In this episode of Emotional Damages, Dr. Mark Levy interviews Dr. Michelle Ward—neuroscientist, forensic psychologist, and host of Investigation Discovery’s “Mind of a Murderer” and the hit podcast “Look Who’s Stalking.” Dr. Ward shares candid stories from her pioneering research and courtroom consulting, revealing how science, genetics, and lived experience shape our evolving understanding of criminal behavior and risk.
In this episode of Emotional Damages, Dr. Ambarin Faizi speaks with Dr. Ashley VanDercar, a forensic psychiatrist and attorney, whose dual training uniquely positions her at the crossroads of law and psychiatry. Together, they explore how attorneys and experts can collaborate to ensure forensic evaluations are not only clinically sound but legally precise.
Cases involving allegations of sexual violence or sexually deviant behaviors demand forensic precision, empathy, and a nuanced understanding of risk and diagnosis. In this week’s Emotional Damages, Dr. Ambarin Faizi interviews Dr. Brian Holoyda, one of the nation’s leading forensic psychiatrists on sexual violence risk assessment and paraphilic disorders.
https://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.png00Hannah Plopiniohttps://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.pngHannah Plopinio2025-10-23 14:08:542026-02-02 01:28:54Emotional Damages Episode 10 Recap: Paraphilic Disorders, SVP Evaluation, and Risk Assessment—Forensic Psychiatrist Dr. Brian Holoyda Explains What Attorneys Must Know
Childhood trauma casts long shadows—on well-being, on family systems, and in legal disputes where psychiatric injury is at issue. In this episode of Emotional Damages, host Dr. Ambarin Faizi interviews Dr. Paul Elizondo, a triple board-certified psychiatrist with expertise in child, adolescent, and forensic psychiatry. Together, they unpack how trauma in childhood reverberates in forensic evaluations and courtroom settings.
https://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.png00Hannah Plopiniohttps://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.pngHannah Plopinio2025-09-04 13:07:392026-01-16 11:10:58Emotional Damages Episode 9 Recap: Childhood Trauma in Litigation — Forensic Psychiatrist Dr. Paul Elizondo on Development, Credibility, and the Courtroom
Often times, mental health symptoms are underrecognized and misunderstood. Forensic psychiatrists use careful evaluation methods to examine mental health symptoms as a complex puzzle that is composed of various biological, developmental, social, and psychological factors. These factors can affect the way an individual adapts to stress, both in terms of their emotions and their behavior. When we analyze a suicide from a forensic perspective, we seek to understand what happened—factually, psychologically, and systemically.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is increasingly relevant in civil and criminal litigation, but misconceptions about the condition often complicate legal proceedings. In this episode of Emotional Damages, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Ambarin Faizi sits down with autism expert Dr. Bryna Siegel to explore how ASD is assessed in forensic cases and what attorneys need to know when handling autism-related claims.
https://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.png00Hannah Plopiniohttps://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.pngHannah Plopinio2025-02-21 07:30:232025-02-21 11:46:51Emotional Damages Episode 4 Recap: Understanding ASD in Civil and Criminal Proceedings with Dr. Bryna Siegel
The third episode of Emotional Damages: Practical Insights into Forensic Psychiatry for Litigating Attorneys tackles one of the most challenging topics in forensic psychiatry and the law: addressing adult cases of childhood sexual abuse. Forensic psychiatrist and host Dr. Ambarin Faizi leads a compelling discussion with Dr. Charles Saldanha, Co-Medical Director of fpamed, and Attorney Jon Daggett, Managing Partner at Hiroshima & Daggett Law Firm.
https://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.png00Hannah Plopiniohttps://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.pngHannah Plopinio2025-02-06 06:18:412025-02-06 06:21:24Emotional Damages Episode 3 Recap: Addressing Trauma from Childhood Sexual Abuse with Dr. Saldanha & Attorney Jon Daggett
Violence and murder have their roots in biological, psychological, and sociological factors. This article will focus on one specific element of the biological aspects of violence and murder; specifically; neurological and neuropsychological aspects.
https://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.png00Hannah Plopiniohttps://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.pngHannah Plopinio2024-10-27 08:42:462024-10-27 08:43:39Neuropsychological and neurological correlates in violent and homicidal offenders: A legal and neuroscience perspective
https://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.png00Hannah Plopiniohttps://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.pngHannah Plopinio2024-08-27 05:56:192024-08-27 06:29:46What is the difference between a treating psychiatrist and a forensic psychiatrist?
