Forensic mental health counseling vs forensic psychology

Both criminal psychologists and forensic psychologists assist law enforcement professionals in investigating and solving crimes. However, they play different but complementary roles. The major difference between forensic psychology and criminal psychology is that while forensic psychologists specialize in the aftermath of a crime, including evaluating a suspect's mental state or counseling victims and their families, criminal psychologists focus primarily on determining a motive and creating a profile of the perpetrator.

Who They Work With

Criminal psychologists primarily work with police officers and other law enforcement professionals, working as consultants or counseling law enforcement officers after a crisis such as an on-the-job shooting.

Forensic psychologists work with a more diverse array of people, including offenders, victims and their family members, witnesses and attorneys. Those working in correctional facilities may provide individual and group therapy, often working with the same patients for several years. Others may work on a case-by-case basis, interviewing victims for a single case and having no further contact once the case goes to trial.

What They Do

Criminal psychologists sometimes work full time at police departments and other law enforcement agencies, spanning the criminal justice fields. There, they provide both routine counseling and guidance during or after a crisis such as a hostage negotiation. Others work in private practice but serve as consultants to law enforcement agencies, helping officers understand the mind and motive of the suspect, according to Maryville University.

Forensic psychologists help rehabilitate offenders through therapy, anger management and other counseling services. They also perform mental evaluations to determine if a suspect is competent to stand trial and may testify in court or assist attorneys with jury selection or witness preparation. They also interview witnesses and victims, especially in sensitive cases such as crimes against women or children.

Where They Work

Criminal psychologists may work in private practice and act as consultants for law enforcement agencies, or they may work full time at police departments and other legal facilities.

Forensic psychologists often work for law enforcement agencies or at prisons or other correctional or treatment facilities. They also work for government agencies and at colleges and universities, where they teach or conduct research. Those working in academic settings may study trends in crime or the crime rate, more effective techniques for treating offenders' mental health or treatment for substance abuse, and may have little to no direct contact with patients, criminals, witnesses or victims.

Training and Education

Most forensic psychologists and psychologists for criminals have a doctorate in psychology, and they frequently have clinical experience before working with law enforcement, according to Indeed. Criminal psychologists, however, especially those specializing in criminal profiling, may come from a law enforcement background instead of psychology.

In fact, most criminal profilers are police officers trained in criminal profiling by the FBI or their police department. There are only a few psychologists who specialize in criminal profiling and work with law enforcement agencies across the country. Some universities offer degrees in forensic psychology, though many forensic psychologists hold degrees in general psychology, supplemented by internships or other post-graduate training in law enforcement and forensic psychology.

by Dr. Lorin Bradbury

Question: What is the difference between Clinical and Forensic Psychology?
Answer: All psychologist, whether practicing Counseling Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Neuropsychology, or Forensic Psychology are licensed as Psychologists. Each jurisdiction (i.e., the State of Alaska) defines the educational and experiential requirements to be licensed as a Psychologist. If the educational and experiential requirements are met, then an applicant for licensure must pass the State Board examinations.
Once licensed, a Psychologist must practice within the scope of training received. Clinical Psychology is the application of psychological principles, research, and techniques to the treatment, diagnosis, or assessment of human behavior and functioning. The practice of Clinical psychology is very broad and can range from the use of psychotherapy, or counseling with a broad spectrum of clients to the use of standardized assessment instruments, known as testing.
That which differentiates psychologists from all other mental health professionals is training in the use of standardized testing instruments and training in interpreting the results of those tests.
Most people think of Psychologists as counselors, but nearly all of the mental health fields are trained to practice counseling. Only Psychologists are trained to administer and interpret certain types of tests.
Clinical Psychologists often perform testing to clarify or establish diagnoses. This can be very helpful to disability evaluators, parents, teachers, and/or physicians. The practice of psychology is probably underused in defining diagnoses.
Though Forensic Psychology is a field of its own, it generally requires a strong background in Clinical Psychology. It is the intersection between psychology and the law. Forensic Psychologists answer psycho-legal questions for attorneys, judges, probation officers, and others involved with the legal system.
To practice Forensic Psychology, a Psychologist must be trained to administer a different set of instruments. These instruments have been developed to measure certain legal constructs generally established by statute and case law. Once a psychologist renders an opinion, for example an opinion that an individual is not competent to stand trial, then the Psychologist will turn to Clinical Instruments to attempt to explain the causation of the incompetency, or why the person is probably not competent to continue with legal proceedings.
There are other differences between Clinical and Forensic Psychology. A Clinical Psychologist typically is an advocate for his or her client or patient. A Forensic Psychologist, on the other hand is generally working for an attorney, judge, or some other legal authority. The client is the one who hires the Psychologist and the person being evaluated is the examinee. The Psychologist can release the results of an evaluation only to the person who requested the evaluation (i.e., attorney, judge, probation officer, etc.). In essence, a Forensic Psychologist needs a strong background in Clinical Psychology, but a Clinical Psychologist needs no background in Forensic Psychology.
Lorin L. Bradbury, Ph.D. is a licensed psychologist in private practice in Bethel. For appointments, he can be reached at 543-3266. If you have questions that you would like Dr. Bradbury to answer in the Delta Discovery, please send them to The Delta Discovery, P.O. Box 1028, Bethel, AK 99559, or e-mail them to [email protected]

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