Forensic Briefs
Forensic Briefs is a podcast that offers a convenient and engaging way to stay current in forensic psychology. Hosts Dr. Michelle Guyton and Dr. Alexander Millkey interview top researchers, clinicians, and thinkers in the field. Mental health professionals can also receive continuing education by subscribing at forensicbriefs.com.
Episodes
Dr. Shoba Sreenivasan - Justice-Involved Veterans
In this episode, Dr. Shoba Sreenivasan explores the complex intersection of military service, trauma, sexual offending, and forensic risk assessment. She discusses why veterans appear disproportionately represented among people incarcerated for sexual offenses, what is known and unknown about repeat offending, and how SVP recidivism research complicates assumptions about risk. The conversation als
Julie Goldenson - Evaluator as Human
In this episode of Forensic Briefs, Dr. Julie Goldenson explores aspirational forensic report writing, emphasizing growth mindset, self-awareness, consultation, and trauma-informed practices as foundations for ethical, high-quality forensic mental health work.
Michelle Guyton and Alexander Millkey - Forensic Telepsychology
In this special host-led episode, Drs. Michelle Guyton and Alex Millkey discuss the rise of remote forensic psychological evaluations. They review the history of telehealth, summarize research on remote competency and psychiatric assessments, and present findings from their own Oregon-based study comparing in-person and remote fitness to proceed evaluations. The conversation explores benefits, lim
Terry Kukor - Aspirational Forensic Practice and Consulting Work
In this episode, Terry Kukor explores aspirational forensic practice and the role of consultation in strengthening forensic mental health work. He discusses what it means to “strive” under the Specialty Guidelines, emphasizing humility, curiosity, tolerance for uncertainty, empathy, and critical thinking. The conversation examines common impediments to high-level practice, the value of consultatio
Rick Frederick and James Mikesell - Test Data and Transparency
James W. Mikesell, PhD, ABPP, is a board-certified clinical and forensic psychologist with over two decades of experience conducting specialized forensic evaluations and consultations in civil, criminal, juvenile, and family law cases. He is board certified in both forensic and rehabilitation psychology and currently serves as President of the American Academy of Forensic Psychology. Dr. Mikesell
Rick Frederick and James Mikesell - Test Security and Due Process
In the first of a two-part conversation, Drs. Rick Frederick and James Mikesell explore foundational issues surrounding psychologists as expert witnesses. The discussion addresses ethics, the specialty guidelines, discovery obligations, impeachment, and the tension between test security and due process rights. Drawing on case law, professional standards, and real-world practice, our guests outline
ME Wood - ID and Forensic Evaluations
Dave DeMatteo - Sequential Intercept Model
Dr. David DeMatteo returns to Forensic Briefs to examine the Sequential Intercept Model and the evolution of problem-solving courts. Our conversation explores diversion points across the justice system, the rise and impact of drug and mental health courts, and the balance between public safety and public health approaches. Dr. DeMatteo highlights research, policy implications, and practical ways f
Reid Meloy - Threat Assessment Pathways
In this episode of Forensic Briefs, Dr. Reid Meloy returns to examine threat assessment and management through the development and application of the TRAP-18. He discusses proximal warning behaviors, distal risk factors, time-sequencing of violent pathways, and emerging research using artificial intelligence in forensic risk assessment. The conversation also analyzes the Capital Gazette mass murde
Reid Meloy - Predatory vs. Affective Violence
In this episode of Forensic Briefs, Dr. Reid Meloy examines the psychology of extreme violence through the lens of affective and predatory aggression. Drawing from decades of clinical, forensic, and psychoanalytic work, he discusses pathways to violence, planning and emotional states, psychosis and rationality, stochastic terrorism, and the role of social media and ideology. The conversation highl
Emily Salisbury - Gender Responsive Strategies in Risk Assessment
In this episode of Forensic Briefs, Dr. Emily Salisbury explores gender-responsive strategies within the criminal legal system. She discusses how trauma, relationships, economic marginalization, and gender norms shape women’s pathways into justice involvement. The conversation examines the risk-needs-responsivity model, gender-specific assessment tools, reproductive justice, and probation practice
Terry Kukor - Relevancy Focused Report Writing
Dr. Terry Kukor explains how relevancy-focused reports shift forensic writing from procedure-based sections to findings-based answers. Learn practical filters for what belongs in a report, how to reduce cognitive strain, and why addressing disconfirming data strengthens credibility.
Sharon Kelley - Misdemeanors and the Competency Crisis
This episode examines the national competency crisis, focusing on misdemeanor defendants, rising incompetence findings, statutory responses across states, and the ethical, clinical, and systemic consequences for courts, evaluators, and defendants with serious mental illness.
Andi Brierley - Peer Mentorship in the Legal System
Andi Brierley joins Forensic Briefs to discuss his journey from incarceration to academia, exploring how lived experience informs desistance, peer mentorship, and rehabilitation. He highlights the power of credibility, connection, and rethinking “peer” roles in justice reform.
