Central Melbourne Psychology
Forensic Assessment & Treatment

Sex Offender Treatment Program

(SOTP)

The Sex Offender Treatment Program (SOTP) at Central Melbourne Psychology offers empirically supported psychological treatment which is specifically adapted to address the individual needs of persons who have been charged with committing a sexual offence. The general philosophy of the program originates from a strengths based approach and places an emphasis on accepting full responsibility for offending behaviour. The program is open-ended and is focused on enhancing the skills of the individual to provide them with the confidence and encouragement to constructively address the relevant psychological and interpersonal issues to limit the risk of recidivism.

The structure of treatment may vary depending on the individual’s needs, however core objectives of treatment include:

  • Developing insight into the emotional needs that motivated their offending behaviour.
  • Developing healthier coping and mood management strategies to address underlying emotional dysfunction which may serve to perpetuate offending behaviour.
  • Enhancing victim empathy and addressing cognitive distortions which serve to allow individuals to justify and maintain their offending. This may include older men viewing underage victims as complicit and consenting of sexual contact, viewing them as being more sexually aware than is realistic for their age and minimising the destructive emotional impact that sexual abuse has on minors.
  • Addressing interpersonal skills deficits that prohibit the individual from being able to attain healthy intimacy with consenting adult partners.
  • Relapse prevention training to educate the individual on the origins and escalation of their offending behaviour with a view to developing solid cognitive and behavioural strategies. Relapse prevention training is designed to enable the individual to recognise and address potentially harmful thoughts and behaviours before committing an offence.  
  • Focusing on improving general lifestyle issues (e.g. diet, exercise, family and relationships) to promote a healthier, well-balanced and fulfilling lifestyle.

For further information on how the SOTP may be of benefit to your client please contact Central Melbourne Psychology on (03) 9607 8577.