advice.

Signs Feeling Stuck May Be Affecting You

You do not need a diagnosis to want a clearer view of your situation. You might recognize some of these:

• going round in circles with the same problem
• feeling irritated with yourself, or with others, more than usual
• relationships that feel tense, distant, or one-sided
• second-guessing decisions, or putting them off
• feeling as if your days are run by other people's expectations
• losing interest in things that used to matter
• tiredness, tension, or poor sleep when things feel stuck
• struggling to name what you actually want

These are common reactions to pressure and hard circumstances. Having them does not mean something is permanently wrong with you. For some people, a structured, collaborative space to sort through them may help.

How Treatment Works Here

• Find your therapist. Use the Match with a Therapist tool or browse Our Therapists. Experience with Reality Therapy varies between clinicians, so the profiles and our admin team at 780-904-4880 can help you find someone who works this way.
• Book your first session. You can book online. The first session includes a conversation about consent, confidentiality, and your goals, along with any practical questions you have.
• Build your plan together. You and your therapist shape a plan based on what you want from counselling. Your preferences guide it.
• Ongoing sessions. Sessions are 50 minutes. Most people meet weekly or every two weeks, and the schedule can change as your needs change.
• Progress check-ins. Your therapist reviews how things are going with you regularly. The plan adapts when something is not working.

There is no fixed number of sessions. Your voice matters at every stage, including if you want to slow down, change focus, or try a different approach. For more on the process, see Getting Started with Therapy.

Evidence and Approaches

We only describe research that has been reviewed for this page. For Reality Therapy, that evidence is currently thin, and we would rather say so plainly.

Reality Therapy

What it helps with: Reality Therapy may offer a structured way to look at current priorities, relationships, and choices, and to plan small, practical next steps.

Evidence summary: Reality Therapy is commonly discussed alongside Choice Theory. One study record reviewed for this page describes the development of a quality-of-life scale based on Choice Theory ("Construct and Psychometric Properties," n.d.). That work concerns measurement, not treatment, so it does not show whether Reality Therapy improves any particular concern.

Limitations: No systematic reviews or clinical guidelines on Reality Therapy were available for this page, and the one study record reviewed was incomplete. How useful this approach feels will differ from person to person.

If you are looking for an approach with a larger research base for a specific concern, your therapist can talk through the options with you.

What Results to Expect

Change in counselling is rarely a straight line. Some weeks may feel clearer than others, and setbacks are a common part of the process.

Some people notice shifts within months, while others benefit from longer-term work. What happens for you may depend on what you are dealing with, your current circumstances, and how well you and your therapist work together.

No form of therapy can guarantee an outcome, and Reality Therapy is no exception. Fit matters. If the approach or the therapist does not feel right, you can change either one.

Confidentiality and Privacy

What you share in counselling is confidential. Psychologists in Alberta are regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) and follow the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA) Code of Ethics. Other clinicians on the team follow the standards of their own regulatory bodies.

Two Alberta privacy laws are relevant. The Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) generally applies to private clinics and sets rules for how personal information is collected, used, and shared. The Health Information Act (HIA) applies to health information held by custodians, such as Alberta Health Services, and to clinicians who work for them. Your therapist can explain which rules apply to your records.

There are legal limits to confidentiality. A clinician may need to share information when:

• there is a risk of serious harm to you or to someone else
• there is a suspicion that a child is being abused or neglected (reporting is mandatory under Alberta law)
• a court orders the release of records

Your clinician will explain these limits in your first session, before you share anything personal. You are welcome to ask questions about privacy first and take your time deciding what to talk about.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to describe what has happened to me in detail?

No. You decide what to share and when. Because Reality Therapy can focus on the present, much of the work may centre on current patterns, relationships, and choices rather than detailed accounts of the past. If you do want to talk about earlier events, that is your call too.

Is what I share kept private?

Yes, within legal limits. A clinician may need to share information if there is a risk of serious harm, a suspicion that a child is being abused or neglected, or a court order. Your therapist will go over these limits in your first session. The confidentiality section above has more detail.

How many sessions will I need?

There is no fixed number. Some people find a shorter stretch of focused work useful, while others prefer longer-term support. You and your therapist review progress regularly and adjust the plan together.

What if the therapist is not the right fit?

Fit matters, and it is reasonable to say so. You can raise it with your therapist directly, or contact our admin team at 780-904-4880 to help you find a different clinician. New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

Can I have sessions online?

Yes. Virtual sessions are available across Alberta, and the same confidentiality standards apply as for in-person sessions. You can read more about online counselling.

Does a focus on choices mean I am to blame for what is happening to me?

No. Looking at the choices open to you now is not the same as saying you caused your circumstances. Being harmed or controlled by someone else is not your fault, and your therapist is there to support you, not to assign blame.

If you are not safe at home, your safety comes first. Call 9-1-1 in an emergency, or the Family Violence Info Line at 310-1818 (24/7, toll-free) for information and support. Wholesome Psychology also offers family violence counselling.

Can I ask for a therapist who uses Reality Therapy?

Yes. Not every clinician works this way, and availability changes. You can check individual profiles on Our Therapists, use the Match with a Therapist tool, or call our admin team to confirm who offers this approach.

I am looking into this for someone else. What should I know?

You are welcome to share this page with them or call our admin team with general questions. For adults, the decision to start counselling is theirs to make. If you are a parent or caregiver asking about a young person, see the Children and Youth section below. If you are worried about someone's immediate safety, use the crisis resources near the top of this page.

Meet Your Clinicians

Our team includes Registered Psychologists, Registered Provisional Psychologists, Registered Social Workers, Canadian Certified Counsellors, Mental Health Therapists, and Student Therapists. All psychologists are registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists. Provisional psychologists practise under the supervision of a senior registered psychologist. Registered Social Workers are regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW).

Experience with Reality Therapy and Choice Theory varies from one clinician to another. You can read individual profiles on Our Therapists, use the Match with a Therapist tool, or call 780-904-4880 for help choosing.

Children and Youth

Wholesome Psychology offers counselling for children, adolescents, and young people. Therapists who work with younger clients use age-appropriate approaches and work with parents and caregivers to support the young person at home. Whether Reality Therapy suits a particular child or teen is something to talk through with the clinician.

You can learn more about child and youth counselling or read about preparing children for therapy.

Next Steps

If you would like to explore Reality Therapy counselling, you can take the next step in whichever way suits you:

• Book a session online
• Match with a therapist
• Call 780-904-4880
• Email info@wholesomepsychology.ca
• Read Getting Started with Therapy

Starting the conversation is enough.

New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

References

• Construct and psychometric properties of a new version quality of life scale based on Choice Theory. (n.d.). [PubMed/PMC record].
• Government of Canada. (n.d.). Mental health support: Get help [Web page]. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/mental-health-services/mental-health-get-help.html