Counseling sex offenders and the importance of counselor self-care

AbstractSex offender treatment is a process by which offenders learn special strategies for stopping abusive behavior and taking responsibility for harm done. Such mental health treatment is vital for offenders of sexual crimes. Most sex offenders do eventually return to the community. Sex offense counseling is also important in order to reduce recidivism rates. The purpose of this literature review is to discuss possible impacts for counselors working with sex offenders and to highlight the importance of counselor self-care when working with this population.