Welcome to the...

      Centre for Assessment and Treatment

             of Atypical Theft Behaviour

website.

 

 

                 

 Dr Cupchik's latest book!                            Dr Cupchik's original 2002 book

 

     

Dr Will Cupchik, Head,  Centre for Assessment and Treatment of Atypical Theft Behaviour             

 

Home           Skype-based and In-Office Intervention Programs        

 Prior Media Contacts               Resume   

How Dr Will Works         Contributions to Psychology           Free Brief Screening Interview    

  

 

 

Psychologist Dr. Will Cupchik, a member of the American Psychological Association for over three decades, has been the major clinical investigator in the area of shoplifting and other kinds of thefts that have been carried out by usually honest, ethical adults. He has personally assessed and treated over 700 individuals during the past 39 years, helping them to stop their self-destructive theft behavior and get on with leading happier, more constructive and more productive lives.                                         [updated Dec 21, 2012x]

 

An Introductory Message from Dr Cupchik

        Welcome to the WhyHonestPeopleSteal.com website. I am certain that on these webpages you will find a great deal of important information to assist you in understanding and dealing with the serious and frequently misunderstood problem of the seemingly bizarre and/or even apparently nonsensical stealing that has been carried out by an individual who is basically a genuinely honest, ethical, intelligent, and probably sufficiently financially well off and/or professionally successful person - someone who truly has no monetary need to steal the items or monies that were taken, and yet that person has great difficulty stopping to steal.

      Usually such individuals (or their lawyers) contact me after they have -once again- committed yet another act of seemingly nonsensical stealing, and perhaps have been caught and charged. These persons may have tried to seek help before but they realize that whatever help they have received has not been sufficient in terms of assisting them to stop their stealing.  If you are one of these persons and you are genuinely interested in stopping the stealing behavior that is causing you so much distress, and if you are willing to do the personal work involved in uncovering the reasons behind your stealing, then the Intensive Intervention Program that I personally conduct may be of help. 

       I began my clinical investigations in the area of atypical theft behavior in 1974, while I was on the psychology staff of the forensic service of the University of Toronto-affiliated Clarke Institute of Psychiatry from 1974-1986, and where, for the last two years of my employment at the Clarke, I held the position of Psychologist-in-Charge, Forensic Outpatient Psychological Services. Over the past 38 years, I have uncovered the many of the underlying reasons for such stealing and have developed several unique assessment and therapeutic tools to help these persons stop their self-destructive behavior.

 

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       Do you relate to at least some of the following factors? 

      (1) a continuing problem with intermittent or more frequent stealing, even though you are keenly aware that you are risking your reputation, work situation, license to practice your profession, and/or perhaps even a jail term, and at least part of you wants to stop risking so much (usually for so little in monetary terms). You may have been in counseling or for some time, but your theft behavior has nevertheless continued.

      (2) difficulties with self-assertion, including perhaps saying "no" to some persons at work and/or in your personal life;  

      (3) ongoing problems in primary relationships, perhaps with your partner or spouse, child or parent;   

      (4) a personal history of having experienced emotional, physical and/or sexual abuse or other  traumatic experiences in your childhood and/or adulthood;   

     (5) familiarity with serious depression and/or anger;   

     (6) still unresolved issues in regard to either one or both parents and/or other authority figures;  

     (7) long-standing problems with low self-esteem, no matter how seemingly personally, socially, financially and/or professionally successful; 

    (8) a pervasive fear of your family and/or friends finding out;

    (9) emotional distress related to actual or anticipated personally meaningful losses (of a person, place, profession, or the health of either yourself or someone close to you;

    (10) feelings of embarrassment and remorse regarding your theft behavior;

and/or

     (11) an awareness that you hold a considerable amount of resentment or anger towards one or more persons in your life.

 

       The above list represents just some of the issues that have emerged from my clinical investigations of atypical theft behavior and are familiar to many usually honest persons who have repeatedly shoplifted and/or committed other acts of theft. If you would have have answered "Yes" to some, or perhaps most, of the above eleven items, then the likelihood is that you will find this website, my book, and my Skype-based Intensive Intervention Program to be very helpful. 

         

        Since our initial article, titled Shoplifting: An Occasional Crime Of The Moral Majority was published in the major American peer-reviewed professional journal, The Bulletin Of The American Academy Of Psychiatry And The Law, twenty-nine years ago, in 1983, I have continued to assess and treat these usually honest clients who have seriously risked jeopardizing their personal, social and/or working lives, by stealing - and who may have continued to do so even after having been apprehended, and perhaps even after having already been dealt with by the courts (possibly more than once), and have likely seen one or more of a variety of previous therapists.

