Forensic and Clinical Psychologists Exeter

Posted by Johny Dean on November 11th, 2013

Forensic or clinical psychologists Exeter work in a field of psychology that has only been developed recently. Fifty years ago, this area of practice was just making the first theoretical steps towards the well-defined field of practice that you can find today. However, few people know when to turn to the services of forensic psychologists Exeter. You have probably heard about this profession when watching Law & Order and the character named Dr. Wong was called to determine whether a suspect was suffering from a mental disorder or not. But is it only this that defines the job of a forensic psychologist?

Forensic psychology is basically the middle point between psychology and the law system. Forensic psychologists Exeter are not only clinical experts, but they also have knowledge of the criminal justice system. They are the ones who are portrayed as the brilliant heroes who track down the criminals just by using their psychological knowledge. This is indeed, the most stereotypical definition of what is the job of a forensic psychologist. Among some of the main roles of a forensic psychologist in a court we can count: assessing the mental state for insanity plea, predicting the violent behavior and the risk of absolving a criminal from his penalty, evaluating child custody in a divorce, interpreting the data obtained with a polygraph or evaluating cases of potential malingering.

But these individuals may also be called clinical psychologists, as they provide assessment, treatment and diagnosis services to those individuals who have to deal with the judicial system. They are often called to determine if a criminal suffers from a mental disease or not. These professionals run confidential investigations that aim to find the root causes of a particular criminal behavior so that immediate actions can be taken. Therefore, they play an essential role in testimonies and the establishment of penalties for particular criminals. Clinical psychologists Exeter can also work with the victims of criminality. Their duty in such cases is to provide support that will reduce fear, anger and mental trauma for those who have suffered after being a victim or after witnessing a criminal act.

The differences between forensic psychology and therapeutic evaluations stand in some aspects, such as: the purpose addressed by the psychologist, the client’s perspective and his voluntariness, the threats to validity involved by the forensic context or the relationship between the therapist and the client. While a pure clinical psychologist works with people that turn voluntarily to his services, the forensic psychologist deals mostly with clients that are evaluated only after the order of a judge or attorney.

Magester Services is a team of clinical psychologists Exeter that focus their services on aspects such as forensic psychology, stress management, accident trauma, sexual offending or substance misuse. In case you require the assistance of the forensic psychologists Exeter, all you have to do is contact them by phone, e-mail or by filling out the enquiry form that can be found on their web page.