Models of the relapse process seek to describe the cognitive, behavioral, motivational, and contextual factors associated with sex offenses. Theory at this level typically includes an explicit temporal factor and focuses on the proximal causes or the how of offending. Both Marlatt’s original relapse prevention and Pithers’ adaptation of it rest on a particular view of the relapse process. This approach regards relapse as a phenomenon essentially caused by an inability to cope effectively with high-risk situations. This influential perspective has contributed greatly to sex offender treatments, but it has both conceptual and empirical problems. It overemphasizes the role of skill deficits in relapse, ignores the role of conscious decision making, confuses the discussion of high-risk situations, specifies only one pathway to high-risk situations, and has restricted applicability. In contrast, a comprehensive model should contain a number of pathways, include an explicit temporal emphasis, and account for the various phases of the offense process. The self-regulatory model consists of nine phases. These phases include the life event, the desire for deviant sex or activity, the establishment of offense-related goals, the selection of a strategy, the entering of a high-risk situation, the lapse, the sex offense, the post-offense evaluation, and the attitude toward future offending. This self-regulation model can provide a more comprehensive understanding of the factors associated with relapse, and consequently can help clinicians to tailor treatment to individual offenders. Figure and 14 references (Author abstract modified)