 

        It is important to note that the vast majority of reputable psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and other therapists (no matter how experienced or expert they may be in other areas) will readily acknowledge that they are not very knowledgeable in regard to assessing and treating atypical theft behavior. Indeed, over the years, many excellent therapists have referred their clients to me in order to have me assist them in stopping their theft behavior while the local therapists have continued to work with these individuals regarding other issues. In fact, I have frequently consulted with 'local' therapists in regard to assisting them to more successfully focus their work in areas that will also help their clients stop stealing.  Many of the hundreds of clients I have assessed and treated have followed such a path before finally contacting me for assistance, when they finally realized that they were in need of highly experienced and specialized expertise focused on this particular kind of behavior. However and most unfortunately, before contacting me, some of these persons have often been misdiagnosed as suffering from 'kleptomania', and this usually erroneous diagnosis has frequently interfered with them getting the effective help they require. 

 

        In 1985, in a chapter that my original co-investigator, psychiatrist Dr. Don Atcheson and I contributed to the book, Clinical Criminology: The Assessment and Treatment of Criminal Behavior, we labeled these usually honest persons who steal (by shoplifting, or committing other kinds of theft), 'Atypical Theft Offenders' (or ATOs).  

         

        For many years I have worked with clients who have come from all over the USA (including California, Florida, Hawaii, Ohio, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Texas) and across Canada to work with me. I invite you to read the pages on this website thoroughly and contact me if you think I might be of help.        

    Thankfully, since 2008 and the introduction of Skype, the free, easy to use, video communication tool available to virtually all personal computer users via webcam, I have developed an extremely effective, 20-session, Skype-based Intensive Program, so that now I work with people from around the world via our respective webcam-enabled computers.

 

     Thankfully, I have found that the assessment and therapeutic work that we do when working via Skype, is just as effective, and in some respects, even superior to that which would be achieved if the client had actually traveled to physically be present in my office. Why? Because, by arranging our clinical sessions over a much longer period of time than the earlier 4-day, in-office program afforded, a client now has the opportunity to complete practical homework assignments between sessions that allow for beneficial changes in his or her life to take place and take hold. And sessions are scheduled so as to minimize disruption to the client's regular work and home day-to-day activities.

        The combination of great effectiveness, minimal disruption to the client's daily routine, and very considerable monetary savings, makes for a highly convenient, and more importantly, highly effective therapeutic experience.

Readers of the September 23, 2011 edition of the New York Times may have read the article by journalist Jan Hoffman titled, "When Your Therapist Is Only a Click Away", in which she described the increasing use of online video tools such as 'Skype' that allow patients and their clinicians to carry on assessment and treatment without the need for them to be in the same physical locale (such as the therapist's office). The article also pointed out that "several studies have concluded that patient satisfaction with face-to-face interaction and online therapy... was statistically similar." Having used Skype with clients for more than four years to this point, I have entirely satisfied myself that this is indeed the case.

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A Note about Informational Interviews for Family Members (FMs) of a possible Atypical Theft Offender  

  I have often received emails from family members of a possible Atypical Theft Offender in which they inquired, “Do you conduct any sessions or seminars for other family members? It has been very difficult dealing with this issue and it affects the entire family.” Yes, I do. Usually, the sessions ‘with other family members (FMs)’ are carried out as part of the already in-progress 20-session Intensive Intervention Program, in part to provide me with valuable information about my primary client as well as to deal with the relationships involved.  

   However, on occasion, I do offer sessions with the Family Members (FMs) prior to any formal commitment on the part of the client to taking the full 20-session Program.

  Sessions with FMs are 50 minutes long and the fees for such (when not part of the already established 20-session Program) are $220/session. I have had FM sessions with up to three persons at a time when all in the same place, via Skype. As you will understand, a part of our time would be taken up with me learning about my possible client, his or her family relationships (especially his/her marriage) and the theft behavior.

  Experience has shown that we usually require at least a 2-session long meeting (i.e., 100 minutes long) in order to afford us time to discuss the issues that most concern the OFMs, once the initial info about the client has been gathered and discussed.

  You will also understand that I could only speak in general terms about the possible Atypical Theft Offender; since I will not have met the possible ATO I could not possibly make any definitive statements about that individual. Also, of course, if I had met the possible Atypical Theft Offender, I would not discuss anything directly pertaining to that person and our sessions without his/her explicit written permission (and preferably, his/her presence as well).

  Having stated the above, I know that some FMs have often gained a good deal from these discussions and I have also learned important information about my prospective client from those that –presumably- know the individual best. 

