Strengths and barriers in therapy as perceived by sex offenders and their support persons

The primary purpose of this study was to investigate whether asking sex offenders and their support persons about offenders* strengths and barriers in therapy would yield clinically useful information. Questionnaire responses from 21 offenders and 21 support persons attending an educational seminar component of an outpatient sex offender treatment program yielded 299 comments regarding offenders' strengths and barriers in therapy. Intraindividual factors were most commonly cited as both strengths and barriers' followed by interindividual attributes and external-to-individual comments. These data appear to characterize offenders, as a group, as intelligent and motivated to change, yet focused on negative emotions. Offenders also valued support persons, and a support system was seen as critical to breaking isolation and resistance in therapy.