Mental Health Expert Witnesses in California

The SEAK Expert Witness Directory contains a comprehensive list of mental health expert witnesses who testify, consult and provide litigation support on mental health and related issues. Mental health expert witnesses and consultants on this page may form expert opinions, draft expert witness reports, and provide expert witness testimony at deposition and trial. The issues and subjects these mental health expert witnesses testify regarding may include: Mental Health, PTSD, Trauma, Domestic Violence, Psychology, Anxiety, Depression, Malpractice, Psychological Abuse, Sexual Assault, Stalking, Suicide, Abuse, Addiction, and Administrative.

Use the search box above to further refine your search for mental health expert witnesses by keyword and state. Attorneys contact the experts directly – with no middleman.

Sarah Burney, LCSW, CEDS-S

Burney Therapy Group

Newport Beach, California
Mental Health, Substance Abuse - eating disorder, trauma, PTSD, anorexia, bulimia, obsessive compulsive disorder, OCD, substance abuse, substance use, overdose, treatment, social work, cognitive behavioral therapy, family based treatment, addiction, anxiety, depression, suicide, EMDR, psychology
With over a decade of experience as a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and Certified Eating Disorder Specialist & Supervisor, Sarah Burney is a leading expert in her field. She specializes in treating all types of eating disorders, acute & complex trauma, substance abuse, obsessive compulsive disorder, and depressive / anxiety disorders. Her experience includes providing intensive therapy at inpatient & outpatient treatment centers for eating disorders, mental health, and substance abuse. She is also a former director of one of the nation's largest and leading adult eating disorder treatment center, giving her extensive experience with acute cases and working with a multi-disciplinary team. Sarah has also presented at international conferences and universities, and trained a variety of mental health professionals. Sarah utilizes humanistic and psychoanalytic therapeutic approach, and implements various evidence based therapeutic interventions, including, but not limited to: Cogniti...

Leslie Dobson, BS, MS, MA, PsyD

Dr. Leslie Dobson

Long Beach, California
Forensic Psychology, Psychology - Damage assessment, mental health, trauma, therapy, prognosis, diagnosis, evaluation, personality cognitive testing, first responders, sexual abuse, sexual offenders, severe mental illness, psychosis, schizophrenia, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, anxiety, depression, suicidal, homicidal, self-harm
The primary focus of my practice is to evaluate individuals who are struggling with negative emotions or cognitions after a traumatic incident (i.e., sexual assault, car accident, physician abuse, neglect). If appropriate, I will complete a report to include diagnosis, prognosis, and a monetary damage amount for future mental health care. I require a retainer prior to beginning documentation review, evaluation, report writing, deposition or trial. Prior Experience: Criminal: Expert Testimony Cases: 4; Mentally Disordered Offenders Consultation with attorneys: Over 65 cases from Department of State Hospitals Violence Risk Assessments: Over 1000 Short Term Risk Assessments, <50 Long Term Violence Risk Assessments, > 20 Sexual Violence Risk Assessments Main Disorders Assessed and/or Treated: Schizophrenia, Psychopathy, Bipolar, Depression, OCD, Antisocial Personality Disorder, Dissociative Identity Disorder Familiarity with Penal Codes: Not Guilty By Reason of Insanity, Incompe...

Elizabeth Ferguson, MD

Hogan and Associates Licensed in CA,CO,FL,GA,AL

California
Psychiatry, Forensic Psychiatry - hospital, malpractice, will contest, corrections, psychiatry, psychology, suicide, mental health, behavioral health, CMO, administrative, correctional psychiatry, litigation, JCAHO, law enforcement, telepsychiatry, business development, forensic psychiatry, fitness for duty, police
Dr. Ferguson, a board-certified Harvard trained forensic psychiatrist, is a respected active leader and experienced expert in the field of mental health litigation consultation. She is recognized by her peers for her administrative expertise in behavioral health organizations and has held many senior positions in national professional organizations for two decades. She has led or served on numerous community and national committees at the interface of law and psychiatry. At the earliest stage possible in her career, she was recognized as a Distinguished Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association. As a forensic psychiatrist, chief medical officer, director of telepsychiatry behavioral health business development, and forensic psychiatry fellowship director she has a record of proven leadership in the clinical, educational, research, and public policy forums of psychiatric and telepsychiatric services. She greatly enjoys teaching psychiatrists how to testify and was the foundin...

