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| Steven E. Mussack, PH.D. Psychologist and Program Director |
GROUP THERAPY
The CHOICES group component provides an opportunity for interaction with others
with histories of sexual behavior problems. Group therapy focuses on:
 | Personal Accountability and Responsibility |
| Thinking Errors |
| Abuse Cycle Behavior |
| Offender Characteristics |
| Victimology including Empathy Training |
| Clarification |
| Substance Abuse |
| Assertiveness Training |
| Communication Characteristics |
Group therapy is often found to be an important component in the therapy plan for an individual program. CHOICES maintains a male and female co-therapy team and we consider this combination essential for the most effective group work. This approach provides a broad range of role modeling and provides the opportunity for group members to learn healthy patterns of interaction with both sexes.
We consider it important to provide education, support and intervention to family members and significant others. Adult family members, whom the client has regular contact, are strongly encouraged to participate in the group therapy component. Spouses are specifically invited to attend the second group meeting of every month at no additional cost.
FAMILY and MARITAL THERAPY
Family and marital therapy are provided in an effort to involve family members
in developing an understanding of the offender's behavior and to aid in the most
effective and efficient therapeutic intervention.
INDIVIDUAL THERAPY
Individual therapy is provided to focus on personal issues which may need to be
addressed with special focus. It also provides additional opportunity to
aid the client in developing self control and life planning skills.
SEXUAL AROUSAL AND INTERESTS
Sexual arousal assessment, fantasy restructuring and sexual arousal
reconditioning may also be employed in cases where the offender has significant
levels of deviant sexual arousal, obsessive deviant fantasies or highly
impulsive or compulsive acting out. Such interventions are made available
in an effort to provide comprehensive therapeutic alternatives at a community
based level.
POLYGRAPH
A polygraph (lie detector) is employed as a part of the evaluation and treatment
process. The goal in the employment of the polygraph is to aid in
clarifying the extent of the client's history of sexual acting out and to
provide additional information regarding the effectiveness of the therapeutic
interventions. At a minimum, the polygraph may also be employed during the
initial evaluation process and at other times during therapy should it appear
that to do so would promote the client's successful completion of therapy.
