This literature review examines the differences between sex offenders and nonoffenders with regard to social perception skills, cognitive distortions, and empathy skills in order to investigate sex offenders' cognition. The literature on cognitive distortions is discussed, with reference to the confusion surrounding its definition, and the debate between cognitive distortions as offense-supportive beliefs or justifications is examined. In terms of social perception, particular reference is made to sex offenders' misinterpretations of women's social cues and the source of this deficit. The authors discuss possibilities for this deficit, including offense-supportive beliefs that are driven by underlying implicit theories or schemata held by offenders. The concept of empathy and its relation to both social perception skills and cognitive distortions is discussed, and the integration of these factors is represented in a new model.

A qualitative analysis of eight interviews was conducted to answer the following questions: ‘How do trainees experience a clinical impasse?’ and ‘How does the experience of group supervision help or hinder the resolution of these impasses?’ MA students in a counselling psychology program at a Canadian university were interviewed at two points in time: after experiencing a clinical impasse and after receiving group supervision for the impasse. Data were analyzed using consensual qualitative research methodology (CQR; Hill, Thompson & Nutt‐Williams, 1997) to identify themes relative to our two questions. Results indicated that when trainees experienced an impasse they reacted with negative emotions because they did not know what to do in session with the client at that point in time, and they experienced the impasse as a failure. Trainees reported seeking supervision to obtain validation/support, and found that supervision provided them with this. As well, a new perspective on the impasse event and increase in self‐awareness was reported. An unexpected finding included dissatisfaction with the dynamics of the supervision group. These findings have implications for trainers: for understanding the supervisory needs of trainees, for appreciating the impact of supervision on counsellor development, and for generating alternate practices of supervision.

identified within UK convicted female sexual offenders and described within the DMFSO (i.e.,Explicit-Approach, Directed-Avoidant, Implicit-Disorganized) were applicable to a small sample (N = 36) of North American women convicted of sexual offending. Two independent raters examined the offense narratives of the sample and-using the DMFSO-coded each script according to whether it fitted one of the three original pathways. Results suggested that the three existing pathways of the DMFSO represented a reasonable description of offense pathways for a sample of North American women convicted of sexual offending. No new pathways were identified. A new 'Offense Pathway Checklist' devised to aid raters' decision making is described and future research and treatment implications explored.

The purpose of this study was to elaborate how clients understand the development of the alliance and to highlight aspects of the process particular to depressed clients working with experienced therapists. Fifteen participants described critical incidents in early therapy that influenced how they understood their working relationships with therapists. All incidents involved clients appraising what their therapists were doing. Through interviewer probing, participants were able to identify the importance of their own activity (disclosing and working with therapist input) as their collaboration in the incidents. Positive emotional responses were woven through the descriptions of the incidents. The research underscores how client understanding of collaboration might be accessed by researchers or clinicians and the potential importance of the interaction of client active exploration with positive emotions in understanding alliance development.

Aim: This exploratory study examined the association between clients' assessment of the therapeutic alliance and their cognitive errors (