  If you and/or other members of your family are interested in having such a Skype-based meeting, just let me know and kindly forward to me a bank draft or certified check for $440 US drawn from a major US bank, payable to myself for the double-session, and sent to Dr Will Cupchik, 2528 Bayview Avenue, P.O. Box 35532, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M2L 2Y4. Do email me to let me know when the check or bank draft has been sent and as soon as I receive it I will let you know and we can find a mutually agreeable time for the double-session to take place.

 Sincerely, 

Dr Will Cupchik

 

 

 The Free Brief Screening Interview

           To arrange for a Free Brief Screening Interview to help determine whether taking the full, 20-session Skype-based Intervention Program would be suitable for you, by all means: 

     (i) thoroughly read this and the other webpages on this website to gain some preliminary information about my findings and professional background in this area;

     (ii)  Email me (Dr. Cupchik) at wcupchik@aol.com to inquire about our working together. DO PROVIDE SOME INITIAL INFORMATION ABOUT YOURSELF (Age, gender, marital status, kind of work or profession you are involved in, whether you are currently facing charges, etc...). Keep in mind that the more information you provide about yourself, your theft behavior, your personal and working situation, your educational background, etc..., the better able I will be to assess whether having the Free Brief Screening Interview may be worthwhile. By all means, note that I am the only person who has access to this email address; all your answers will be held in confidence.  

    (iii) After receiving and reviewing your email, I will respond promptly to you.  If, from my review of the information you will have provided, it seems likely that our working together might well be worthwhile to you, we can arrange a time for the Free Brief Screening Interview to take place via video Skype. If the information you have provided is insufficient but promising, I may ask for more information from you at that time in order to better assess the likelihood that doing the Screening Interview and taking the Program would be of benefit to you.

      The Free Screening Interview usually takes about 20-30 minutes and affords both of us an opportunity to gain an initial familiarity with one another, and will help you and I decide whether taking the full 20-session Skype-enabled Intervention Program that I personally conduct, might be helpful to you.

Again, do keep in mind that this offer is extended only to those persons who are in a position to, and are seriously considering working with me via the Skype-enabled Intervention Program.  And note that the initial Screening Interview is totally free.

 

Please: Kindly put my initials (WC) in brackets in the 'subject line' of your email when contacting me. My email address is wcupchik@aol.com .

 

Also, please do read all of this webpage before requesting the Free Brief Screening Interview.

 

 

                                                           

 

  Feedback from previous Program participants: 

        "It has been over five years since I took the Intensive Intervention Program. I would like you to know that I have not shoplifted since, and I am feeling better about myself than I ever have before. I am doing really well in my working and personal aspects of my life, and have already achieved most all of the positive goals I had set for myself during this period. You helped me to realize why I might have been shoplifting, and helped point out stressful situations might tempt me to engage in the behavior again. This watchfulness has helped me avoid such situations, or when they were unavoidable, to handle them differently . I also realize that in order to continue to not steal, I will need to deal with the issues that will emerge in my life by facing them directly, using the tools I gained during our work together. As a result, while there have been stressful situations that I have had to deal with since our working together, I have not even been tempted to steal."

 

       "The Intensive, which I did with two other members of my family present at various times, has enabled us all to reveal truths that we had not talked about in decades.  The experience led/allowed/made me examine those dark moments in my life in a more fully connected way ... and to appreciate the roles of the major losses that I had experienced in childhood in my theft behavior... and to more openly share ...my reality with my mother and sister who... also took part in the Intensive.  Incidentally, calling your program an "Intensive" is very apt. The experience has already led to an incredible improvement in our family dynamics." 

 

       "Dr. Will: Having taken your Intensive program to deal with my compulsive stealing and spending, accompanied by my wife and two year old daughter, I wanted to give you an update on my progress.  I have not been involved in any compulsive stealing or spending since the Intensive. I have found other, much more productive ways of dealing with my feelings about myself and the situations I have been facing.  I have also been dealing with my problems with intimacy much better, and have increasingly made my family my priority. I have also defined and redirected my career in a much more focused way.  The Intensive was very helpful in coming to terms with my compulsive shopping, and underlying issues, and the exercises you offered have really helped. My wife and and I both felt we gained a lot of insight in many ways from the time and effort. Thank you." 

 

       "There is not one specific formula for what Dr. Cupchik does that fits all. It is a very  intensive program. But I can not say he will do this and then this and then that. Many of his techniques are described in his book and on his website. Which ones he uses with individual patients I assume would vary...  I found him to be exceptional at his therapeutic approach, and the experience was very beneficial to me and my family. Perhaps the most life altering effect for me was validation and acceptance at a very fundamental level., something that is difficult to find if it was not instilled in you early in life. For those who ...are quite comfortable with --and fully desire and intend to-- continue to steal, then his program is definitely not the one for you."



