Sociology

There has been a reported increase in emotional and psychological health problems that affect individual health as well as the entire community. Despite the existence of a number of therapeutic models and studies that have sought to determine the pros and cons associated with each therapeutic model, few researches have sought to compare the efficiency of the different models. Determination of the most effective approach to psychotherapy and relative advantages and disadvantages between the reality and psychoanalytic therapies presents a platform for the adoption of the most effective approach to managing health conditions. Moreover, the study would provide a platform for research that would help determine the causes of the differences. The proposed study defines the population as practicing psychotherapists and will include a sample of 25 consenting psychotherapists. The simple random sample used in the study helps deal with a myriad of threats to the internal validity of the study. Use of questionnaires with open and closed questions guided by likert-type questions helps capture the perceptions of the participants in the study. However, the study is limited by that fact that it bases findings and data on perceptions which is subjective and therefore prone to bias. Another limitation is that the study does not directly evaluate patient outcomes. T-test, graphs, tables and scatter plots are some of the analytical statistical tools that will be used in the study

Introduction
Reported cases of mental illnesses are on the rise. Changes in the society characterized by an increase in professional obligations and pressure play a role in the recorded rise. Another factor that could be highly influential on the recorded increase is stress and emotional problems associated with family life. Heightening levels of drug usage increase in divorces and rising costs of living also play a role in destabilizing the psychological and emotional wellbeing of a large number of people (Geller, 2003).

The existence of effective therapeutic approaches is an avenue that can be used to deal with the numerous complications associated with the observed increases in persons with poor emotional and psychological health. Understanding the differences between the associated benefits in using a specific therapeutic model is one of the avenues that can be used to ensure that differences are captured and effective models are developed (Wolitzky, 2007). This study will seek to compare psychoanalytic and reality therapies to determine which one is more effective and therefore their relevance to managing mental, emotional and psychological problems.

Presentation of the Topic
Psychotherapy is widely adopted as an approach to managing various types of psychological and emotional problems. Psychotherapy as a field is developing quite fast due to the high demand for therapy services. A comparison between reality and psychoanalytic approaches to psychotherapy provides an avenue to determining the most effective approach between the two types of therapies. Furthermore, a direct comparison between reality and psychoanalytic therapy being sought by the study would help determine the scenarios where application of one approach would be preferred over the use of an alternative therapeutic model. Choice of the topic area is guided by a personal observation and review of electronic databases that reveals that though there is a lot that has been done on psychotherapy, there are few studies that seek to compare psychoanalytic and reality therapies.

Literature Review
Freud and a host of other physicians have over the years contributed significantly to development of psychoanalysis as one of the bodies of psychotherapy seeking to determine human psychology and behavior development. It is important to note that though psychoanalysis is mainly used in reference to its use for therapeutic reasons, the term embodies a host of other areas of application.

Psychoanalysis is used in reference to a technique of investigating how an individual thinks a set of theories developed to understand human behavior and a method of managing and treating a number of psychological and emotional illnesses (Geller, 2003). Psychoanalysis is a wide filed with nearly 22 theoretical orientations that seek to determine human behavior development (Botella et al, 2005). Since the theories are the frameworks adopted in the various theoretical approaches use in managing emotional and psychological problems, there are huge variations between specific strategies that are adopted in managing mental, emotional and psychological disturbances.

The term psychoanalytic therapy as used in the study is in reference to Freudian psychoanalysis which is a specific remedial approach where the analysand verbalizes thoughts which include fantasies, free associations and even dreams from which the analyst formulate unconscious conflicts that may be causing the symptoms and characters displayed by a patient (Ct,  Bouchard, 2005). Under this approach, it is generally believed that the cause of emotional and psychological problems is the existence of conflicts in patient symptoms. In addition to directing the relay of thoughts, dreams and fantasies, the psychoanalyst is required to determine the factors that may be causing symptoms and character problems, interpret them and develop a management plan that can help a patient cope or deal with the causative factors.

Intervention under Freudian psychoanalysis involves confronting and clarifying the pathological defenses and even guilt. Analysis of the conflicts results in a proper understanding of a patients state of mind which helps in determining the factors that may be causing resistance. This understanding is important in determining how the patients have become their own worst enemy and how unconscious symbolic reactions result in the symptoms displayed by patients (Ct,  Bouchard, 2005). It is therefore evident that success in psychoanalytic therapy is largely dependent on the interaction between a client and a psychoanalyst. Furthermore, the levels of experience and knowledge that a psychoanalyst has in managing different cases of emotional and psychological problems may come in handy in developing a management plan.

