Treating Harmful Sexual Behaviors from a Strengths-Based Approach: A Case Study Exploration
Strengths-based services for children, adolescents, families, and adults have become far more widely used in recent years. While much of this practice has been in response to trends in research, many professionals simply prefer to take a more positive, strengths-focused approach, particularly when working with adolescents who have caused sexual harm.
Kevin M. Powell, PhD has been a leading light in strengths-based work throughout his career, with an extensive record of publications and presentations on the subject. In this training, Dr. Powell describes a challenging case involving an adolescent mandated to receive sexual offense-specific treatment. He invites participants to join him in exploring the broad range of strengths-based interventions he utilized in this case, including a thorough case conceptualization, the strategies he used to enhance the client’s openness and honesty during the treatment process, and the specific challenges that occurred during the process. He ends the discussion with a summary of a 20-year follow-up of this case.
Take-aways from Dr. Powell’s training include how to:
- Build positive relationships
- Stabilize disruptive behaviors
- Manage sexually impulsive behaviors
- Promote hope and self-efficacy
- Target protective factors linked to resilience
- Enhance prosocial behaviors
- Facilitate a successful transition back into the community
By using a case-study format for this training, Dr. Powell provides an in-depth accounting of how strengths-based approaches can improve professional practice.
Interactive Follow-Up Meeting
Attendees are invited to join an open discussion 15 minutes following the end of the training, where you can engage with fellow attendees by turning on your camera and microphone. This is an opportunity to share your experiences and contribute to a meaningful exchange of ideas. Time will be allocated to address questions or insights from the training. Please note that attendance is optional and will not affect your eligibility for a training certificate.
1) Describe strengths-based approaches in the treatment of adolescents who have sexually abused
2) Formulate strengths-based case conceptualizations
3) Create plans for enhancing client openness and honesty
4) Apply specific skills for managing risk while enhancing wellbeing
5) Demonstrate successful termination of treatment
Audience
This training is primarily for professions who work with adolescents with sexually harmful behaviors. This includes therapists, counselors, psychologists, social workers, and case managers. Clinical supervisors and program managers overseeing treatment programs will also benefit from this training.
Content Level
Disclosure
Cancellations
Continuing Education Approval
American Psychological Association (APA)
Safer Society Foundation, Inc. is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Safer Society Foundation, Inc. maintains responsibility for this program and its content.
Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB)
Safer Society Foundation, Inc., provider #233, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Regulatory boards are the final authority on courses accepted for continuing education credit. ACE provider approval period: 06/06/2025—06/06/2026. Social workers completing this course receive 3 clinical continuing education credits.
Who's Presenting
Kevin M. Powell, Ph.D.
Kevin M. Powell, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist, trainer, consultant, and author who has been working with at-risk (or what he likes to call ‘at-promise’) children, adolescents, adults, and their families for over 3 decades. He has worked in schools, community-based agencies, a hospital, and residential programs including 20+ years in a maximum-security detention center.
Dr. Powell is also an adjunct professor at Colorado State University in the Department of Psychology where he teaches classes, provides clinical supervision, and conducts research on protective factors associated with resilience in youth and adults (Arkfeld, Powell, Sturgess, & Conner, 2025; Powell et al., 2021). Kevin has authored several publications focusing on strengths-based services (i.e., Powell, 2015, 2024a), and has a couple prevention-oriented children’s books (Powell, 2014; 2024b).
Dr. Powell delivers presentations both nationally and internationally on strengths-based topics, aiming to foster healthy and prosocial development among youth and adults. Additional information can be found at www.kevinpowellphd.com.