       "Thank you for your wonderful program. The work begins. Our adult son has told me that he has begun to "unload" his apartment of stolen items. My husband will be down to Texas within the month for overseeing if necessary. My son told me that his psychiatrist read your report and that you had absolutely nailed him! Our son's phone conversations seem more adult already and my husband and I are incorporating your directives as much as possible. We suffer no illusions that life will be easy for our son but know that he must do the work to be held accountable regardless of diagnoses. We would absolutely recommend your program and will speak about it with our son's former psychiatrist in New York City."  

 

       "Dr. Cupchik, I want to thank you so much for your help and for your report that you prepared for court. The judge took the time to read your report completely, and then said that because of your explanations of the reasons for my behavior and your description of the issues I have been dealing with in my life, he was going to be lenient in my case - this time. He warned me, however, that I do need to continue with my treatment and I very much want to do so. I should have a good life ahead of me and don't want to do anything else to jeopardize my future happiness."

 

            "Every day I am thankful for being one step closer to being completely out of the hole.  I have been working so hard on examining myself when I am out in public, observing my body’s alarms. But I have to tell you that my brain is working differently… . This may sound crazy, but the lighting in stores is more pleasant, the other people who are walking through the shop eating their ice cream seem to have happier looking faces, the floors seem to more polished. Almost as if my body uncontrollably would enter a store and I would take something, I now am thinking of the action. Last Friday I needed to drop something off at a hotel where our big school fundraiser was being held that night. There are a few shops, but one in particular that I wanted " to pop into". Walking down the big open entrance I actually swayed back and forth, left towards the elevator which would lead me to the stores, and then right towards the valet to get in my car and get the heck out of there...   I guess I did not want put myself back in that awful dark place, because often in the past, when I would take things, even the most beautiful of flowers would look dry and wilty. Instead, this time, I went to my car and felt pretty good and in control, and strong. Again I thank you, Dr. Will.."

 

        "Hi, Will. Just wanting to catch you up on my activities since I last saw you a few years ago. I am still working part-time after having retired from my teaching position a decade ago. I find that I have no desire whatsoever to steal and am continually amazed at that fact, and that I had stolen so many times over so many years before I finally came to see you. My husband is very relieved and grateful for your help, as well. And he told me to specifically tell you that I am one of your great success stories. Thanks again."

                                                                                                    [updated March 13, 2012]

 

Feedback from Intensive participants' lawyers     

 

    "We thank you for your valuable assistance and for the fine program that you have developed to assist such people as (my client). I know from my personal experience that the other types of counseling and assessment were of little value to her, but I have seen a marked improvement in her physical and mental condition since she has been in your therapy program."

"                             

    "Your Psychological Report was most helpful to me in my discussions with (the District Attorney). As you are no doubt aware, the charge against my client has been withdrawn.... I know that in speaking with her that she has been much helped by the therapy that she has taken with you. ... May I personally thank you for your assistance to me and help throughout."

 

     "I would like to thank you for the excellent Report that you prepared on behalf of (my client). It had a major impact upon the (district attorney) and the presiding Judge and assisted everyone in making a determination of what to do with my client. The judge recognized that this was a (psychological problem) more than a legal problem... ."

 

     "Thank you for assisting me with Ms. D's case... Without your report, she almost certainly would have been sentenced to a term of imprisonment.... "

 

 

MEDIA CONTACTS: For over three decades, the media has shown great interest in my clinical work and I have been extensively interviewed by the media in the U.S., Europe and Canada. Below is a partial listing.

 

TV, Radio and Internet media:   ABC's Good Morning America    MSNBC Investigates  

CBS's Early Show   Discovery Channel   FOX NETWORK  

Bloomberg Radio News  National Public Radio  CBC News     CNN

CTV    Global Network     ABCnews.com     BBC radio  BBCnews.com

 

In Newspapers:     The NEW YORK TIMES     Denver Post      L.A. Times    

San Francisco Chronicle      Chicago Sun-Tribune      

Cleveland Plain Dealer    Globe and Mail      National Post     Toronto Star

 

And in Magazines:  PEOPLE...  SELF... HEALTH...  ALLURE...   CHATELAINE  

THE FORENSIC EXAMINER   READERS DIGEST

                                                                                                [Feb 6, 2012]

  Read my books to learn more...

NOW AVAILABLE   IN BOTH PAPERBACK, AND AS AN EBOOK FOR  YOUR  KINDLE,  iPHONE,  iPAD,  or  NOOK  NOW FOR only $3.99                          

   In my book, WHY HONEST PEOPLE SHOPLIFT OR COMMIT OTHER ACTS OF THEFT: The Assessment And Treatment Of 'Atypical Theft Offenders', Revised Edition (2002), I describe my clinical findings and the approaches that I have developed and employed as appropriate during Intervention Programs. Some 31 sample composite cases are described in the book, providing the reader with a wide variety of examples of atypical theft behavior. 