Every day, hundreds of Americans are affected by sexual violence. The general public’s growing awareness of sexual misconduct has piqued public interest. In this commentary, Dr. Amanie Salem, fpamed expert, and her co-author, Dr. William Newman, explores novel perspectives on sexual offending, and why learning more about the rates and patterns of sexual misconduct in various populations is important.
https://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.png00Hannah Plopiniohttps://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.pngHannah Plopinio2024-07-18 15:42:272024-07-18 15:42:27Older Sex Offenders: Expanding the Interface Between Geriatric and Forensic Psychiatry
Functional neurological disorders (FND) and somatization are common in clinical practice and medicolegal settings. These conditions are frequently disabling and, if arising following an accident, may lead to claims for legal compensation or occupational disability (such as social security disability insurance). However, distinguishing FND and somatization from symptoms that are intentionally produced (i.e., malingered or factitious) may pose a major forensic psychiatric challenge. In this article, we describe how somatoform disorders and FND lie along a spectrum of abnormal illness‐related behaviors, including factitious disorder, compensation neurosis, and malingering. We provide a systematic approach to the forensic assessment of FND and conclude by describing common litigation scenarios in which FND may be at issue. Forensic testimony may play an important role in the resolution of such cases.
Many jails and prisons in the United States do not have enough mental health professionals (MHPs) to meet the mental health needs of the people incarcerated in these facilities. This article examines strategies used to address MHP shortages in U.S. jails and prisons, including compensation incentives, telemental health services, interdisciplinary health care, flexible work schedules, and training rotations in correctional settings. These measures may help alleviate some of the shortages of MHPs in correctional facilities; however, these shortages will likely persist without broader policy reforms that decrease the size of U.S. correctional pop- ulations or increase the number of MHPs across the country.
https://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.png00Hannah Plopiniohttps://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.pngHannah Plopinio2024-02-26 09:25:112024-02-26 09:25:11The Role of the Child Psychiatrist in Court Cases Involving Child Victims of Sexual Assault
Many jails and prisons in the United States do not have enough mental health professionals (MHPs) to meet the mental health needs of the people incarcerated in these facilities. This article examines strategies used to address MHP shortages in U.S. jails and prisons, including compensation incentives, telemental health services, interdisciplinary health care, flexible work schedules, and training rotations in correctional settings. These measures may help alleviate some of the shortages of MHPs in correctional facilities; however, these shortages will likely persist without broader policy reforms that decrease the size of U.S. correctional pop- ulations or increase the number of MHPs across the country.
https://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.png00seo adminhttps://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.pngseo admin2024-01-30 00:46:182024-01-30 19:21:38Addressing Shortages of Mental Health Professionals in U.S. Jails and Prisons
This manuscript explores the history of the Freedom House Enterprises Ambulance Service, a social and medical experiment that trained “unemployable” black citizens during the late 1960s and early 1970s to provide then state of the art prehospital care. Through archives, newspapers, personal correspondence, university memoranda, and the medical literature, this paper explores the comparable, yet different roles of the program’s two leaders, Drs. Peter Safar and Nancy Caroline. Despite its success in demonstrating national standards for paramedic training and equipment, the program ended abruptly in 1975. And though Pittsburgh’s city administration cited economic constraints for its fledgling support of Freedom House, black and majority newspapers and citizens alike understood the city’s diminishing support of the program in racial terms. The paper discusses Safar and Caroline’s well-intentioned efforts in developing this novel program, while confronting the racial, social, and structural constraints on the program and the limits of racial liberalism.
