Humanistic psychological assessment in a forensic setting

Abstract

Even in the forensic setting, where individuals are caught at their least admirable moments, it is possible for an assessment report to be humanistic, painting a picture in which the threads of life and data are woven together to allow the reader to develop a deeper human understanding of people involved in distressing or depressing circumstances. This paper outlines an approach to conducting such assessments in a forensic setting, and provides examples from an acrimonious custody battle, a case of homicide, and a disputed disability evaluation. In each case, humanistic psychological assessment reveals hidden depths, and allows the reader to develop a more empathic view of an individual embroiled in undeniably unsympathetic circumstances. For several years, I have been told that what I do in the assessment setting is unique. Although I thought I was doing what I had been taught in graduate school, I came to realize that my assessments had undergone a subtle metamorphosis, from a focus on test results and pathology, to describing uniqueness. Even in the forensic setting, in which individuals are caught at their most vulnerable and least admirable moments, it is possible for an assessment report to paint a picture in which the threads of life and data are woven together to allow the reader to develop a deeper human understanding.