“What is the Difference Between Traditional Psychological Services
and Forensic Psychological Services?”

Forensic psychological services go beyond traditional services in that the psychologist has experience in applying psychological principles and interventions to legal matters and situations. Additionally, you need to be aware that an important difference in confidentiality exists in legal cases. Unlike traditional psychological services, information you provide can be released without your written authorization. In certain legal situations, you do not have confidentiality and your records can be released without your permission. These include: when services are court-ordered; when you are a plaintiff in a lawsuit and when information is ruled as relevant to the welfare of a child. Insurance providers typically will not provide benefit coverage for forensic evaluations.

We can provide you with the following types of Forensic Services:

Child Evaluations: These occur in both ongoing and post-divorce disputes. Commonly requested in cases of child maltreatment or custody cases, these evaluations provide the most extensive assessments including recommendations to prevent future issues. These evaluations are typically composed of intellectual, academic, emotional state, personality and behavior assessments as well as extensive interviews with the child. Collateral interviews and record review are also critical components of Child Evaluations. These evaluations also involve comprehensive psychological evaluations of the parents with the primary focus on each parent’s parenting strengths and weaknesses and on the nature of the relationships between each parent and her/his child(ren).

Civil Psychological Evaluations: If you are seeking an Independent Psychological Evaluation or a determination of competencies or psychological damages, we can help you. Emotional damages, issues of harassment, and possible parental alienation are a few of the problems we evaluate. In these matters, an interview specifically structured for the referred client is conducted, prior records are extensively reviewed, and research of the most relevant professional resources is conducted. We then provide psychological testing to determine intellectual functioning, impairments and/or malingering.

Court-Ordered Therapy: We regularly conduct family and individual therapy for psychological and/or adjustment problems.

JoAnna Snider Anderson, Psy. D. is a Licensed Psychologist (Clinical, Clinical Child) who obtained her doctorate degree in clinical psychology from Spaulding University with an emphasis in childhood disorders and a specialty in the full spectrum of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Dr. Anderson’s significant experience in the assessment process also enables her to consider other conditions or developmental disorders that might co-exist or in some cases better explain the difficulties found within the family seeking help. In addition to her testing and therapy contributions with Premier Psychological Services, she also provides comprehensive developmental services for infants and children with neurological differences Dr. Anderson also has a strong reputation in Houston providing exceptional forensic services. She has provided court ordered evaluations as well as therapy for a variety of issues. She also has experience with testifying in court as well as consulting with attorneys and other professionals. One of the highest compliments we receive is that attorneys and judges seek the un-biased services of Dr. Anderson for their most difficult cases.

Michelle M. Rhodes, PhD. Dr. Rhodes is a Licensed Psychologist (Clinical, Clinical Child) who obtained her doctorate degree in clinical psychology from the University of Southern Mississippi. Dr. Rhodes completed an internship in clinical psychology at Baylor College of Medicine, which included training at DePelchin Children’s Center and Ben Taub's Neuropsychiatric Center. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in the Department of Behavioral Science. With over 10 years of clinical experience, she is trained as a scientist-practitioner with experience providing evaluation and therapy services to children, adolescents, and adults. She has had experience in working with clients seeking psychological assessments to assist with legal issues (e.g., child custody, workman's compensation, competency evaluations). She has provided depositions and expert testimony in legal cases related to sobriety, chronic pain, and other psychological issues. She has also provided court-mandated therapy to children and adults. Dr. Rhodes regularly provides consultations with other healthcare providers, legal professionals, and educational professionals in her provision of services.

Camille Shea, Ph.D is a Licensed Psychologist (Clinical, Clinical Child) who obtained her doctorate degree in clinical psychology from Capella University, Minneapolis, MN. Dr. Shea holds a B.B.A. and a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology with a forensic specialization, as well as an Associate in Arts degree in Biblical Studies. Additional training in neuropsychology allows her to share with families valuable insight into the interaction of mental and physical health. Dr. Shea, a certified Child Advocate, is the Director of Psychology for the nonprofit “I'm Bully Free!” whose mission is to protect all children and provide a safe environment. Dr. Shea has a passion for working with children and a commitment to providing effective therapy services and unbiased custody evaluations. She recently completed state of the art trainings with the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts during their 11th symposium entitled: Child Custody Evaluations in 2014. Dr. Shea is devoted to representing the voice of choice for children and victims. She has additional experience providing court appointed evaluations for competency to stand trial cases, mock jury consulting as well as working with traumatic brain injury clients involved in litigation. She regularly provides individual, family and group therapy and has significant experience working with victims of violence and abuse. She is also the founder of Consulting, Assessment & Mediation services (CAMS).

If you find you need our services, please feel free to call our office manager, Melissa Hernandez or email her directly at mhernandez@premierpsychservices.com. She will guide you through the process of setting up an initial consultation as well as discuss our retainer fee and rates for forensic services.

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