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An Introductory Message from Dr Will Cupchik (updated January 27, 2012)

        Welcome to the WhyHonestPeopleSteal.com website. I am certain that here 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 atypical (and often seemingly bizarre and/or even nonsensical) stealing that has been carried out by an individual who is basically a genuinely honest, ethical, intelligent, and perhaps (but not necessarily) highly educated and financially and/or professionally successful person - someone who truly has no monetary need to steal the items or monies that were taken, and that the person has been having great difficulty stopping to do.

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 but, regardless, they realize that whatever help they have received has not been very helpful in terms of assisting them to stop their stealing.  If they are genuinely interested in stopping the stealing behavior that is causing them so much distress, and if they are truly willing to do the personal work involved in uncovering the reasons behind their stealing, then the Intensive Intervention Program may very well be of considerable 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, from 1984-86, I held the position of Psychologist-in-Charge, Forensic Outpatient Psychological Services. Over the past 37-plus years, I have uncovered many of the underlying reasons for such stealing, and have developed unique assessment and therapeutic tools to help these persons stop their self-destructive behavior.

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

       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 well have been in counseling or psychotherapy for some time, but your theft behavior has nevertheless continued.

      (2) difficulties with self-assertion at times, 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 that you will be caught stealing and of your family and 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;

and/or

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

       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 perhaps repeatedly shoplifted and/or committed other acts of theft. If you (or the person you are concerned about, would have) have answered "Yes" to some, or perhaps most, of the above ten elements, then the likelihood is that you will find this website, my book, and my Skype-based Intensive Intervention Program to be most 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, nearly twenty-nine years ago, in 1983, I have continued to assess and treat these usually honest and ethical 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 often 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 therapists have referred their clients to me in order to have me assist them in stopping their theft behavior. 

        Every year in the USA alone, many thousands of usually honest, ethical and contributing persons, commit acts of seemingly nonsensical or bizarre theft. In most instances, the individuals who commit these thefts are shocked and often frightened by these clearly self-destructive behaviors that threaten to destroy their good names, their jobs/careers, their closest relationships, and perhaps even their freedom. Often the items they steal are quite inexpensive, at least as compared with their easily available assets. In many instances they have sought assistance from one or more clinicians (psychologists, psychiatrists, etc...) and yet they have continued to steal - at times seemingly uncontrollably. 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 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, '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, Ohio and Texas) and across Canada to work with me in my office for 3 or 4 days at a time, as part of an on-site, in-office Intensive Intervention Program. The total financial cost to these persons - for airfare, hotel accommodations, food, etc..., - and the inconvenience of their having to leave their homes and places of work for several days, was considerable (and for many other potential clients, prohibitively expensive). 

    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, without these clients having to spend many thousands of dollars just to physically leave home and travel to my office. 

     Better yet, 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 can be 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.

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

      To arrange a Free Brief Screening Interview

           To arrange for a Free Brief Screening Interview to help determine whether taking the Skype-based Intensive Intervention Program might be of assistance to 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) directly at wcupchik@aol.com to inquire about working together. By all means, please provide some basic information about yourself (your age, gender, marital status, work or profession, and specific reasons for contacting him including your particular difficulties with theft behavior, etc...). The more information you provide in your initial email, the easier it will be for me to make a preliminary determination as to whether proceeding to do a Free Brief Screening Interview would be appropriate in your case.

    (ii) After receiving and reviewing your email and the information you will have provided, I will respond promptly to you.  If, from my review of the information you will have provided, it seems likely that working together might well be worthwhile to you, we can arrange a time for the Free Brief Screening Interview to take place either by phone or (preferably) via Skype. This initial Interview usually takes about thirty minutes, affords both of us an opportunity to gain an initial familiarity with one another, and enables me to help you and me decide whether arranging to take the 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.

Please Note: 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.

 To watch a portion of a talk I gave on the subject of atypical theft behavior, now on YouTube, just click here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4LEu6p9sqk . By all means come back after you view the video and continue to read this and the other pages on this website.

Feedback from some previous Intensive Intervention Program participants: 

        "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 Sept 7, 2011]

        Feedback from some Intensive participants' lawyers     

  Re Client A:   "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."

"                             

 Re Client B:  "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."

Re Client C:   "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... ."

Re Client D: "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.... "

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,

CTV, Global Network ABCnews.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

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

THE FORENSIC EXAMINER   READERS DIGEST

                                                                                                [Dec 4, 2011]

NOW AVAILABLE   FOR  YOUR  KINDLE,  iPHONE,  iPAD,  or  NOOK  FOR only $9.99                          

   In my book, WHY HONEST PEOPLE SHOPLIFT OR COMMIT OTHER ACTS OF THEFT: The Assessment And Treatment Of 'Atypical Theft Offenders', Revised Edition. I describe my clinical findings and the approaches that I have developed and employ 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. 

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

From a Book Review of the original edition of this book published in the 'Criminal Lawyers' Association Newsletter', 1998 

"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."

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

The book is available from the following online bookstores in hardcopy and in ebook format, for your Kindle, Nook, iPhone, iPad, and/or computer:

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

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

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

 

Aims Of The Intensive Intervention Program for Atypical Theft Offenders

The 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

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 home computers. The initial timing of sessions is agreed upon at the outset, subject to change in accordance with the client's and my own respective schedules.  It has been found that working for 2 or 3 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.