Raquel Aldana - Immigration Evaluations
Professor Raquel Aldana joins Forensic Briefs to discuss the role of trauma, truth, and narrative in immigration law. She examines how forensic evaluations and storytelling shape asylum outcomes and why culturally sensitive, trauma-informed practices are essential.
Raquel Aldana - Trauma as inclusion in the immigration context
Professor Raquel Aldana explores how trauma and law intersect in the immigration system, examining how legal processes can both harm and heal—and how forensic mental health evaluations are reshaping justice for displaced and marginalized communities.
Mike Chavetz - Recommendations for Forensic Record Reviews
Dr. Michael Chafetz is a board-certified clinical neuropsychologist in private practice in New Orleans. He specializes in the validity of Social Security disability exams, especially in low-functioning claimants, and frequently serves as a court-appointed expert in litigated matters. His experiences, including a Daubert challenge related to record reviews, led to his co-authorship of an internatio
Lisa Drago - Use of Social Media in Evaluations
Dr. Lisa Drago explores the growing role of social media in forensic mental health evaluations. She discusses ethical considerations, challenges in interpretation, and the impact of online behavior on credibility, diagnosis, and risk assessments, offering valuable insights for professionals navigating this evolving digital landscape.
Andrew Smith – Experts’ Inconclusive Reports Conceal Exculpatory Evidence in Forensic Cartridge Case Comparisons
Andrew M. Smith is an Associate Professor of Cognitive Psychology at Iowa State University, where he investigates memory, judgment, and decision-making, particularly within legal contexts such as eyewitness identification and deception detection. His research combines computational modeling with behavioral experiments and has been published in leading journals. He has received funding from organiz
Elizabeth Foster and Sharon Kelley - Feedback in Forensic Mental Health Assessments Short
Dr. Lizzy Foster and Dr. Sharon Kelley discuss the ethical and legal challenges of providing feedback in forensic mental health assessments, offering a practical framework to help evaluators balance transparency, respect, and professional responsibilities.
Julie Goldenson - Trauma-Informed Forensic Mental Health Assessments
Dr. Julie Goldenson joins us to explore how trauma-informed principles can enhance forensic mental health assessments. Drawing from her 2022 article, she discusses the ethical tensions evaluators face, how complex trauma shapes behavior, and why therapeutic jurisprudence offers a framework for minimizing harm. Dr. Goldenson explains how empathy, cultural awareness, and transparency can improve ass
Dave DeMatteo - Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology
Dr. Dave DeMatteo joins Forensic Briefs to discuss the history, revisions, and unexpected legal power of the Specialty Guidelines for Forensic Psychology. From their origins to future updates, he unpacks the ethical and legal stakes facing forensic psychologists—and why guidelines that were never meant to be enforceable, sometimes are.
Maaike Helmus - Risk Assessment with Child Sexual Exploitation Material Offenders
Dr. Maaike Helmus discusses risk assessment in child sexual exploitation material (CSEM) cases, highlighting research challenges, tool validation issues, and recent debates around the CPORT. She explains how practitioners can responsibly navigate evolving science in high-stakes forensic contexts.
Shelby Hunter - Neuropsychological Deficits Associated with Medical Conditions
Dr. Shelby Hunter returns to discuss how common medical conditions like HIV, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease can impact cognitive functioning in forensic populations. She highlights practical strategies for clinicians and attorneys, drawing from her 2022 article to advocate for better assessment, care, and outcomes in criminal legal settings.
Aliza Kaplan - Implicit Bias in the Forensic Sciences
Professor Aliza Kaplan joins the podcast to explore how implicit bias in forensic science contributes to wrongful convictions. Drawing from decades of experience in criminal justice reform, Kaplan discusses the systemic challenges, forensic science flaws, and the urgent need for unbiased, independent analysis in our legal system.
Elizabeth Jeglic - Sexual Grooming Behaviors
In this episode of Forensic Briefs, Dr. Elizabeth Jeglic, a leading expert on sexual violence prevention, breaks down the complex process of sexual grooming. She discusses her research on identifying red flags, the five stages of grooming, and how we can take proactive steps to prevent child sexual abuse.
Dan Murrie - The Competency Crisis
In this episode of Forensic Briefs, Dr. Dan Murrie discusses the growing competency crisis in the U.S. legal system. He explores the rising number of competency evaluations, delays in restoration services, and the systemic factors driving this issue, including mental health care gaps, homelessness, and evolving legal practices.
Episode 0 Welcome to Forensic Briefs
Discover a convenient, engaging, and cost-effective way to stay current in forensic psychology. Listen to Drs. Michelle Guyton and Alexander Millkey interview top researchers, clinicians, and thinkers in this field. These podcasts are 60 to 90 minutes in length and offer the opportunity to earn continuing education credit. Our organization is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA
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