Forensic Psychology

Expert Witness and Clinical Assessment Services for Legal and Organizational Needs

I provide expert witness and clinical assessment services tailored to the specific needs of legal firms and organizations, such as prisons and secure hospitals. My commitment to timely delivery, clear communication, and the use of recognized assessment tools ensures high-quality, reliable reports to support your casework.

Areas of Expertise:

Prison Psychology:

Independent reports for life sentences, indeterminate parole cases, and other critical junctures.

Assessments for safe management decisions, including Category changes, treatment needs (e.g., Psychologically Informed Hospital placement), and program suitability.

Specialized evaluations for psychopathy (PCL-R), personality disorders (e.g., IPDE), autism (e.g., ADOS-2), learning disabilities (e.g., WAIS-IV), and neuropsychological functioning (e.g., WMS-IV).

Criminal Cases:

Comprehensive reports to aid in understanding offender behavior, informing sentencing decisions, and identifying risk and treatment needs.

Expert testimony on cognitive functioning, learning disabilities, and the potential impact on legal proceedings (e.g., need for intermediaries).

Assessments related to suggestibility, mental health, personality, autism, and PTSD, and their potential influence on the alleged offense.

Mental Health and Imprisonment:

Evaluation of the impact of custody on mental health conditions.

Pre-sentence risk assessments to inform probation recommendations and treatment planning (e.g., impact of learning disabilities on sex offender treatment engagement).

Online Offenses:

Specialized expertise in assessing individuals accused or convicted of downloading or sharing indecent images of children, including those apprehended by vigilante groups.

Forensic psychological risk assessments and needs analyses to support legal proceedings, employment decisions, and interactions with social services.

Extremism and Ideologically Motivated Violence:

Risk assessments focused on extremism and ideology-based violence in various contexts, including criminal justice, immigration, and mental health settings.

Family and Care Proceedings:

Expert assessments for children and adults involved in local government, care proceedings (including pre-proceedings), and private law family matters.

Evaluation of parental risk, parenting capacity, child protection needs, learning disabilities, and required support.

Assessment of therapeutic and residential needs for looked-after children.

Additional Services:

Independent risk assessments and criminal behavior analysis.

Expert opinions on personality assessments.

Reports tailored to specific referral needs, including those requested by solicitors representing patients.

I prioritize collaboration with legal professionals, therapists, and other relevant parties to ensure a comprehensive and integrated approach. My commitment to ethical practice and professional standards guides all aspects of my work.

Expert Psychological Evaluation: Ensuring Safety and Informed Decisions

Psychological evaluations play a crucial role in informing decisions made by organizations responsible for patient care, particularly in sensitive situations where risk assessment is paramount. This is especially relevant in cases involving sexual allegations, safeguarding concerns, and parole decisions.

Addressing Specific Needs:

Sexual Allegations and Safeguarding: When allegations of sexual misconduct arise, even in cases not pursued legally, psychological evaluations provide vital insight into potential risk. These assessments help organizations develop robust safeguarding strategies to minimize future risks and ensure the safety of all involved.

Parole Decisions: Evaluations for parole boards delve into crucial aspects like the risk of future sexual offenses, suitability for open conditions, and the potential for domestic violence. These reports may also include assessments for personality disorders and recommendations for specific treatment programs, ensuring informed decisions about an individual's release and potential reintegration into society.

Family Court Matters: In family court, evaluations focusing on parental capacity are essential, particularly when concerns arise about a parent's past convictions, such as possession of indecent images. These assessments delve into the potential impact of personality disorders on parenting abilities, providing valuable information to the court to ensure the safety and wellbeing of children.

Expertise and Approach:

My approach to psychological evaluation hinges on selecting the most clinically and empirically validated tools for both report writing and the formulation of professional opinions. By blending practical experience with a strong academic foundation in psychological theory, I strive to deliver assessments that are balanced, clear, and grounded in evidence-based practice. This ensures that my evaluations provide valuable insight and contribute to informed decision-making across a range of sensitive and complex situations.

Examples of assessment tools:

The following is a comprehensive overview of various assessment tools and methodologies frequently utilized in clinical and forensic psychology. These instruments can either be selected for evaluation purposes or may represent assessments a client has already experienced, necessitating an independent review for case analysis. The examples include:

  • HCR-20v3: A structured tool for assessing the risk of violence.

  • Risk for Sexual Violence Protocol (RSVPv2) / SVR-20v2: Instruments designed to evaluate the risk of sexual violence.

  • Internet Sexual Offending Risk Assessment (C-PORT): A tool aimed at assessing risks associated with internet-based sexual offenses.

  • Extremism/Terrorism Act (TACT) Offences Risk Assessment (VERA-2R): Used to evaluate the risk of involvement in extremism or terrorism.

  • Risk Matrix 2000 (RM2000) / SARN: Assessment tools that analyze the risk of sexual offending, commonly employed by prison psychologists.

  • Spousal Assault Risk Assessment (SARAv3): A tool dedicated to evaluating the risk posed by domestic violence.

  • Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) / CAPP: Instruments used to assess psychopathy or psychopathic personality disorders.

  • International Personality Disorder Examination (IPDE): A diagnostic tool for personality disorder assessment.

  • SCID 5 PD: Another diagnostic tool for evaluating personality disorders.

  • Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV): An assessment measure for cognitive functioning, often part of evaluating learning disabilities.

  • Stalking Risk Assessments: Including the Stalking Assessment and Management (SAMv2) and Stalking Risk Profile (SRP).

  • Youth Risk Assessments: Such as SAVRY and AIM-2, designed for evaluating risk factors in young individuals.

  • Trauma Assessment: For diagnosing PTSD and Complex PTSD.

  • Fire Setting Risk Assessment: Tools specifically aimed at evaluating the risks associated with fire-setting behaviors.

  • Capacity Assessments: Such as determining an individual's capacity to consent to sexual activities or participate in litigation.

  • Wechsler Abbreviated Scale of Intelligence (WASI-II): A screening assessment for cognitive functioning.

  • Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS-IV): Focused on assessing memory capabilities.

  • Malingering and Effort Testing: Tools to evaluate the authenticity of reported symptoms and the effort exerted by an individual during assessments.

  • Cognitive and Neuropsychological Tests: Including Hayling & Brixton and D-KEFS, which assess various aspects of executive functioning.

  • ADHD Diagnostic Assessments: Such as DIVA and ACE, focused on identifying Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder.

  • Autism Spectrum Disorder Diagnostic Tools: Including DISCO, ADOS-2, ADI-R, and MIGDAS 2, for comprehensive assessment of ASD.

  • Dimensional Personality Assessments: Tools like Millon Clinical Multiaxial Inventory (MCMI-IV), PAI, and MMPI that evaluate various personality dimensions.

  • Protective Factors Assessments: Including SAPROF, SAPROF-Y, and SAPROF-SO, which focus on identifying factors that may mitigate risk.

This diverse array of assessment tools reflects the complexity and variability of clinical and forensic evaluations, allowing me to conduct comprehensive assessments tailored to individual client needs.