| Mental health counselors are constantly challenged with allowing themselves to be human, maintain empathy, and remain clinically sound while working with diverse client populations; including those that have been convicted of crimes. There has been limited research conducted on counseling professionals and their provision of treatment services to violent female offenders. The purpose of this study was to explore the personal attitudes, values, and expectations of clinicians working with this population, and whether or not the provision of therapeutic services is affected by personal perceptions and biases. In addition, this study aimed to add to the limited literature on violent female offenders and promote future research into the needs of this group of women and the mental health professionals who serve them.;This exploration of therapist perception allowed for greater understanding of how issues such as stigma, gender-role stereotypes, and bias held towards this population impact the counseling relationship. This study utilized a phenomenological research design where the researcher was the primary instrument of data collection.;The sample consisted of 10 participants: five licensed professional counselors, four associate licensed professional counselors, and one master's level counselor in training. Face to face, semi-structured interviews were conducted where tailored research questions explored the influence of therapist perception on the experience of establishing rapport, assessment, and treatment of this population. The analysis of participant responses led to the emergence of six major themes a) genuineness/authenticity, b) counselor diversity, c) empathy, d) experience, e) supervision and consultation, and f) self-care.;The significant finding of this study was the recognition that counselors' self-awareness about their own negative perceptions could assist with reducing barriers to forming the therapeutic alliance with this population. The results of this study are relevant to counselor education programs and supervisors as it provides a greater understanding and meaning of the therapists' conceptualization of their experiences of their work with violent female offenders. This study also encourages further research into offender perception of treatment services, as well as preventative measures to reduce rates of burnout, vicarious trauma, and counter-transference amongst counselors in training and licensed counselors who are working with this population. |