https://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.png00seo adminhttps://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.pngseo admin2024-01-24 19:19:232024-01-24 19:19:23Pittsburgh’s Freedom House Ambulance Service: The Origins of Emergency Medical Services and the Politics of Race and Health
By Mark I. Levy, MD, DLFAPA fpamed Forensic Psychiatrist Not everyone with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) responds to antidepressant medication. Researchers are increasingly asking “Why?” and coming up with novel understandings. The most common antidepressants prescribed these days are close to a dozen different SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, e.g., the Prozac family of drugs). […]
https://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.png00seo adminhttps://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.pngseo admin2023-08-03 21:44:352023-08-14 22:06:29Gut Feelings: A Commentary on Recent Findings Involving Biomarkers and Their Relationship to Mental Illness
By Steven H. Berger, MD fpamed Forensic Psychiatrist A person who is incompetent to stand trial cannot have a fair trial. That is a basic tenet of our American justice system. What is competence to stand trial? How is it determined? What happens if a person is found incompetent? In general, to be competent to […]
https://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.png00seo adminhttps://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.pngseo admin2023-08-03 21:35:182023-08-14 22:06:42Determining Competence to Stand Trial: A Brief Breakdown by a Forensic Psychiatric Expert
Even LGBTQ+-identified youth and adults in the San Francisco Bay Area bubble experience stress associated with being a sexual or gender minority. Please read about Dr. Paul Elizondo’s experience serving LGBTQ+-identified youth and adults in his psychiatric practices in outpatient, residential treatment program, and incarcerated settings.
https://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.png00seo adminhttps://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.pngseo admin2023-06-09 22:09:592023-06-09 22:30:26Considerations for the Forensic Evaluation of the LGBTQ+-identified Person
Today’s youth are exposed to the Internet through the ubiquitous presence of smartphones, social networking, and messaging, carrying a simultaneous devaluation of face-to-face and telephone communication. This rapid expansion of online socialization has introduced new complications to old problems, including the progression of bullying into cyberbullying and cyberbullicide.
By Nancy Hoffman, PsyD fpamed Forensic Psychologist The power I exert on the court depends on the power of my arguments, not on my gender. – Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Historically, medicine and the law have been typically dominated by men, creating the possibility of gender bias in the courtroom. Therefore, women’s presentation style is […]
By Dr. Mark I. Levy, MD, DLFAPA fpamed Forensic Psychiatrist Catastrophic events, or other situations such as toxic torts and product liability claims, often lead to litigation where a large number of claimants report severe emotional damages. While multi-plaintiff litigation requires an expert to contrast and compare vulnerabilities and resiliency factors within members of the […]
https://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.png00seo adminhttps://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.pngseo admin2023-02-28 02:57:482023-03-01 21:42:18The Benefits of Using the “Team Approach” When Assessing Emotional Damages in Mass Tort Litigation
By James Armontrout, MD fpamed Forensic Psychiatrist When people think about psychotherapy often the image of years of weekly meetings with slow-paced and hard-won improvements comes to mind. While this can be the case for some conditions, many newer psychotherapies for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can often achieve remarkable results in a time-limited fashion. For example, […]
https://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.png00seo adminhttps://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.pngseo admin2023-02-27 23:53:262023-02-28 03:00:02A New Study Confirms Old Knowledge: Psychotherapy Works for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
by Tyler Durns, MD fpamed Forensic Psychiatrist First, one must understand what emotional damages claims entail. Such declarations might be founded in a variety of outcomes and antecedents. Emotional damage claims may result from duress relating to routine employment, workplace discrimination and harassment, emotional harm from defamation and libel, intentional or negligent infliction of emotional […]
https://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.png00seo adminhttps://fpamed.com/wp-content/uploads/FPA-Med-Logo-enfold.pngseo admin2023-02-27 23:41:322023-03-09 02:53:28Six Tips for Making the Best Use of an Emotional Damages Expert
By Octavio Choi, MD, PhD fpamed Forensic Psychiatrist Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a type of injury that is caused by a sudden and violent blow or jolt to the head. It can result in a wide range of organic/cognitive/emotional injuries and behavioral symptoms, depending on the severity of the head trauma. One area where […]
Emotional Damages Episode 12 Recap: Brain, Behavior, and the Law—Dr. Michelle Ward on Psychopathy, Science, and Real-World Forensic Consulting
/in Civil Litigation, Emotional Damages, Podcast, PsychopathyIn this episode of Emotional Damages, Dr. Mark Levy interviews Dr. Michelle Ward—neuroscientist, forensic psychologist, and host of Investigation Discovery’s “Mind of a Murderer” and the hit podcast “Look Who’s Stalking.” Dr. Ward shares candid stories from her pioneering research and courtroom consulting, revealing how science, genetics, and lived experience shape our evolving understanding of criminal behavior and risk.
