(Borrowed straight from http://www.realitytherapywub.com/index.php/wdep-system)

 

It was Dr. Wubbolding that decided to help reality therapy catch on that it needed to have an acronym associated with it, just like all the other major therapeutic modalities.  So then, he created the WDEP system to serve as a foundation element to reality therapy!

In simple terms, as the graphic suggests, WDEP stands for:

W – What

D – Do

E – Evaluate

P – Plan

 

The breakdown of each step is detailed below!

 

W

W stands for “What!”  This means identifying what you want to get out of life! This means ANYTHING and EVERYTHING that you’ve ever wanted to do! This could be as simple as “wanting to remember to clean the house” to as complicated as “wanting to understand the reason for existence.”    That’s what makes the WDEP system so effective it’s incredibly adaptive and responsive to all situations!

D

D stands for “Do!”  This means figuring out what you are going to DO to achieve what you want! This is what I like to refer to as the ‘action stage’, as this stage is about taking action to achieve identified goals and objectives! This is not about simply talking about changing the world, but actively seeking out ways to make that a reality!  This can involve complicated planning, with short and long term objectives.  Or it can be as simple as picking a choice and making it reality.

E

E stands for “Evaluate!”  This means determining if your WANT was successfully achieved by what you decided to DO to achieve it! This is a tricky stage, as this requires both personal introspection and accepting constructive criticism from others.   While there is no doubt that every step in the WDEP model is extremely important, it is the evaluation stage that I feel is the most important.  I feel this way because without a true and honest evaluation, we cannot determine how our choices have created ripples of effect in the world.  By being able to honestly and truthfully look at our choices and evaluate them for effectiveness, we can create better Want’s and Do’s moving forward!

P

P stands for “Planning!”  This means deciding what the next step is! In a flow chart, this is where the arrow completes the loop, referring the reader back to the beginning.  This stage is about taking what we learned from our evaluation, and determining what our next want is.  This could be a completely unrelated goal or objective.  Or it’s quite possible it is the next step in the evolution of the original identified want.

 

 

Now that you have learned about the basics of the WDEP system, it is time to take what you have learned and apply to it real life! If there are any further questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out at:

AugustWest@AugustWestWellness.com