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Even when examined critically, our results allow us to conclude that outpatient psychotherapy can be successfully conducted with over 50% of sex offenders. This is encouraging considering the marked scepticism towards psychotherapy shown not only by the legal authorities, but also by psychotherapists who doubt whether psychotherapy can be effective in criminal delinquents, especially if they have perverse symptoms. The success rate would increase considerably if one used narrower selection criteria than ours. This was not our intention; we wanted to include a broad spectrum and to evaluate to what extent psychotherapy is suitable for these patients. In retrospect we are glad we did not restrict ourselves by using standard selection criteria as with our therapy approach we succeeded in working with patients who are otherwise considered virtually beyond the reach of therapy. Another important outcome of our study is that it provides criteria for a differentiated indication within a flexible therapeutic procedure.

Between 1975 and 1980 a total of 169 patients were indicated for psychotherapeutic treatment. We excluded those patients: Who were psychotic or were seriously addicted Whose ability to communicate verbally was insufficient due to mental deficiency or brain damage Who were in prison or committed to psychiatric hospitals Who had been sentenced and were expected to go to prison during or shortly after therapy