Involvement of The Partner or Spouse or other 'Significant Other' of the Client in the Program:  It has found 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. Usually, I will have an interview session with this 'other person' 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 willingness, 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 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 usually 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 almost invariably lead to their improving their relationship, their understanding of the reasons behind the client's theft behavior, and the role that their relationship may play 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 forty years, and my expertise is applied to the issues that are specific to each person's situation. I have conducted many forms 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 goals of the Intensive are to gain an understanding of the reasons why the individual has been stealing and then to apply those tools that may be most effective in facilitating positive changes that improve the client's mental and emotional well-being while 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, Reintrojection Therapy (the latter being 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 psychodynamic framework that I explain thoroughly to the client. [This information is 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, do not 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 book. Therapy is considered a cooperative and collaborative process; '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. As well, the client will be well armed to confront any lingering inclinations to act out, and in the free Draft Note that he or she receives at the end of the Intensive, any further need for follow-up with a local therapist (or with myself) will be clearly outlined. As mentioned above, Draft Notes have been used by some participants' lawyers in order to better deal with court situations.

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 cost of the entire 20-session long program (each session being 50 minutes in length) is currently $3600.--U.S.  This cost includes, in addition to the 20 sessions, the Draft Note that is provided to each client at the end of the completed program. 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.

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 Dr Cupchik's Interevention Programs 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 this Intervention Program 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 Dr. Cupchik works with, are of the 'Mixed Type', that is, they display features of both ATOs and TTOs.
• Decades of experience have convinced Dr. Cupchik that the key issues in predicting a high likelihood of success in the Intervention Program are the individual's sincere desire to stop stealing and receiving the appropriate assessment and therapy. 

 

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 his 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.        [The complete Cupchik Theft Offender Spectrum appears in Dr. Cupchik's book, "Why Honest People Shoplift Or Commit Other Acts Of Theft". The items below are merely an important sampling of this questionnaire and are provided for your interest.]   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.   Regardless of how the individual responds to the items in the above tables, all prospective participants for the Atypical Theft Offender Intervention Program should: (a)    be highly motivated to uncover the reasons for their theft behavior, and want to stop these ultimately self-destructive acts;  and (b)    be willing to become genuinely and fully involved in the Intensive Program. This includes a willingness to be open and forthcoming about all issues discussed during the program.

A Questionnaire for persons considering taking the full 20-session Skype-based Intensive Intervention Program and who first wish to apply for the Free Brief Screening Interview to help determine if taking the Program at this time would be worthwhile.

Please fill out the questionnaire and email to Dr Cupchik at wcupchik@aol.com . In the subject line please write the following: [(WC) My completed FBSI Questionnaire]

1. First name only (at this time):

2. Age and gender:

3. Marital Status:  If married or living common-law, please state your spouse's first name.

4. Ages and genders of your children, if any.

5. Educational Background:

6. Your work/profession:

7. Have you ever stolen from your workplace, your co-workers, clients or customers? If yes, please describe to what extent you have done so.

8. Describe the sort(s) of theft behavior: (i.e., shoplifting, fraud, etc...) that you have engaged in.

9. How many times in total you have committed these kinds of acts?

10. From whom (relatives, friends, strangers, etc…) and where (kind of stores, elsewhere) have you stolen?  

11. Over what period of time?

12. Have you ever been caught? Charged? Convicted? How many times, please:

13. Your estimate of the total amount, in dollars, of the value of the items/money stolen:

14. Issues in your personal and/or working life that have been and still are of concern to you:

15. Do you take prescribed antidepressants? If so, which one? Dosage? For how long have you been taking this medication?  What other prescribed medications are you taking?

16. Did you ever steal before being on an antidepressant?

17. Did you steal only after you began using an antidepressant?  

18. Did/do you have a problem with alcohol? Street drugs (which ones)?  

19. Do you have a considerable amount of anger? If so, towards whom?  

20. Do you tend to be depressed a good deal of the time?

21. Who in your personal life knows about your problem with stealing?  

22. Does that person truly know the full extent of the problem? 

23. What else can you relate about yourself and the goings on in your personal life, that you think may be relevant to your stealing behavior? 

24. What (other) personal issues are of concern to you at the present time?  

25. When did you last steal?  

26. When did you last get caught and/or charged?  

27. Do you currently have a charge pending before the courts? In what jurisdiction (country, state or province)?  

28. How many times have you been charged? Convicted? Have you ever spent any time in jail for stealing offences? How many separate times, and for how much time in total?

29. Have you been convicted of any other offences?

30. Do you genuinely wish to stop your theft behavior once and for all or are you primarily or only interested in simply dealing with any current charge? [If the latter, then working with Dr. Cupchik is definitely not recommended]

31. Have you had any previous psychotherapy? Are you currently in therapy? What kind, when, with whom, and what was/has been the duration of the treatment? What did you learn and how has it helped you in any area(s) of your life?

32. Please add below any other information that you care to and/or that you think Dr. Cupchik should probably be aware of, when considering your request for the Free Brief Screening Interview.  

33. Since you have been using a prescribed antidepressant, has your stealing markedly increased, lessened or stayed about the same? Please elaborate.  

34. How would you describe the state of your primary relationship? (Strained, supportive, in trouble, etc…)

35. How supportive do you think your partner would be if he/she knew the full extent of your stealing? Does he/she really know the FULL extent of your theft behavior?

36. Are you seriously considering the possibility of taking the 20-session Skype-based Intensive Intervention Program with Dr.  Cupchik? If so, what are your primary concerns in relation to considering this possibility?  

37. Where (in what country, state or province) do you live?

38. Does the jurisdiction in which you live have a so-called 'three-strikes policy' for criminal behavior, including shoplifting? 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbv5rka8eUI