Strategies for Overcoming Gender Differences When Working with Male Clients

Hosted by: David Prescott
Guest Speakers: Shoshanna Must, PhD and Dawn Pflugradt, PsyD, LP, LCSW

Recorded On: April 19, 2022


An increasing number of women are entering the ranks of mental health professionals in the criminal justice system (including specializing in domestic violence and/or sexual offending). The relational intricacies of female therapists’ treatment of men present special challenges. Graduate programs in psychology rarely address gender dynamics. Thus, early-career women often enter the workplace unprepared to address issues that arise when working with male clients.

In this webinar, Dr. Must and Dr. Pflugradt will discuss clinical topics pertinent to women working in the criminal justice system. The speakers will also address the different contexts of this work, such as community-based programs and institutional settings. This discussion is also recommended for male mental health professionals who are interested in learning more about these dynamics in order to be better allies, colleagues, co-therapists, or supervisors. 


Shoshanna Must, PhD
Clinical Director, Empire State Forensics

Shoshanna Must is a full-time practitioner and Clinical Director for New York City office of Empire State Forensics. She is also on the board of the New York State Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (NYSATSA), and an active member of the City Bar Working group which is dedicated to registration reform. She is also the author (with Gretchen Sofocleous, Ph.D.) of a chapter on challenges related to pregnancy in the book, Women Working in Criminal Justice: A Guidebook for Navigating Professional Challenges, by Laura Jakul and Bobbi Walling and published by Safer Society.


Dawn Pflugradt, PsyD, LP, LCSW
Psychologist Chief, Wisconsin Department of Corrections

Dawn Pflugradt, Psy.D., is a licensed psychologist with advanced degrees in psychology, social work and bioethics. She works in the area of sex offender assessment and treatment and is an associate professor at the Wisconsin School of Professional Psychology where she teaches courses in developmental psychology, personality disorders, and ethics. In addition to her years of clinical experience, Dr. Pflugradt has published numerous articles and book chapters in the areas of pediatrics and sex offender assessment and treatment. Dr. Pflugradt also is a certified trainer for the STATIC-99R and STABLE-2007.

Comments 4

  1. Hello,
    Can you provide more information about this Webinar. How long is it, how much does it cost, are there CE’s available?

    1. Thank you for your inquiry, Jennifer!

      The Safer Talk webinars are one hour in length unless otherwise noted. All of the Safer Talk webinars are free of charge. To access the webinar, you must click “Access Webinar Recording” and then go through the checkout process by adding the webinars to your cart. Once you submit your order, you will receive an email confirmation with links to access the recordings.

      We do not offer CE credits for the free Safer Talk webinars.

      If you have further questions, please let us know!

      Kind regards,

      Sarah Snow Haskell
      Director of Operations

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