Emotional Damages Episode 11 Recap: Dr. Ashley VanDercar on Malingering, Violence Risk Factors, and Attorney-Expert Collaboration
/in Emotional Damages, Malingering, Podcast, ViolenceIn this episode of Emotional Damages, Dr. Ambarin Faizi speaks with Dr. Ashley VanDercar, a forensic psychiatrist and attorney, whose dual training uniquely positions her at the crossroads of law and psychiatry. Together, they explore how attorneys and experts can collaborate to ensure forensic evaluations are not only clinically sound but legally precise.
Emotional Damages Episode 10 Recap: Paraphilic Disorders, SVP Evaluation, and Risk Assessment—Forensic Psychiatrist Dr. Brian Holoyda Explains What Attorneys Must Know
/in Emotional Damages, Podcast, Risk Assessment, Sexual Abuse, ViolenceCases involving allegations of sexual violence or sexually deviant behaviors demand forensic precision, empathy, and a nuanced understanding of risk and diagnosis. In this week’s Emotional Damages, Dr. Ambarin Faizi interviews Dr. Brian Holoyda, one of the nation’s leading forensic psychiatrists on sexual violence risk assessment and paraphilic disorders.
Emotional Damages Episode 9 Recap: Childhood Trauma in Litigation — Forensic Psychiatrist Dr. Paul Elizondo on Development, Credibility, and the Courtroom
/in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Forensic, Emotional Damages, PodcastChildhood trauma casts long shadows—on well-being, on family systems, and in legal disputes where psychiatric injury is at issue. In this episode of Emotional Damages, host Dr. Ambarin Faizi interviews Dr. Paul Elizondo, a triple board-certified psychiatrist with expertise in child, adolescent, and forensic psychiatry. Together, they unpack how trauma in childhood reverberates in forensic evaluations and courtroom settings.
The Cost of Unseen Suffering: Concealed Suffering and Suicidality
/in Articles, Publications & Quotes, Depression, Mental Health, Mental Illness, SuicideOften times, mental health symptoms are underrecognized and misunderstood. Forensic psychiatrists use careful evaluation methods to examine mental health symptoms as a complex puzzle that is composed of various biological, developmental, social, and psychological factors. These factors can affect the way an individual adapts to stress, both in terms of their emotions and their behavior. When we analyze a suicide from a forensic perspective, we seek to understand what happened—factually, psychologically, and systemically.
Emotional Damages Episode 4 Recap: Understanding ASD in Civil and Criminal Proceedings with Dr. Bryna Siegel
/in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Forensic, Emotional Damages, PodcastAutism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is increasingly relevant in civil and criminal litigation, but misconceptions about the condition often complicate legal proceedings. In this episode of Emotional Damages, forensic psychiatrist Dr. Ambarin Faizi sits down with autism expert Dr. Bryna Siegel to explore how ASD is assessed in forensic cases and what attorneys need to know when handling autism-related claims.
Emotional Damages Episode 3 Recap: Addressing Trauma from Childhood Sexual Abuse with Dr. Saldanha & Attorney Jon Daggett
/in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Forensic, Emotional Damages, Podcast, Posttraumatic Stress DisorderThe third episode of Emotional Damages: Practical Insights into Forensic Psychiatry for Litigating Attorneys tackles one of the most challenging topics in forensic psychiatry and the law: addressing adult cases of childhood sexual abuse. Forensic psychiatrist and host Dr. Ambarin Faizi leads a compelling discussion with Dr. Charles Saldanha, Co-Medical Director of fpamed, and Attorney Jon Daggett, Managing Partner at Hiroshima & Daggett Law Firm.
