What do reality therapists prioritize when addressing client issues?

Reality therapists prioritize the clients' current actions and evaluations as they focus on helping clients understand their behaviors in the present context and how these actions affect their ability to fulfill their needs. This approach emphasizes personal responsibility and encourages clients to reflect on their current choices, recognizing that change can only happen in the present. By evaluating their actions, clients gain insight into what is effective or ineffective in their lives and begin to make adjustments that can lead to more satisfying outcomes.

This focus on the present allows clients to take active steps towards change rather than getting caught up in past experiences or traumas, which are less relevant in the reality therapy framework. While goals, relationships, and past experiences are important components of a client's life, the immediate evaluation of actions provides the basis for actionable change and ultimately guides the therapeutic process in a constructive manner.