Forensic Psychology

Why Forensic Psychology Is So Very Different From Therapeutic Psychology

Forensic psychology is a discipline which combines elements of traditional psychology with the forensic evidence needed in a courtroom. It is obviously necessary to have formal psychological training before you can practice in this way, but there are significant differences between the psychology practiced in a treatment room and that practiced in court. The main difference is one of intent, as ordinary psychological practice involves the patient and the practitioner being in harmony, and both working toward the same goal. In a court situation, the objectives will not be the same, and the objective of the psychologist may be totally the opposite of that of the subject.

The forensic psychologist has to operate by ignoring the primary objective of the clinical psychologist, which is to empathize with the patient and make them feel safe and relaxed. While relaxing the subject may be desirable to the clinical psychologist, it is an objective which can rarely be achieved, simply due to the circumstances. The subject will inevitably be nervous trying to cope with the ordeal, whether they are guilty or not. Certainly, anyone who is not guilty is going to be extremely frightened.

One of the most common uses for a forensic psychologist in court is to determine the sanity of someone standing trial. This is absolutely necessary, as it determines right at the outset whether or not the defendant is capable of standing trial and being sentenced in the usual way. There have been many instances of someone perfectly sane trying to convince a forensic psychologist that they were in fact insane. These attempts rarely if ever succeed, and they can result in a harsher sentence being passed.

Even when the clinical psychologist determines that a person is sane, they may still make a recommendation that sentence be reduced due to circumstances. Examples are when someone has gone trough extreme trauma leaving their behavior severely affected, even though they are basically sane. A psychologist would obviously need to be entirely convinced that this was genuine, and that no attempt was being made to fake the condition. Clinical psychologists are working under exceptional pressure at times during their working life.

A study of forensic psychology, for the purposes of practicing in a court situation, is not an easy task to undertake. Firstly, you will need every bit as great an understanding of psychology as someone who works in therapeutic practice, and then you will need to learn the extra dimension of dealing with a subject who has a vested interest very different from yours. This will entail learning whole new systems of questioning, and methods of observation. When you have completed your studies, you will need to spend some time under the tutelage of a recognized expert in forensic psychology.

 

 

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