Neuropsychological and neurological correlates in violent and homicidal offenders: A legal and neuroscience perspective
/in Articles, Publications & Quotes, Forensic Psychology, Neuroscience, Newsletters, TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury)Violence and murder have their roots in biological, psychological, and sociological factors. This article will focus on one specific element of the biological aspects of violence and murder; specifically; neurological and neuropsychological aspects.
Exclusive Preview: Traumatic Brain Injury 101 for Legal Professionals
/in TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury), WebinarsExclusive Preview: Assessing Claims of Emotional Damages in Multi-Plaintiff Litigation
/in Emotional Damages, Forensic Psychiatry, Forensic Psychology, WebinarsDon’t miss out! Click here to schedule a free webinar.
What is the difference between a treating psychiatrist and a forensic psychiatrist?
/in Forensic Psychiatry, Video, WebinarsDon’t miss out! Click here to schedule a free webinar.
Older Sex Offenders: Expanding the Interface Between Geriatric and Forensic Psychiatry
/in Articles, Publications & Quotes, Forensic PsychiatryEvery day, hundreds of Americans are affected by sexual violence. The general public’s growing awareness of sexual misconduct has piqued public interest. In this commentary, Dr. Amanie Salem, fpamed expert, and her co-author, Dr. William Newman, explores novel perspectives on sexual offending, and why learning more about the rates and patterns of sexual misconduct in various populations is important.
Forensic assessment of somatoform and functional neurological disorders
/in Articles, Publications & Quotes, Forensic PsychiatryFunctional neurological disorders (FND) and somatization are common in clinical practice and medicolegal settings. These conditions are frequently disabling and, if arising following an accident, may lead to claims for legal compensation or occupational disability (such as social security disability insurance). However, distinguishing FND and somatization from symptoms that are intentionally produced (i.e., malingered or factitious) may pose a major forensic psychiatric challenge. In this article, we describe how somatoform disorders and FND lie along a spectrum of abnormal illness‐related behaviors, including factitious disorder, compensation neurosis, and malingering. We provide a systematic approach to the forensic assessment of FND and conclude by describing common litigation scenarios in which FND may be at issue. Forensic testimony may play an important role in the resolution of such cases.
The Role of the Child Psychiatrist in Court Cases Involving Child Victims of Sexual Assault
/in Articles, Publications & Quotes, Forensic Psychiatry, Mental Health, Sexual AbuseMany jails and prisons in the United States do not have enough mental health professionals (MHPs) to meet the mental health needs of the people incarcerated in these facilities. This article examines strategies used to address MHP shortages in U.S. jails and prisons, including compensation incentives, telemental health services, interdisciplinary health care, flexible work schedules, and training rotations in correctional settings. These measures may help alleviate some of the shortages of MHPs in correctional facilities; however, these shortages will likely persist without broader policy reforms that decrease the size of U.S. correctional pop- ulations or increase the number of MHPs across the country.
Addressing Shortages of Mental Health Professionals in U.S. Jails and Prisons
/in Articles, Publications & Quotes, Mental HealthMany jails and prisons in the United States do not have enough mental health professionals (MHPs) to meet the mental health needs of the people incarcerated in these facilities. This article examines strategies used to address MHP shortages in U.S. jails and prisons, including compensation incentives, telemental health services, interdisciplinary health care, flexible work schedules, and training rotations in correctional settings. These measures may help alleviate some of the shortages of MHPs in correctional facilities; however, these shortages will likely persist without broader policy reforms that decrease the size of U.S. correctional pop- ulations or increase the number of MHPs across the country.
Pittsburgh’s Freedom House Ambulance Service: The Origins of Emergency Medical Services and the Politics of Race and Health
/in Hospital Policies & Procedures, Medical Ethics, Practice of MedicineThis manuscript explores the history of the Freedom House Enterprises Ambulance Service, a social and medical experiment that trained “unemployable” black citizens during the late 1960s and early 1970s to provide then state of the art prehospital care. Through archives, newspapers, personal correspondence, university memoranda, and the medical literature, this paper explores the comparable, yet different roles of the program’s two leaders, Drs. Peter Safar and Nancy Caroline. Despite its success in demonstrating national standards for paramedic training and equipment, the program ended abruptly in 1975. And though Pittsburgh’s city administration cited economic constraints for its fledgling support of Freedom House, black and majority newspapers and citizens alike understood the city’s diminishing support of the program in racial terms. The paper discusses Safar and Caroline’s well-intentioned efforts in developing this novel program, while confronting the racial, social, and structural constraints on the program and the limits of racial liberalism.
