Professional and ethical challenges of forensic clinical psychology

Abstract

This paper describes the ethical and professional challenges encountered by two experienced forensic clinical psychologists in the course of their daily work. Five examples are chosen from a typical working week which illustrate and explain a particular professional dilemma and the forensic or organisational context The paper concludes that professional guidance from the British and Australian Psychological Societies and the legal framework and organisation of services to very damaged mentally abnormal offenders are inadequate and often unsupportive of psychological intervention, It also suggests that preparation to deal with these typical problems should be addressed in continued professional training.