      This book is available from ONLINE bokstores in both paperback and ebook versions, provides an excellent and thorough introduction to this subject. Many readers have reported that they provided copies to their lawyers, who in turn gave copies to the opposing lawyers and the judges involved in their cases so that they could better understand the reasons behind - and the best ways to treat this aberrant behavior.


In order to make this book more easily available the prices of both the paperback and ebooks editions have been reduced. The regular price of the paperback is now $19.95 or less. The ebook's new selling price is $3.99. Both are available from Amazon.com and barnesandnoble.com.

My latest book on this subject (expected to be available early in 2013) is titled, WHY USUALLY HONEST PEOPLE STEAL. Published some eleven years after the revised edition of my earlier book, this new book offers the most recent findings of my clinical work in this area, and includes information derived from my most recent - and extensive - clinical study to date. It also discusses the prevalence of long standing anger among Atypical Theft Offenders as well as the reasons why the use of antidepressants by these individuals may actually help trigger new theft behaviors. 

These two books can be considered to be, in effect, Volumes 1 & 2 of my book-length writings in this area.
 

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From a BOOK REVIEW of the original edition of my first book, published in the 'Criminal Lawyers' Association Newsletter' 

"Most criminal defense lawyers have been faced with the "typical" shoplifting case: a client steals an item  from the store because he or she is poor and just didn't have the money. Most of these cases are sad.... (However) the atypical cases, are those in which the client has enough money to pay for the item or does not even need the item.... .  Dr. Will Cupchik offers a fascinating study of the atypical client - that is, someone who displays bizarre, nonsensical behavior in committing theft of fraud....His well-written text is divided into several major parts: i) understanding why honest people steal; ii) assessing the atypical theft offender; iii) treating the atypical theft offender; iv) issues for loss prevention, employee assistance plan and human resources personnel, the police and the judiciary. ... While the crimes themselves may be minor, the underlying factors which lead to these crimes are extremely important both in identifying and assisting the atypical offender. 

"It is tempting these days to simply process such clients by way of diversion or a small fine. Such an approach, however, does not necessarily assist the client to prevent repetition of such an offence.... While defense counsel are not social workers, we are still obligated to ensure that our client's problems are properly identified and responded to by the courts. Dr. Cupchik's extremely useful text will help both us and hopefully the judges meet that obligation."

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WHY HONEST PEOPLE SHOPLIFT OR COMMIT OTHER ACTS OF THEFT is available from the following online bookstores in hardcopy and in ebook format for your Kindle, Nook, iPhone, iPad, etc...:

from Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B005J6J96Q

from Barnes and Noble:
http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Why-Honest-People-Shoplift-or-Commit-Other-Acts-of-Theft/Will-Cupchik/e/2940013046375

from iBookstore:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781614343882
 

 

 

Aims Of The Skype-based Intervention Program

This Intensive Intervention Program is intended to assist participants to:

    (1) uncover the reasons behind their inappropriate theft behavior (which is very frequently at odds with the more usual moral, ethical and responsible ways in which they conduct their lives)

    and 

(2) assist these 'Atypical Theft Offenders' to stop their career-sabotaging, relationship-stressing and reputation-destroying behavior .

    All Intensive attendees receive, at no extra cost, a multi-page Draft Note summarizing areas that were addressed during their Programs, as well as a list of specific recommendations for further treatment/therapeutic work (if deemed desirable) that the attendee may wish to pursue with his or her own, local therapist (or with me via Skype). In some instances, feedback from clients have indicated that these Draft Notes have been used by their lawyers and presented to the court with positive results.

      Attendees may also request a subsequent formal Psychological Report to assist the court in determining a more suitable disposition of their cases. 

 

Detailed Information about the 20-Session long Skype-based Intensive Intervention Program

 

I have now been conducting the Skype-based version of my Intensive Intervention Program for more than five years and have found that it is far more convenient and efficient (and, naturally much less expensive) than the earlier Programs that required clients to travel to Toronto and attend sessions in my own office in several days.

Timing for the full 20-session Skype Intensive Intervention Program: The Skype-enabled Intensive Intervention Program consists of twenty 50-minute-long clinical sessions carried out via webcam-enabled computers or tablets. The initial timing of sessions is agreed upon at the outset, subject to changes in order to comply with the client's and my own respective schedules.  I have been found that working for 1-2 sessions at a time, once per week, allows the clinical work to progress in an optimally effective fashion. Exceptional flexibility regarding timing allows some participants to have their sessions held either during regular working hours, in the evenings, or even on weekends. The full program usually extends over a period of 2-1/2 months, a length of time that lends itself to providing clients with enough time and opportunities to do the personal work required and to make substantial changes in how they conduct themselves, especially in regard to matters that may have triggered their theft behavior.