John Hamel, Ph.D., LCSW

John Hamel & Associates

San Rafael, California
Forensic Psychology, Mental Health - domestic violence, intimate partner violence, IPV, intimate partner abuse, battered woman syndrome, false arrest, battered woman defense, battered person syndrome, battered person defense, family violence, family abuse, psychological abuse, batterer intervention
John Hamel, Ph.D., LCSW, has a Masters in Social Welfare from U.C.L.A., and a Ph.D. from the University of Central Lancashire, U.K., where he is currently a Research Fellow. He has worked with family violence perpetrators and victims since 1992, and is a court-approved provider of batterer intervention programs in the San Francisco Bay Area. Dr. Hamel is the author of Gender-Inclusive Treatment of Intimate Partner Abuse, 2nd Edition: Evidence-Based Approaches, (Springer, 2014), and other books on domestic violence. He also has had dozens of his research articles published in various peer-reviewed scholarly journals, and is Editor-in-Chief of Partner Abuse, a journal published quarterly by Springer Publishing. A frequent speaker at conferences on domestic violence, he has also trained mental health professionals, attorneys, victim advocates social service organizations, law enforcement, attorneys and family court mediators. He is a founding member of the Association of Domesti...

Jennifer Harrison

Therapy Partners of the Peninsula

Burlingame, California
Psychology, Mental Health - Trauma, Child Abuse, Psychopathology, Psychological Testing
Dr. Jennifer Myers Harrison, PsyD, ABPP, ATR-BC, is a seasoned Board Certified-Licensed Clinical Psychologist specializing in trauma and forensic psychology. Her profound expertise in these domains has made her a sought-after expert witness and a trusted resource for individuals and legal professionals seeking specialized knowledge. Dr. Harrison's dedication to trauma transcends clinical practice. As an expert witness, she has played a pivotal role, offering critical insights into the psychological consequences of traumatic events for children and adults. Her objective analysis of complex evidence and medical records and administering comprehensive psychological assessments have been instrumental in achieving just outcomes in trauma-related cases. Through her contributions, individuals who have suffered trauma receive the support and compensation they deserve. Her expertise encompasses a wide range of areas, including Personal Injury (Emotional or Mental Injury), Murphy Evaluation...

Natalie Jones, PsyD, LPCC

Psychology Expert

Lifetime Counseling and Consulting

Fair Oaks, California
Forensic Psychology, Psychology - Domestic violence, psychological abuse, emotional abuse, correctional mental health, wrongful death, PTSD, sex abuse, sex offender, criminal offense, malingering, stalking, mental health, murder, mental health, victimization, trauma, shooting, sexual assault, discrimination, psych testing
Experience in criminal and civil proceedings. Private practice since 2014.Retained by both defense and plaintiffs. Experience in evaluations and testimony for adults. 16 years of combined field as a counselor, trainer, interviewer, report writer working with victims of abuse, sexual assault, and with perpetrators of violence, and Dept of Corrections. Licensed as licensed professional clinical counselor in California since 2014. Doctorate in clinical psychology in 2016. Became certified as a National Domestic Violence Counselor in 2010. Published dissertation study in 2016 that evaluated and summarized the effects of being psychologically abused by parents in childhood. 1) Domestic violence / coercive control /emotional abuse 2) Psych / Forensic evaluations 3) Mental health assessment 4) Sexual abuse / sexual assault evaluations 5) PTSD *CV available upon request

Barbara J. Justice, MD

Board Certified Forensic Psychiatrist

Equity Evals

Long Beach, California
Forensic Psychiatry, Psychiatry - Psychiatric Disease, Pharmacological Clinical, Competency to Stand Trial, Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity, Serve Mental Illness, Psychiatric Disability, Emotional Harm, Emotional Distress, Workers' Compensation, Mental Health, Malpractice, Capacity, Sexual Harassment Sexual Abuse and Victimization
Dr. Justice began her career in medicine as a surgeon in New York City. After 20 years as a practicing surgeon, she entered the field of Psychiatry and received training in a Fellowship program at UCLA. She is a Board Certified Forensic Psychiatrist with training in all aspects of psychiatry and the law. Dr. Justice has broad experience testifying in criminal and civil cases and has been deposed extensively upwards of 400 times. She has also testified frequently as mental health expert witness for the state of California. Her unique background in physical medicine, trauma, psychopharmacology and surgery, combined with her psychiatric expertise, gives her an in-depth understanding of the multitude of factors at issue in civil litigation cases. Dr. Justice is currently Attending Forensic Psychiatrist, Director of Psychiatric Training at the Department of State Hospital in Norwalk California and CEO and Medical Director of the Glaser Forensic Group. Dr. Justice received her MD and co...

