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The Commission conducted two full-day workshops in August 2004 with Dr Bill Marshall, an international authority on the treatment and assessment of sexual offenders.

Dr Marshall is an Emeritus Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at Queens University Canada and the Director of Rockwood Psychological Services, which provides treatment for incarcerated sexual offenders. Dr Marshall has more than 34 years experiences working with sexual offenders.

Workshop 1: 10 August 2004

This workshop looked at Rockwood Psychological Service's approach to cognitive behavioural psychotherapy, including the service's unique approach to assessment and treatment of sexual offenders. In particular, the following issues were addressed:

• Aetiology of sexual offending
• Various issues in the assessment and treatment of sexual offenders including:
  • denial / minimisation
  • cognitive distortions
  • empathy / victim harm
  • deviant sexual interests
  • intimacy / loneliness / attachments
  • self management and living a balanced life.
• Introduction of a therapist rating scale used in assessing treatment gains.

Workshop 2: 11 August 2004

This workshop also looked at Rockwood's approach to cognitive behavioural psychotherapy. In addition, it focused on treatment processes and procedures beginning with a discussion of the evidence on the influence of various therapist characteristics. This was followed by examination of:

• The group climate necessary to facilitate the achievement of treatment goals;
• Rockwood's approach to treatment issues discussed in Workshop 1;
• Methods used to appraise the long term outcomes of treatment for sexual offenders; and
• The value of treating sexual offenders.

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