 

Involvement of The Partner or Spouse or other 'Significant Other' of the Client in the Program:  I has found it to be extremely helpful (although not absolutely necessary) to have the partner or spouse (or anther key individual in the client's life) personally involved in at least parts of the Intensive Program. Often I will have an interview session with this 'other person' alone so as to get his or her input regarding the client and the latter's behavior. 

Sometimes, when it appears likely to be useful, and of course, only with the client's agreement, the 'significant other' is invited to participate in one or more sessions along with the client: decades of experience have clearly demonstrated that having the 'significant other' involved in the process and available to assist the client to dealing with issues that may arise during the Intensive, can be very helpful. Experience also shows that spouses are often relieved, and very much appreciate, being invited to participate in at least some of the clinical sessions, in order to better understand why their loved ones has carried out such self-destructive behavior. They also usually want to help out in any ways that they can, especially since their partner's theft behavior may be creating major difficulties in their relationship and at home. 

It is important to note that I do not reveal any information divulged by either the client or the 'significant other' to the other person without explicit permission having been granted.

 

The Usual Progress of the 20 Sessions: Initially, it is vital that I acquire a very thorough understanding of the client and his or her theft behavior. Consequently, in the first few sessions, the focus is on the assessment part of the process. Also, near the beginning of our work together, I provide both the client (and the 'significant other', where appropriate) with a considerable amount of information in the form of focused mini-lessons, where both can gain important insights that usually lead to them improving their relationship, their understanding of the reasons behind the client's theft behavior, and the role that their relationship may have played in regard to the client's acting out. As the Intensive Program progresses, more and more of the sessions' time is devoted to the therapeutic aspects of the process. Clients are given 'homework' assignments during the Program; these assignments provide the client with practical exercises and experiences aimed at assisting the individual to cease any further theft behavior. 

In addition to very likely being the most experienced clinician in the field of atypical theft behavior, I have been a practicing psychotherapist for more than fifty years, and my expertise is applied to the issues that are specific to each person's situation. Over the years I have conducted many kinds and formats of psychotherapy, including individual, marital, intergenerational (i.e., parent-child), and group therapy. My doctoral dissertation focused upon interpersonal relationships and involved the creation of unique assessment and therapeutic tools with which to assess and improve them.

The therapeutic approaches I employ in the course of an Intensive:  I utilize a variety of approaches that I have found will provide optimal effectiveness for clients. Generally, I take the view that the broad goals of the Intensive are (1) to gain an understanding of the reasons why the individual has been stealing and then, (2) to apply those tools that may be most effective in facilitating positive changes that improve the client's mental and emotional well-being while (3) reducing the likelihood that he or she will re-offend. I employ techniques derived from the therapy schools of Gestalt Therapy, Transactional Analysis, Redecision Therapy, Cognitive Therapy, Reintrojection Therapy (the latter being my own unique contribution to the field that has been published and referenced in professional publications and applauded by other prominent clinicians), and Mental Imagery, while grounding a good deal of the work within a framework that I explain thoroughly to the client. [This information has provided for those persons who have some familiarity with various kinds of psychotherapy; if you do not have much or any familiarity with these terms or approaches, don't be concerned; you will learn about them firsthand during the process of the Program.]

The therapeutic relationship itself is considered an important, and indeed, a vital element in helping to move the client forward towards the agreed upon goals. As a result, the client may gain increased self-awareness, insight and can begin to move towards making positive changes in a variety of areas of his or her life. To learn more about the therapy approaches used, you are encouraged to read my books. Therapy is considered a cooperative and collaborative process; and the 'homework assignments' given at the end of the sessions offer the client direction and the opportunities to change how he or she operates in the world, in positive ways.

 

At the conclusion of the 20-session Intensive: By the time the Intensive ends, typically the client: (i) will have gained a great deal of understanding of the reasons underlying his or her theft behavior; (ii) will have made considerable strides in changing the conditions that had led to the stealing, and (iii) may have stopped stealing altogether. 

 

Staying in Touch: Out of professional and personal interest, and in order to continue to accumulate additional data for my ongoing research into the clinical area of atypical theft behavior, I always welcome communications from former clients via snail mail and/or email, regarding their personal experiences and progress following their Intensives. The 'testimonials' provided near the top of this webpage were reprinted from such emails.

