Parent-Focused Forensic Psychological Evaluations

Instructor: Jeffrey C. Siegel, Ph.D., ABPP

Approved for 2.0 Hours of CE Credit

Fulfills License Requirements

Program Description:

Family court cases are often the most contentious and difficult to manage. Research on high-conflict cases highlights the psychological mechanisms driving these disputes, particularly the need for control, which fuels ongoing litigation. Evaluators frequently encounter parents exhibiting enduring patterns of maladaptive behavior, often characteristic of personality disorders.

However, traditional assessments may miss the core issue—the parents’ psychological functioning and its role in high-conflict interactions. These dynamics not only impact the children but also perpetuate continued legal battles.

The Parent-Focused Forensic Psychological Evaluation shifts the focus to an in-depth assessment of each parent’s psychological makeup. This method employs multiple interviews, personality testing, and collateral reviews (e.g., mental health records, family interviews, legal history) to develop a clinical profile. These findings are then cross-referenced with relevant psychological literature, offering a deeper understanding of the parents’ behaviors. A comprehensive evaluation reveals the interplay between each parent’s psychological functioning and the impact of divorce, helping professionals move beyond surface-level conflicts.

Understanding the individual contributions to the parenting dynamic allows evaluators, mediators, attorneys, and courts to craft more effective parenting plans, temporary orders, and final judgments. Ultimately, these assessments address the pressing questions: “What can be done to assist this family?” and “Why do these parents remain locked in litigation?” By focusing on the root psychological factors, evaluators can provide clearer insights and practical recommendations for resolving high-conflict custody cases. The resulting information can help an evaluator, mediator, family attorney or the court understand the parents and formulate temporary orders, parenting plans, and final orders while freeing up court dockets in the process.

Applicable California Rules of Court: 2, 7, 8, 10 and 13

Goals & Objectives:

At the conclusion of this program, participants will be able to:

1. Identify the difference between and Child Custody Evaluation and a Parent-Focused Forensic Psychological Evaluation.
2. Describe the elements of the Parent-Focused Forensic Psychological Evaluation and how each will assist the Court in understanding the parental dynamics.
3. Describe how a focused literature review can assist the Court in integrating the evaluation results and the current state of parenting research.

Registration Information     $79.00

CE Approval Information The Steve Frankel Group, LLC is approved by the American Psychological Association (APA) to sponsor continuing education for Psychologists. This course is also approved by the California Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS) for its licentiates' CE license renewal requirements. The Steve Frankel Group, LLC maintains responsibility for this program and its content. This course meets the qualifications for 2.0 hours of CE credit for Psychologists, MFTs, LCSWs, and LPCCs. The course outline or agenda for Child Custody training have been approved as corresponding to subject areas specified in California Rules of Court, rules 5.225 and 5.230, et. seq. The views expressed in these trainings are those of the trainers and do not necessarily represent the official positions or policies of the Judicial Council of California.