It may be self-evident that before treatment of a sex offender or any patient can begin, the therapist must know something of the who (that is, the characteristics that make up the patient plus the characteristics of the disorder he or she is suffering) and the why of the patient who is seeking help (that is, the motives the patient has in seeking treatment, whether treatment has been imposed or mandated by external bodies such as the courts or the criminal justice system, etc.).