Transactional analysis and reality therapy were both formulated by traditionally trained psychotherapists who were dissatisfied with the passive methods of traditional psychoanalysis and the length of time required for that type of treatment. Both theories were designed to identify and deal with problems quickly, and oriented toward cognitive rather than emotional approaches. The creators of the theories realized that most offenders must be actively assisted in their endeavors to become rational, responsible, whole individuals. Both are often used in criminal justice settings. Transactional analysis (TA) is built around five simple words: Parent, Adult, Child, game, and script. Parent, Adult, and Child are three distinct ego states people slip into and out of during various transactions. Offenders tend to operate mostly from the Child Ego State. Many of them exclude Parent altogether, and their Adult states frequently are contaminated by the intrusion of the Child. When interacting with offenders, the counselor should be operating from the Adult Ego State, and should strive to get offenders more involved with their adult state. Reality therapy views self-defeating behavior as the result of not having one’s basic needs adequately met. These interrelated needs are the need to love and be loved and the need to feel worthwhile. People who do not have these needs met tend to develop a failure identity. The counselor’s task is to assist offenders to develop success identities by becoming actively involved with them. Reality therapy is especially useful in dealing with resistant and reluctant offenders. Treatment plans must be balanced with the offender’s present coping resources in order to develop his or her success identity. Treatment plans should be simple and as concrete as possible and they should be made in writing and signed by both parties. 14 references, 3 figures