Episode 19: The Role of Forensic Psychologists in Family Court with Dr. Catherine BarrettThe Role of Forensic Psychologists in Family Court with Dr. Catherine Barrett

This is your go-to Podcast, where we help parents navigate the complexities of family life. Hosted by Ali Kessler of Greyson’s Choice, we’ll cover everything from understanding domestic violence to navigating the legal system, finding the right therapists, life hacks, family law, mental health, custody battles, and how to protect children in dangerous situations. 

Dr. Catherine Barrett, a licensed clinical forensic psychologist, shares her journey and expertise in the field of forensic psychology, particularly focusing on domestic violence and risk assessment. She discusses the importance of understanding the complexities of domestic violence, the role of forensic psychologists in legal cases, and the challenges faced in family court. Dr. Barrett emphasizes the need for proper training in domestic violence for legal professionals and the significance of building a supportive legal team to ensure justice for victims. The conversation also highlights the importance of recognizing risk factors and the historical context of abusive behavior in assessing future risks. In this conversation, Catherine Barrett and Ali Kessler delve into the complexities of parenting, the influence of cults, and the failures of the judicial system in protecting children. They discuss the psychological implications of being involved with narcissistic individuals and the importance of recognizing red flags in relationships. The conversation emphasizes the need for systemic change in family courts to prioritize child welfare over parental rights and the challenges faced by mothers in custody battles. They also touch on the healing process from toxic relationships and the intersection of mental health and true crime.

About Catherine Barrett:

Dr. Catherine Barrett is a licensed Clinical Forensic Psychologist, based out of Los Angeles, California. She first gained clinical experience after graduating from the University of Southern California in 2009, with a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. Through her training and experience, she has worked with marginalized communities, committed to social justice in mental health, and has developed a practice that is not only cross-culturally competent but also affirmative.

Clinical training and populations include addiction recovery, LGBTQ+, domestic and intimate partner violence, chronic mental illness, and narcissistic personality disorder. Dr. Barrett specializes in narcissistic abuse recovery.

Following a Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, Dr. Barrett continued her commitment to social justice and psychology in the law by obtaining a Doctorate of Psychology in Clinical Forensic Psychology. She graduated from Alliant International University’s California School of Forensic Studies in 2014. A significant amount of her training was in risk assessment, evaluation, and treatment of sex offenders, sexually violent predators, mentally disordered offenders, and individuals found not guilty because of insanity. Dr. Barrett completed her Pre-Doctoral internship at the San Francisco Forensic Institute, where she evaluated, treated, and ran psychological assessments on sex offenders and sexually violent predators. Dr. Barrett was first certified with the Sex Offender Management Board at this time.

Dr. Barrett has performed various clinical and forensic assessments, including psycho-educational evaluations, risk assessment, and psychological evaluations for court. Dr. Barrett has been clinically trained and certified to administer the ABEL Assessment of sexual interest and the STABLE-2007, which measures potential risk for future violence. She has also assisted Dr. Charles Flinton in administering the Penile Plethysmograph (PPG) to forensic hospital patients at Patton State Hospital in San Bernardino, California. Dr. Barrett has spent a significant amount of time providing group and individual therapy, as well as risk assessment to the sex offending population. Additionally, she has worked for Conditional Release Programs, such as Gateways Forensic Hospital and MHM services. Dr. Barrett provided treatment, psychological evaluation, and risk assessment to those being offered conditional release due to either a mentally disordered offense or found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Dr. Barrett has experience testifying in court cases related to revocation of outpatient status to patients on conditional release, as well as expert and fact witnessing for both civil and criminal court. Dr. Barrett has served as an expert witness in the family court system, peer reviewing custodial evaluations, and testifying on the validity of such evaluations. Dr. Barrett serves as a psychotherapist to teens, young adults, and adults, primarily in the areas of emotional and sexual abuse victimization, LGBTQ+, and addiction. Dr. Barrett serves as a part-time faculty member for the University of Southern California, where she teaches law and ethics, child/elder abuse and domestic violence, and clinical assessment. She also serves as a field work supervisor.

[email protected]

CBpsychological.com

About Ali Kessler

Ali Kessler is a writer, marketing professional, passionate parent advocate, and founder of Greyson’s Choice, a 501(c)(3) created to raise awareness about the risk of domestic abuse on children. Greyson’s Choice was founded by Ali Kessler in memory of her sweet, vibrant, and fearless 4.5-year-old son, Greyson, who was murdered by his biological father in a murder-suicide during an unsupervised, court-approved visit in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, in 2021. This came just hours after her petition for a domestic violence injunction was denied by a Broward County judge, citing that the “petitioner has failed to allege any overt acts by the respondent which would constitute domestic violence under Florida Statute.”

Ali’s advocacy efforts culminated in successfully passing Greyson’s Law during the 2023 legislative session. This bill now requires the court to consider threats against ex-partners or spouses when making child visitation and custody determinations in the court, expanding to include the following factors: evidence of domestic violence, whether a parent in the past or currently has reasonable cause to believe that they or a minor child is, or has been in imminent danger of becoming the victim of domestic/sexual violence by the other parent, even if no other legal action has been brought or is currently pending in court.

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