EXPERT WITNESS/
Forensic Services
I'm here because...
You’re here because a court has ordered, or your attorney has recommended, that you to complete an assessment or evaluation. Your evaluation may be required to provide the court with an answer to a question specific to your charge. Depending on the results of your assessment, your attorney may be able to alter the outcome of your case. Although no guarantees can be made in any case, a psychological evaluation may often be highly beneficial to you in some way.
You may have been accused of an offense by another person who may gain from that accusation. Such accusations are often used in an abusive manner. I will provide a court with an unbiased opinion of what is best for all parties involved.
Forensic assessment has always been a part of my professional existence, beginning in undergraduate school, simply by scoring and proctoring assessments and observing or contributing to groups therapy. My assessment skills grew with each degree, practicum, internship, corrections experience, and private practice experience since 1997. This is where I call home.
Forensic assessment is quite different from individual or private assessment in that it is typically ordered by a court or recommended by your attorney. Your assessment will be tailored to the court question and to you as an individual. I have access to a very wide variety of assessment measures that can provide an answer to any question required. Because working with courts can be lengthy, time-consuming, and detailed, a retainer fee is required, similar to that of your attorney.
Fees are different for many reasons and are typically not covered by insurance. My fees are within or below the national average.
I am a member of a number of organizations related to family courts and Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)/Coercive Control with ongoing training from multiple professional agencies. A growing body of research is emerging that is showing the psychological and physical health concerns for adult and child victims. Research is also emerging identifying DARVO tactics (Deny, Attack, and Reverse Victim and Offender). This tactic is used to cause uncertainty in the mind of the victim and to reduce the chance that abuse will be reported or revealed.
Children in IPV/Coercive Control cases often experience abuse intended to inflict maximum psychological harm to the former IPV/Coercive Control partner. Research is emerging that supports that the “best interest of the child” is not being upheld and standards set out for Judges are not consistently followed.
Many Clinicians do not pursue appropriate training to understand how IPV/Coercive Control continues in family courts. This has become an increased risk of custody changes, particularly if physical, sexual, or psychological abuse reports have been alleged by the partner who is no longer controlled by the perpetrator. Unfortunately, research also supports that Courts and legal representatives have insufficient knowledge about how IPV/Coercive Control appears before them.
My perspective is gender-neutral. I recognize that the victim or the abuser can be either partner. My practice is geared towards assessing for IPV/Coercive Control, court abuse with custody cases, forensic psychological evaluations (Parental Capacity Evaluations or PCEs), and child abuse in any form (physical, sexual, psychological, verbal, emotional, or any combination).
I include children in this section because they are increasingly experiencing levels of abuse from repeated litigation. My goals are twofold; a) to return the focus to the actual victim(s) rather than the perpetrator who assumes the role of the victim, and b) to return the priority of the outcome to the best interests of the child(ren).
I am a certified Child Forensic Evaluator (CFE) RADAR Training through UNC Chapel Hill to assess children for potential abuse or neglect. Additionally, I maintain updated Child Forensic Interviewing skills through Palo Alto CONCEPTS courses and National Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCADV).
I routinely attend training or review webinars to maintain awareness of new information, trends in family courts, and research as often as needed to answer any questions that arise for my clients. I also routinely assess for domestic violence to protect victima and children in family courts.
My years of experience have allowed me to become highly specialized in assessing abused children within the family court system. If your child has been the victim of physical, sexual, psychological, verbal, and/or emotional abuse, I can confirm it with the scientific data of a forensic evaluation and support the data with extensive research I’ve gathered in these cases.
The majority of my initial years as a Licensed Psychologist were spent assessing sexually and physically abused children in very difficult circumstances. I have conducted assessments on youth and adults across the age span in emergency foster care shelters, group homes, hospitals, detention centers, correctional facilities, and private practice offices since 1997.
My work over the past several years allowed me to become quite well-versed on the issues of domestic violence, how Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)/Coercive Control appears specific to a perpetrator versus a victim, and how this abuse continues into the Family Court system. I am well versed in IPV/Coercive Control of both the protective parent and the children.
Important research has been published that was conducted by Dr. Daniel Saunders (2015), funded by the Department of Justice, that showed Judges were not adequately informed on IPV/Coercive Control. Dr. Saunders found that when IPV/Coercive Control was detected, parenting plans shifted to include parenting plans with higher levels of safety and higher rates of custody given to the protective parent. Further, the lethality of IPV was included, which highlights the seriousness of the issue that needs greater discussion in family courts.
