Psychosocial Assessments

All therapy begins with a psychosocial assessment and assessment of therapy needs.

If your matter is going to court your lawyer may ask for a more detailed assessment, which will include collateral information to provide context and corroborate details. 

All collaterals contacted and material reviewed will be obtained with your written consent and will be kept in the strictest of confidence. 

These supporting sources may be formal clinical professional reports, written or videotaped police reports and interviews, previous assessments you have undergone, hospital, treatment centre and other medical or clinical files, interviews with professionals who have assessed or treated you, interviews with your parents, spouse and other loved ones or family members who can provide family, relationship and personal historical information, school or employment reports or interviews and criminal records.

An assessment of your risk for sexual or violent reoffence and/or an assessment of your general criminal risk and needs may be completed. Depending on your case-specific circumstances you may be referred to other professionals for assessments such as a psychiatric, psychological, psychometric (the use of standardized tests and measurements to render a clinical diagnosis) or psycho educational (to diagnose possible learning or developmental problems, attention deficit disorders, concurrent mental health and/or personality disorders and to identify cognitive strengths and weaknesses), neurological (to determine whether the nervous system is impaired) or phallometric assessment (also known as penile plethysmography, provides objective information about male sexual interests to assist in identifying deviant sexual interests). 

Results of all past and current assessments and collateral material are summarized and incorporated into the assessment report, which is then provided to your defense lawyer.

In many cases a brief psychosocial history and a summary of the therapy you have engaged in, including your treatment response and mastery of the material is sufficient for your legal matter. The decision regarding what kind of assessment, summary or letter will be authored is made in conjunction with you, your lawyer and any other professionals involved in your case.

My hourly rate applies to all aspects of the assessment, including interviews, obtaining and reviewing written or video material and writing.

Overall clients, their defence lawyers, crown attorneys and judges have provided favourable feedback regarding the value of having a detailed report which illustrates the characteristics and history of the person and the context in which the behaviour for which they are charged occurred. 

It is my firm belief that we are not defined by our actions. 

You are so much more than the criminal charges you are facing. You are a whole person with many strengths and weaknesses shaped by your unique personality and experiences. 

A more complete picture of you should be presented to the courts in order to make a fair case and that is where I come in.