Forensic Psychotherapy - Forensic Psychotherapy

Forensic Psychotherapy

Working from the premise that the offender has a complex internal world which may be characterised by punitive and unreliable internal representations of paternal and other figures, psychotherapy can shed light on the unconscious impulses, conflicts, and primitive defense mechanisms, involved in his or her destructive actions and "acting out".

The intimacy and profound experience of therapy may enable an offender to reframe and restructure these harsh imagos which tend to blunt sensitivities and, when projected out onto others, act as a rationale or driving force for criminal acting out. The patient may develop self-awareness, and an awareness of the nature of their deeds, and ultimately be able to live a more adjusted life. The effectiveness of psychodynamic psychotherapy, as is the case with other psychological therapies, is limited far as behavioral change for antisocial personality or psychopathic offenders. These two types of offenders comprise the primary diagnostic group found in forensic psychotherapy work. The evidence which is emerging, suggests that a range and variety of treatments may be most helpful for such offenders.

Treatment of high risk offenders poses particular problems of perverse transference and counter transference which can undermine and confound effective treatment so it would be usual to expect such treatment to be conducted by experienced practitioners who are well supported and supervised. References