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How do you think we should hold sex offenders accountable in our community? Does our current system truly keep our community safe? This week, we sit down with Judy O’Brien, a Licensed Professional Counselor and Sex Offender Treatment Provider here in Houston. In this balanced conversation we discuss recent changes in predatory behaviors, the role of power and control for offenders, and the false sense of security that the sex offender registry could be providing. Ultimately, we answer this question:
Is there a better way to hold sex offender accountable and prevent victimization within our communities?
More about Judy O'Brien
Judy received her Master of Arts degree in Clinical Psychology from Sam Houston State University in 1987. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor and a Licensed Sex Offender Treatment Provider. She began her career as a psychotherapist with the Texas Department of Corrections. There she worked at the psychiatric unit for criminals in Huntsville, Texas before moving to Houston. Once in Houston, Judy worked in the “free world” as a psychotherapist at West Oaks Psychiatric Hospital and with Willowbrook Psychological Associates.
Judy returned to the criminal justice arena in late 1989 working with sexual predators. She was the first official director for the sex offender treatment program within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice-Institutional Division and helped develop the treatment program which is currently used in various private practices.
For the past 30 years, Judy has maintained her own practice treating not only sex offenders but also offers counseling for a variety of other issues including anger management, anxiety, grief counseling, PTSD, and hormone issues with women.
She has conducted numerous training sessions and have given several presentations on secondary trauma, treatment interventions, and integrating spirituality into treatment. A priority is community education and protection.
Resources & Links
Did you know that Crime Stoppers of Houston offers free safety presentations to people of all ages. Though our Safe Community Program and Safe School Institute we work to educate students, parents, law enforcement, and the community at large about the best ways to stay safe every day. We cover topics such as cyber safety, human trafficking awareness, situational awareness, and so much more. To view our list of offering or request a virtual or in-person presentation, visit crime-stoppers.org/presentation_request
Thank you for following along with The Balanced Voice. The views expressed in each episode are those of the podcast guest and do not necessarily represent the views of The Balanced Voice or Crime Stoppers of Houston.
Thank you to our Episode 31 Sponsors, Brigitte and Bashar Kalai, Hallie Vanderhider, Sippi and Ajay Khurana, and Deep Water Productions.