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I am a New Jersey licensed psychologist (#2244), and I provide forensic psychological consulting services and expert witness testimony in Family, Civil and Criminal Courts throughout New Jersey, and in Federal Court, with offices located in Bridgewater, NJ and Flemington, NJ. I provide diagnostic evaluations, psychological testing, and attorney consultation services. I also provide psychotherapy and counseling for individuals and families involved with the legal system. (For information about psychotherapy services provided to non-forensic clients, see the Psychotherapy page.) Forensic psychology is the interface of psychology and the law, so all psychological services provided for the legal community are forensic psychological services. Most forensic psychologists
provide services which are both clinical and forensic in nature. When a psychologist treats an individual who was emotionally traumatized by an accident, the treatment is clinical in nature,
designed to assist the individual in recovering from the trauma. But when the psychologist is asked to provide a report for
the court, regarding the extent of the trauma, and to assess the psychological damage incurred, then the psychologist is providing a forensic service.
Psychological evaluation and consulting services intended to assist the courts in determining decisions regarding family, civil, or criminal matters, require a detailed, situation-specific assessment strategy which goes beyond the typical psychological evaluation completed for clinical purposes. Many psychologists perform clinical evaluations, and most psychologists have had training in the administration of psychological testing. But, very few psychologists have experience providing forensic consulting services. With over twenty years of forensic experience, I have been qualified as an expert in almost every county in New Jersey, and in Federal court. A forensic psychological report can include the following:
After completing a forensic evaluation, psychologists should be able to logically defend their conclusions, using explanations which are understandable to non-psychologists. Psychological experts must be able to explain complex psychological issues to non-psychologists, whether it be to a judge or to a jury, as the finder of fact. The issues should be presented in clear and simple language. The conclusions and recommendations of the expert should assist the fact finder in reaching a decision, and should not add confusion to that process. For these reasons, psychologists who complete forensic evaluations should have a broad clinical background, excellent
assessment skills, superior communication skills, and experience in completing psychological evaluations in a legal setting.
Psychologists should evaluate the facts of the case, and render an opinion regarding the psychological issues present.
Psychologists should not offer opinions outside their area of professional competence. Psychologists are expected to
function as experts within the limitations of their profession, and must recognize and identify those limitations as part of their work as experts.
I have testified in Family, Civil, and Criminal court in 18 counties in New Jersey, in Pennsylvania, in New York and in Federal Criminal Court. The Information Page describes my education and experience, explains fees, retainer requirements and appointment procedures, and provides directions to each of my offices.
Please use the links to learn more about my Forensic Psychology Services:Family Court - Child Custody Evaluations, Visitation Risk Assessments, Grandparent Visitation Evaluations, Mediation of Parental Conflicts about Children, Child Abuse Evaluations, Adoption Readiness Evaluations, Development of Family Reunification Plans, and Evaluations to Assess Termination of Parental Rights. Psychologists also provide psychotherapy and counseling to families referred by the court, including parent-child family counseling, therapeutic supervised visitation, parenting skills training, anger management, divorce adjustment counseling for children and/or adults, and parental communication skills training for family members. Civil Court - Personal Injury Evaluations, IME Second Opinion Evaluations, Assessment of Emotional Factors in Sexual Harassment and Discrimination, Worker's Compensation Evaluations, Civil Competency Evaluations, and Psychological Autopsies. In Civil Court cases, psychologists also provide psychotherapy and counseling to individuals for the following problems: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Anxiety, Depression, Phobias Related to Traumatic Events, Psychological Factors in Chronic Pain, Anger Management, Adjustment Counseling following trauma, Couple Counseling regarding the impact of trauma on the relationship, and Desensitization. Criminal Court - Evaluations of Juveniles accused of criminal acts, Juvenile Pre-sentencing Evaluations, Juvenile Probation Evaluations, Juvenile Waiver Evaluations, Evaluating the Credibility of Child Witnesses, Assessment of Juvenile and Adult Sexual Offenders, Competency and Diminished Capacity Evaluations, and Adult Pre-sentencing Evaluations. Psychologists also provide counseling and psychotherapy services to individuals involved with the Criminal Court. The issues addressed include: counseling of individuals who violate restraining orders, counseling juveniles on probation, supportive counseling for the victims of crimes, counseling of individuals awaiting trial, counseling adults on probation, anger management skills training for domestic violence and for violent offenders, and counseling and psychotherapy for sexual offenders. |
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Donald J. Franklin, Ph.D. is a NJ licensed psychologist (#2244) |
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