Gut Feelings: A Commentary on Recent Findings Involving Biomarkers and Their Relationship to Mental Illness
/in Forensic Psychiatry, Mental IllnessBy Mark I. Levy, MD, DLFAPA fpamed Forensic Psychiatrist Not everyone with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) responds to antidepressant medication. Researchers are increasingly asking “Why?” and coming up with novel understandings. The most common antidepressants prescribed these days are close to a dozen different SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, e.g., the Prozac family of drugs). […]
Determining Competence to Stand Trial: A Brief Breakdown by a Forensic Psychiatric Expert
/in Forensic PsychiatryBy Steven H. Berger, MD fpamed Forensic Psychiatrist A person who is incompetent to stand trial cannot have a fair trial. That is a basic tenet of our American justice system. What is competence to stand trial? How is it determined? What happens if a person is found incompetent? In general, to be competent to […]
Considerations for the Forensic Evaluation of the LGBTQ+-identified Person
/in Forensic Psychiatry, LGBTQ+ Issues, NewsEven LGBTQ+-identified youth and adults in the San Francisco Bay Area bubble experience stress associated with being a sexual or gender minority. Please read about Dr. Paul Elizondo’s experience serving LGBTQ+-identified youth and adults in his psychiatric practices in outpatient, residential treatment program, and incarcerated settings.
Cyberbullying and Adolescent Suicide
/in SuicideToday’s youth are exposed to the Internet through the ubiquitous presence of smartphones, social networking, and messaging, carrying a simultaneous devaluation of face-to-face and telephone communication. This rapid expansion of online socialization has introduced new complications to old problems, including the progression of bullying into cyberbullying and cyberbullicide.
Perceived Gender Bias and the Expert Witness
/in ExpertsBy Nancy Hoffman, PsyD fpamed Forensic Psychologist The power I exert on the court depends on the power of my arguments, not on my gender. – Justice Sandra Day O’Connor Historically, medicine and the law have been typically dominated by men, creating the possibility of gender bias in the courtroom. Therefore, women’s presentation style is […]
The Benefits of Using the “Team Approach” When Assessing Emotional Damages in Mass Tort Litigation
/in Emotional Damages, Experts, Mass TortsBy Dr. Mark I. Levy, MD, DLFAPA fpamed Forensic Psychiatrist Catastrophic events, or other situations such as toxic torts and product liability claims, often lead to litigation where a large number of claimants report severe emotional damages. While multi-plaintiff litigation requires an expert to contrast and compare vulnerabilities and resiliency factors within members of the […]
A New Study Confirms Old Knowledge: Psychotherapy Works for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
/in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, PsychotherapyBy James Armontrout, MD fpamed Forensic Psychiatrist When people think about psychotherapy often the image of years of weekly meetings with slow-paced and hard-won improvements comes to mind. While this can be the case for some conditions, many newer psychotherapies for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder can often achieve remarkable results in a time-limited fashion. For example, […]
Six Tips for Making the Best Use of an Emotional Damages Expert
/in Emotional Damages, Expertsby Tyler Durns, MD fpamed Forensic Psychiatrist First, one must understand what emotional damages claims entail. Such declarations might be founded in a variety of outcomes and antecedents. Emotional damage claims may result from duress relating to routine employment, workplace discrimination and harassment, emotional harm from defamation and libel, intentional or negligent infliction of emotional […]
How Forensic Psychiatrists Evaluate Individuals with Traumatic Brain Injury
/in Brain Physiology, Experts, Forensic Psychiatry, TBI (Traumatic Brain Injury)By Octavio Choi, MD, PhD fpamed Forensic Psychiatrist Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a type of injury that is caused by a sudden and violent blow or jolt to the head. It can result in a wide range of organic/cognitive/emotional injuries and behavioral symptoms, depending on the severity of the head trauma. One area where […]