2026 40 Under 40 Honoree: Janelle Crisp (39)
“Dignity fuels motivation and empowerment reduces recidivism.”
Janelle Crisp
Owner & Program Director, Crisp Forensic Counseling
Few therapists choose to work with people who have caused sexual harm. For Janelle Crisp, that was part of the reason to do it.
“They require dedicated, specialized clinicians delivering evidence-based care to foster real accountability and rehabilitation,” says Crisp, owner and program director of Crisp Forensic Counseling.
Her work stretches from individual and group therapy to risk assessments and consultation with courts, probation and parole. She also serves as a governor-appointed member of Pennsylvania’s Sexual Offenders Assessment Board and is pursuing a doctorate in criminal justice, with particular interest in emerging issues including AI-generated sexual imagery and digital stalking.
Crisp’s definition of treatment has expanded with experience. When clients couldn’t focus in therapy because they were hungry, she opened a food pantry. She added clothing for court appearances and job interviews, then “Headshots for Hardships” for people whose mugshots or registry photographs follow them online.
“True rehabilitation includes treatment and probation,” Crisp says. “But it also requires safe reintegration into the community.”