The National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges published A Judicial Guide to Child Safety in Custody Cases manual in 2008 that was developed by Judges, Attorneys, Psychologists, and other service providers specific to the management of IPV/Coercive Control cases in terms of victims/survivors and children. The manual discusses research on abuse that was once perpetrated on a partner frequently leads to abuse of children, supporting they are then at risk of IPV/Coercive Control. The manual outlines how the IPV/Coercive Control parent and the “at-risk parent” appear in court with significant differences noted. Cases are often mislabeled as “high conflict”, which is misleading and suggests both partners are engaged in a dispute. In contrast, the IPV/Coercive Control parent creates the conflict while the protective parent is avoidant of conflict. The manual then seeks to provide information on parenting time limitations, custody recommendations, and deciding on legal rights for parenting, all of which focus on the safety of the protective parent and the children.
Consultations and services for forensic purposes are also available to examine an individual or a case to find ways in which Expert Witness Testimony or an assessment for one or more parties may be helpful. Consultation may also be in the form of providing agency information that can assist in providing services to the community, such as dealing with domestic violence, sexual violence, or child abuse victims.
My practice is becoming increasingly specialized in the areas of IPV/Coercive Control, family courts, custody cases, and child abuse. I work with several attorneys in North Carolina and Virginia and am available for consultations in difficult cases.
Parental capacity evaluations (PCEs) are specialized assessments that answer a Court’s question of who or what is best for the child or children by assessing the qualities of each parent.
Being licensed in North Carolina and Virginia allows me to travel and assist in these cases across both states. I have attained licensure mobility to practice now in 30+ states.
I conduct assessments of both parents whenever possible so that they are fairly and comparably presented to the Court. I also assess the relationship between each parent and their child or children. By comparably evaluating both parents, all gender bias is removed and the data from each measure speaks for itself specific to each parent. Both men and women, equally, have benefited from these evaluations.
The goal of my evaluations is to best meet the needs of the child or children. Both parents may be excellent in their roles although unable to communicate about their children.
My evaluations also come with the most updated research on domestic violence and child abuse, if it exists in your case. I have gathered numerous peer-reviewed and published research articles to support results of any given measure and the entirety of the evaluation.
I am a member of a number of organizations related to family courts and domestic violence with ongoing training from multiple professional agencies. I routinely attend training or review webinars to maintain awareness of new information, trends in family courts, and research as often as needed to answer any questions that arise for my clients.
Is this person competent to stand trial (Competency)? Is this person Not Guilty By Reason of Insanity (NGRI)? Does he or she have a history of mental illness that resulted in a serious crime? Did they understand that their behavior could result in serious injury, death, and consequences for their actions? I can answer these questions with the appropriate assessment measures. I have completed training through Institute of Law, Psychiatry, & Public Policy (ILPPP) through the University of Virginia that meets Virginia Statute standards to conduct these assessments.
Is this person competent to stand trial (Competency/Capacity)? Is your client able to assist in his/her defense? Are they able to identify key players in the courtroom and their purpose for being there? If you suspect a client has significant psychological issues that are interfering with his or her ability to assist in their defense, utilize a competency evaluation. There are many measures that assess for faking psychological problems or for confirming cognitive, personality, neurological, or medical impairment. I have completed training through Institute of Law, Psychiatry, & Public Policy (ILPPP) through the University of Virginia that meets Virginia Statute standards to conduct these assessments.
What was the Mental State at the Time of Offense (MSTO)? Does your client have mental illness issues that could have affected their behavior at the time of the offense? Were they entirely unable to prevent their impulse to injure or cause lethal damage to a victim of their crime? I am able to answer this question with the appropriate assessment measures if needed. I have completed training through Institute of Law, Psychiatry, & Public Policy (ILPPP) through the University of Virginia that meets Virginia Statute standards to conduct these assessments.
A risk/needs assessment is usually associated with a pending charge that poses a danger to others. The point of this type of assessment is to determine how much risk is present, if any, or to provide evidence that no risk exists. These risks may be in the form of physical or sexual abuse, domestic violence, anger problems, or other psychological problems that may impair one’s ability to control their behavior. As such, specific measures will be tailored to identify a diagnosis, possible treatment needs, and risk associated with the identified problem.
Licensed Clinical and Forensic Psychologists who choose to work with attorneys and court systems are subject to more stringent scrutiny and increased risk in their practice. Between your attorney and me, we can work together to best utilize my time and your financial expenditures. Insurance companies typically do not provide reimbursement for court assessments.
Since my work is much like that of your attorney, retainer fees will vary based on your case. The amount we discuss will cover the majority of a complete evaluation. Assessment fees are $250.00 per hour and court testimony is a separate retainer at $400.00 an hour estimating 8 hours. Each assessment is tailored to suite your needs, so fees will vary and can be modified to fit your financial situation.
In more complex cases, an additional amount may be expected with increases in Records Review, multiple Clinical Interviews, collateral interviews, additional assessment measures needed, Report Writing, travel time, and repeated dates and times in court. We will determine an initial Retainer Fee and work towards that fee.