1. Having established a friendly relationship, the counselor finds out from the client what he/or she wants (is "controlling for").
2. The counselor finds out what the client is doing to make it happen.
3. The counselor helps the client evaluate how effective his/or her behavior is in achieving these wants.
4. The counselor then helps the client make a plan for more effective control over the situation/environment.
5. The counselor exacts a commitment from the client to follow through on the plan.
6. The counselor does not accept the client's excuses for not doing so.
7. If possible, the counselor imposes reasonable consequences, such as temporary restrictions of freedom (ex. temporary removal of privileges) when the plan is not carried out.
8. The client is not allowed to simply give up by controlling the counselor. If one plan just won't be followed, then the counselor and client amend it or create another until the client implements it and begins to take control of his/or her life.

Though Glasser concedes that this individual control can take a long time to achieve, he argues that is will succeed because it is the individual who controls the environment, not the other way around.