Andrew Levine, PhD, ABPP

North Coast Neuropsychology

Arcata, California
Neuropsychology, Mental Health - Long-COVID, Traumatic Brain Injury, Concussion, HIV, AIDS, PTSD, Workers Compensation, Neurocognitive, Cognitive, Psychology, Head Injury, Neuroinfectious disease, Dementia
-Board Certified in Clinical Neuropsychology with American Board of Professional Psychology -State of California Qualified Medical Examiner (Workers Compensation) -Aerospace Neuropsychology -Adjunct Professor - UCLA Department of Neurology

Nicole E McCarthy, MSW, LCSW, PMH-C

Woodland Hills, California
Social Work, Mental Health - Mental Health, Intensive Outpatient Programs, Forensic Social Work, Adult Depression/Anxiety, Case Management, Standard of Care, Discharge Planning, Postpartum Depression, PTSD, Perinatal Mental Health, Domestic Violence, Work Place Sexual Harassment, Suicide Prevention, Institutional Abuse
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) expert in mental health, psychiatric issues and women's health. I have a masters degree in social work from the University of Southern California and licensed in the state of California with the Board of Behavioral Sciences. I have experience and expertise with residential treatment centers, psychiatric hospitals, domestic violence shelters and outpatient mental health clinics. I was a leader for the Intensive Outpatient Program in an outpatient clinic. Supervised other therapist’s and coordinated treatment teams for patient care. I have collaborated with psychiatrists, primary care physicians, OBGYN's, medical social workers, RN's and nursing teams. I addition, I am a member of Postpartum Support International and helped create the positive motherhood transition program specializing and treating moms who struggle with postpartum depression/ anxiety. I have expertise with pregnancy loss, infertility and perinatal issues. I am also a member ...

Mindy B Mechanic, Ph.D.

Forensic Psychological Consulting Inc

Long Beach, California
Forensic Psychology, Psychology - Sexual Assault, Domestic Violence, Stalking, abuse, infanticide, homicide, child sexual abuse disclosures,w orkplace violence, risk assessment, IME, personal injury, trauma, PTSD, worker's compensation, employment discrimination, violence, mental health, forensic evaluation, psychological assessment
I have worked in academia as a professor for almost 30 years. In that capacity, I engaged in research, teaching, mentoring/supervision, and clinical work, focusing on the psychological consequences of trauma, violence and victimization. During graduate school and internship, i received specialized training in forensic psychology. I have been practicing forensic psychology independently since receiving my first license to practice in 1998. In addition to my academic appointment, I also work regularly as an expert witness, legal consultant, and forensic psychologist in civil, family and criminal (civilian and military) cases. I have numerous peer reviewed publications and presentations and federally funded research grants. I have conducted many professional trainings for attorneys, other legal/court professionals, mental health professional, and medical professionals.

Sulagna Misra, MD

Physician Leader, Advocate Internist Civil Surgeon

Los Angeles, California
Independent Medical Examinations, Internal Medicine - Integrative Medicine, Medi Spa, Internal Medicine, Adult Medicine, Mental health, Men's Health, Internist, Civil Surgeon, Geriatric Medicine, Physical Health, Obesity medicine, Functional medicine, Immigration, Primary Care, DPC, Medical Weight Loss, Lifestyle Medicine, General Practitioner, Telemed
I am a Physician in Los Angeles dually Licensed in CA and NY with a Virtual Practice in both locations and a current physical office in Los Angeles with a Mobile Medical Unit (I also can go to the client). I practice Internal, integrative and Aesthetic Medicine. I specialize in Obesity Medicine | Medical Weight Loss and Men's Health. I am a USCIS Civil Surgeon for the DHS. I am a physician advocate and thought leader. I practice Direct Primary care (membership based care model) that does not accept insurance as payment (but may utilize insurance for bloodwork/imaging/meds) I have been a former Lab Director of a Moderate Complexity Lab (CLIA Certified). I informally Coach Physicians in opening DPC practices and through burnout. I have been in numerous media/press publications, a few podcasts and most recently was in Forbes as a consultant.
You can also find Mental Health Expert Witnesses in:
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