 

Cost of the 20-Session Skype-enabled Intervention Program: The current cost of the entire 20-session long program (each session being 50 minutes in length) is currently $3800.--U.S.    Do note that the cost of the Program is subject to change at any time up to the time that the particular client's Program is firmly scheduled. [You may wish to note that the full regular sessional fee as recommended by my professional association is currently $220. However, participants of the Skype-enabled Intervention Program benefit from a nearly 20% discount, as the sessional rate for each of the 20 sessions of the program is only $180.]

         

 

 

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THE THREE TYPES OF THEFT OFFENDERS IDENTIFIED BY DRs CUPCHIK AND ATCHESON

 

Which Type of Theft Offender are you (or the person you are concerned about)?

  •       The Atypical Theft Offender’ (A.T.O.) is an individual whose seemingly bizarre or nonsensical acts of theft, which may involve shoplifting, fraud, or employee theft, are aberrations of that person’s usual ways of conducting him/herself as an ethical, law-abiding and contributing member of society.  The A.T.O. may feel ‘out of control’ about having violated his/her own moral code by stealing, and frequently experiences serious confusion, deep shame and genuine remorse in regard to the theft behavior. Atypical Theft Offenders frequently have serious personal and interpersonal issues that need to uncovered and dealt with, usually with the assistance of directed clinical treatment.   Atypical Theft Offenders are often mistakenly labeled as suffering from ‘kleptomania’, a mis-diagnosis that usually precludes their receiving suitable treatment. Without effective treatment, these offenders may remain at risk to commit additional offenses, at which time the mis-label of kleptomania may be erroneously re-applied, again and again.  Suicidal potential is a genuine concern with some Atypical Theft Offenders.
  •      In contrast, Typical Theft Offenders (T.T.O.s), who undoubtedly constitute the majority of theft offenders, are very comfortable with their theft behaviors, and may only experience regret about having been caught, as opposed to feeling shame or remorse about the act of theft itself. Unless such individuals are genuinely ready and willing to work within and outside of the clinical sessions, and to make the recommended changes, they make exceedingly poor candidates for clinical intervention.  
  •                                                 
  •       Most theft offenders who take my Interevention Program display both Atypical Theft Offender and Typical Theft Offender elements, and are referred to as the ‘Mixed Type’ Theft Offender (A.T.O./T.T.O) . Many of these individuals, are amenable to clinical intervention. One of the functions of the Free Brief Screening Interview is to ascertain which of the above categories the theft offender belongs to, as this has implications for the nature and prognosis of any clinical intervention, as well as for the appropriate disposition of the case within the legal system.
  •      Please note that the majority of clients who I work with, are of the 'Mixed Type', that is, they display features of both ATOs and TTOs.
  • Decades of experience have demonstrated that the key factors in predicting a high likelihood of success in the Intervention Program are the individual's sincere desire to stop stealing and willingness to be open and to work hard throughout the program

 

DETERMINING THE CATEGORY TO WHICH THE THEFT OFFENDER YOU ARE CONCERNED ABOUT, MOST LIKELY BELONGS

The following items in Tables A and B, are derived from the Cupchik Theft Offender Spectrum (to be found, in full, in my book), and can assist in distinguishing Atypical or Mixed-Type Theft Offenders from the more common Typical Theft Offenders. The more items the theft offender could respond to truthfully in the affirmative in Table A, and in the negative in Table B, the more likely it is that he or she may be a suitable candidate for this Program.       

  

TABLE A

Yes

No

Did the theft offender steal in such an obvious fashion as if to purposefully get caught?

 

 

Was the theft offender under an unusual or extreme amount of stress at the time of the offense?

 

 

Does the offender appear to be experiencing profound shame in regard to having committed the act (as opposed to having such feelings because he or she was caught)?

 

 

Was the theft offender anticipating (or actually) experiencing any major personally meaningful losses just prior to the offense?

 

 

Was the theft offender experiencing marked resentment or anger towards his or her ‘intimate other’ at about the time of the offense?

 

 

Was the monetary value of what was stolen very small compared to the individual’s readily available financial resources?

 

 

Was cancer or any other major illness an issue either for the theft offender or a ‘significant other’ at about the time of the offense?

 

 

Did the theft offender experience any major or unusual losses while a child?

 

 

Does the theft offender feel ‘out of control’ in regard to stopping  the theft behavior?

 

 

           TOTAL  FOR TABLE A

___

___

 

 

 
                     TABLE ‘B’

Yes

No

Was what was stolen desirable to the offender?

 

 

Was what was stolen needed by the offender?

 

 

Was greed a factor in the theft?

 

 

Was the theft planned before the incident?

 

 

Was the item used by the offender, his or her family and/or friends or acquaintances?

 

 

Was a weapon or threat used in the commission of the offense?

 

 

Has the theft offender previously been convicted of any other kinds of crimes or illegal actions (DUI, etc..)?