A patients past is emphasized on under the psychoanalytic therapy. This is mainly because psychoanalytic therapy is based on the theory that emotional and psychological problems are a result of the mental schema developed by a patient. Past experiences from general behavioral developed theories are considered critical in development of a mental schema that defined the meaning and therefore reactions that will be expected with any input (Ct,  Bouchard, 2005) .

Reality therapy is different from psychoanalytic therapy in the sense that the former focuses on the present whereas the latter lays emphasis on the past. Reality therapy is an approach to psychotherapy and counseling that was first brought to the fore by psychiatrist Glasser in the mid 1960s (Waska, 2006). The basis of reality therapy is the choice theory which is based on the assertion that behavior is central to the existence of five needs that are genetically driven. The five needs bare close similarity to the needs posited by Maslow in his hierarchy of needs model (Waska, 2006). The increased adoptions of the reality therapy are attributed to the fact that it can be used to address various problems inclusive of counseling and psychotherapy. Reality therapy which focuses on the present as an avenue to ensuring a better future for the client can be used to address a myriad of problems. Unlike the psychoanalytic therapy, the reality therapy can be used on both clients that have accepted that they need help and those that are yet to (Botella, Juan, Baos, Alcaiz, Guilln,  Rey, 2005). The psychoanalytic therapy on the other hand can only be applied to clients that have acknowledged that they require help and are therefore willing to cooperate and relay their experiences. Reality therapy presents a platform via which clients can actively engage their problems and develop solution with the psychoanalyst playing the facilitation role.

The reality therapy is considered a cognitive-behavioral approach to managing and treating psychological and emotional problems. This is mainly because reality therapy focuses on the strategies that can be used to attain behavior change after assessment of a clients current condition (Waska, 2006). The client is required to acknowledge the position he is in and aid in highlighting the ideal solution. This brings out another difference between reality and psychoanalytic therapy in that the latter requires the psychotherapist to develop the ideal solution (Smeets, Sijstermans, Gijsen, Peters, Jelicic,  Merckelbach, 2008). It is noteworthy that in either forms of therapy, there is considerable communication between the client and the psychotherapist and differences are a result of differences in their theoretical basis (Sebek, 2002). Reality therapy also focuses so much on the patient who is required to highlight an ideal solution and help in formulation of a plan that will be used in finding a solution or managing psychological and emotional problems.

A review of reality and psychoanalytic theory reveals that there are some areas where they converged and some diverge. Communication between a client and the psychotherapist is a requirement in either approach to psychotherapy (Botella et al, 2005). Another aspect that comes up is that in either case the psychotherapist and the client are both involved in developing a plan though there are differences in their roles depending on the specific therapy being referenced. Divergence between the psychoanalytic and reality therapy is a result of the theories that they are based on (de Maat, Philipszoon, Schoevers, Dekker,  De Jonghe, 2007). Despite the clear differences between the specific approaches and even focus in psychoanalysis and reality therapy there are few studies that have sought to determine if there is any difference in the efficiency associated with adopting the therapies. It is however evident that the adoption of psychoanalytic or reality therapy in a practical setting is influenced by some considerations which has yet to be captured by the existing studies (Krijn, Emmelkamp, Olafsson, Schuemie,  van der Mast, 2007). This ought to be addressed for it is a potential avenue to developing better management plans which would help ensure that the varied psychological and emotional problems being faced by the current society are adequately addressed.

Research Questions
There are a number of research questions that will guide the study to its aim of determining the effective therapeutic approach between psychoanalytic and reality. The following are some of the questions that will be considered in the study What are the advantages and disadvantages of employing reality therapy What are the advantages and disadvantages of employing psychoanalytic therapy And lastly, what is the most effective therapeutic approach between reality and psychoanalytic therapy based on their relative advantages and disadvantages

Definitions
The following are some of the technical terms that will be used in the study
Therapy This is used in reference to an approach to managing and treating a psychological or emotional problem.

Sample A proportion of the participants or groups being considered in the study.
Sampling The strategy used in selecting experimental units into a sample.
Randomization This is a statistical approach to minimizing the effect of random errors by minimizing or eliminating the predictability of experimental or sample units.

