Following the Heart Without Overstepping Boundaries — Cognitive Therapy Group for Rule Violations

Starting in April 2025, our prison has launched a ten-week program titled “Following the Heart Without Overstepping Boundaries — Cognitive Therapy Group for Rule Violations,” led by Ms. Chang Yen-Hung, an external licensed clinical psychologist. Through her professional guidance, the program accompanies inmates who have committed violations in becoming aware of their behavioral motivations and thought processes, further exploring their core beliefs and values. The ultimate aim is to reduce the risk of reoffending and to foster self-discipline and personal growth.

The group sessions are held once a week starting from April 10, each lasting two hours. Through a systematic group process, members are gradually guided from initially recognizing the connections among events, emotions, and thoughts, to the mid-stage involving the sharing of life stories and the enactment of social role-plays. Finally, the program delves into a deep exploration of the violation process and collaboratively develops concrete strategies for relapse prevention.

Beyond providing a warm and safe space for emotional expression and interpersonal interaction, the group emphasizes reshaping core beliefs and identifying high-risk situations. It is our hope that through collective support and the cultivation of self-awareness, participants can rebuild their sense of self, courageously face the challenges of the future, and truly achieve the transformative goal of “following the heart without overstepping boundaries.”

With the attentive guidance of a professional psychologist and the support of peers, we firmly believe that each participant can rediscover their inner direction, overcome past limitations, and move forward toward a life characterized by greater self-discipline, responsibility, and hope.