 

 

Was the item later sold by the theft offender?

 

 

            TOTAL FOR TABLE B

___

___

Interpreting the scoring:  The greater the number of ‘Yes’ responses from Table A and ‘No’ responses from Table B, the greater the likelihood that the theft offender is an Atypical or Mixed-Type of theft offender, and may therefore be a suitable candidate for the Atypical Theft Offender Intervention Program.  

Please Note: Most participants of the Intensive Intervention Program are of the Mixed (ATO & TTO)-type  of theft offender.

Of course, the fewer the number of ‘Yes’ responses from Table A and ‘No’ responses from Table B, the greater the likelihood that the theft offender is a Typical Theft Offender; generally these individuals are more complex candidates for the Intervention Programs.  However, very occasionally even some primarily Typical Theft Offenders reach a point in their lives that they, also, genuinely desire to cease their theft behavior, but have very great difficulty doing so. At that point they may be suitable candidates for this program.  

 

 

                                           ****************************

 

To read some articles of interest by myself that offer some examples of the atypical theft behavior of usually honest, ethical people, just click here.

 

MY PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND

I (Dr Will Cupchik)...

  • ... have been a counselor and psychotherapist for over fifty years.
  • ... am a life member of the American Psychological Association, Canadian Psychological Association and the Ontario Psychological Association. I also hold Diplomate status with the American College of Forensic Examiners
  • I received training in individual and group therapy at many venues, including the Western Institute For Group And Family Therapy located in Watsonville, California, beginning in 1972. WIGFT's co-directors, Dr. Bob and Mary Goulding, taught their Redecision [Transactional-Gestalt] Therapy approach to attendees at their extended workshops; I was also a guest lecturer at some of their workshops, and I have been referred to in their books.
  • ... have conducted individual, couples, and intergenerational (parent/adult child) psychotherapy with literally thousands of clients 
  • ... am the originator of numerous original assessment and therapeutic tools, including Reintrojection Therapy, a unique approach to uncovering and healing long-term, often painful, remnants of previous and/or ongoing relationships, especially including parent-child difficulties. This approach was reported upon in 1984 in my article titled Reintrojection Therapy: A Procedure For Altering Parental Introjects, published in the professional journal, Psychotherapy: Therapy, Research, and Practice. My work in this area was also specifically cited in Dr. Christine Coutrious's important book, Healing the Incest Wound.    
  • ... have worked with many clients on issues of loss, depression, and anger, as well as on mid-life, mid-career issues, life and executive coaching, and pre-retirement and retirement matters.   
  • ... am the author of the best-selling book (in its category, keyword: shoplifting), titled WHY HONEST PEOPLE SHOPLIFT OR COMMIT OTHER ACTS OF THEFT: ASSESSMENT AND TREATMENT OF 'ATYPICAL THEFT OFFENDERS' 

 

My working life has been very extensive and varied:

  • I first worked as a professional electrical engineer (1961-2) at Computing Devices of Canada, designing navigational guidance systems for military (including American) aircraft, and then as a:
  • high school science and mathematics teacher
  • guidance counselor and attendance counselor
  • I have been a psychotherapist for over fifty years, working with adolescents, adults, couples and groups
  • I worked first as a psychometrist, and later as a psychologist on the forensic staff at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry (12 years total: 1974-86)
  • I held the title, Psychologist-in-Charge, Forensic Outpatient Psychological Services, at the Clarke Institute of Psychiatry (1984-86)
  • I have been working as a Psychologist in private practice since 1986
  • I was a university lecturer teaching courses in psychotherapy in the Graduate Studies dept of the University of Toronto 
  • I have developed of various original psychological techniques and pen-and-paper tools in the areas of relationships and atypical theft behavior
  • I am also the author of the novel, The Avro Arrow Manipulation, (currently available from the Canadian Air And Space Museum)  

 

 SPECIAL NOTE: As of late December 2012 my original article on the subject of atypical theft behavior titled Shoplifting: An Occasional Crime Of The Moral Majority, published some thirty years earlier in the prestigious, peer-reviewed professional journal, The Bulletin of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, was still available to read, for free, on the AAPL website; to go there now simply click on the following link:

http://www.jaapl.org/content/11/4/343.full.pdf+html?sid=331bd4e2-bd09-431c-858b-38bd3e11cb9d

 

 

 

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Contact Information

Telephone
416-928-2262

Fax  

     416-489-8882

 

Postal address
Dr. Will Cupchik, 2528 Bayview Avenue,
PO Box 35532, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M2L 2Y4
 
Email
wcupchik@rogers.com
 

 

Copyright © 1997, 2011 Dr Will Cupchik
Last modified: 12/21/12 

 

 

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