Methods
A review of the existing literature reveals that there are no studies that seek to determine the most effective therapeutic approaches between reality and psychoanalytic therapy despite convergence and divergence of their methodological and theoretical bases. This implies that primary data collection is required if the research questions are to be effectively addressed though it is important to note that the advantages and disadvantages associated with the therapeutic approaches have been analyzed by various scholars. The population in the study is defined as practicing psychotherapists. The complexity and length of time required for therapy eliminates the possibility of including patients in the study as participants. Furthermore, including patients with potential mental instabilities and emotional problems in the study could affect the validity and accuracy of the collected data. The experience that psychotherapists have in theoretical and practical management of psychological and emotional conditions place them in a better position to deliberate upon the research questions and come up with data that is valid and accurate.

Simple random sampling will be used in the study. The lottery method will be adopted in selecting 25 psychotherapists out of all that would have accepted to participate in the study. The lottery method allows for randomization which is important in minimizing the effects of random errors and ensuring that data derived from the participants in the study is statistically viable. It is important to note that the efficiency of a management plan is best evaluated by experts who in this case are psychotherapists which highlights the efficiency of the adopted research methodology.

Instrumentation
A questionnaire with open and closed questions will be used in the study. The open questions are aimed at capturing what the participants view as being the advantages and disadvantages associated with psychoanalytic and reality therapy respectively. On the other hand, the closed questions are aimed at capturing and quantifying the perceptions of the participants regarding the most effective approach between the therapeutic approaches being compared. It is important to note that all psychotherapists that will have accepted to engage in the study will be distributed with questionnaires. Use of likert-type questions in the questionnaire will help quantify the participants perceptions on the most effective therapeutic approach. The questionnaire will require the participants to rate the efficiency of both psychoanalytic and reality therapy on a scale of one to five where five means very effective whereas one means ineffective. Use of likert-type questions and questionnaires in the study is validated by the fact that the participants in the study are psychotherapists who are aware of the potential benefits and risks associated with using specific therapeutic approaches. The inclusion of open ended questions in the questionnaires is important in relaying the reasons for the ratings provided by the participants and therefore presenting a basis for discussing the results. It is therefore evident that the research methodology has been developed with keen consideration on the research problem and the participants that will be involved in the study which adds to its relevance.

Procedure
A quantitative experimental research design will be adopted in the study. Randomization is attained via use of lottery method in selecting the sample units. Furthermore, the sample size is large enough to ensure statistical significance of the result to the population. Another measure that will be included in the study to capture any variations is the inclusion of psychotherapists of different levels of experience.

There are a number of threats to the external and internal validity of the study. First, individual psychotherapists may have their own preferred approaches to therapy which may influence their perception thus the ratings. Furthermore, the type of clients that a psychotherapists deals with may influence the therapeutic model he adopts and inclination to using a specific type of therapy. Moreover, it is highly likely that psychotherapists may easily associated ease in using the therapeutic approaches to their efficiency. These are some of the threats to internal validity of the study that have been addressed via randomization of the sample. Use of lottery method for sampling ensures that the resulting sample is random which deals with the threats to internal validity of the study (Creswell, 2003).

A key threat to the external validity and therefore generalizability of the study to the population is including psychotherapists that have similar experiences and beliefs regarding the efficiency of the therapeutic models (Creswell, 2003). It is important to note that values largely affect the perceptions and therefore the ratings which may affect generalizability of the results to the population. This will be addressed by the inclusion of psychotherapist with different skill level and varied areas of expertise in the study.

Data Analysis
Graphs and tables will be used to capture the view of the respondents regarding the advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of psychoanalytic and reality therapies. Descriptive analysis involving analyzing the responses to determine the therapy that has the most advantages and disadvantages will also be employed. Use of scatter plots will help in determining the value attached to the different therapeutic approaches as per the relayed advantages and disadvantages. At the inferential level, t-test will be used to determine if the average ratings of the two therapeutic models are statistically different. Use of SPSS statistical software in the study will help improve the accuracy of the calculations and eases generation of statistical tables and scatter plots.

Limitations
The following are some of the limitations associated with the adopted research approach
The study is based on perception which is subjective and therefore the results may be influenced by indeterminate levels of bias.

Efficiency of the treatment approach is not looked at from the perspective of the patient which is also relevant in determining the efficiency of any management plan.

Perception may change with the experience and gain in knowledge which affects the generalizability of the findings over a long period of time.