Psychodynamic forensic fellowship

[Cknight]

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I'm considering a forensics fellowship, but am somewhat preoccupied about getting boggled down with too much legal stuff, which doesn't interest me as much. I actually am more interested in the psychodynamic aspects of the criminal mind, and doing therapy with prisoners. My interest in this has been fueled by the British Forensic Psychotherapy monograph series, it seems their focus is less biologically based.. now, I've seen on the internet that there are forensic therapy courses in England (around 4-5y). Would it be worthwhile to pursue something like that, would there be demand for such a background? Or is it possible to find a forensics fellowship that's more dynamically oriented? Thanks.

 

[whopper]

Or is it possible to find a forensics fellowship that's more dynamically oriented?

From my own experience it seems that forensics fellowships gravitate between the spectrums of court based v. research based. Court based meaning they will give you a good mix of court cases, expert witness experience. Research based meaning that the program will have you do a lot of research, and that program itself produces a large amount of research in the area of forensic psychiatry. I have not seen a forensics program which appeared to be heavily into the psychodynamics as part of the curriculum.

One of course could exist, just that I'm not aware of it.

Forensics fellowships by accredition guidelines focus on teaching the landmark cases, clinical work with forensic based patients (those found not guilty by reason of insanity, restoration of competency, those on forced treatment in the community). Psychodynamics is not part of the usual curriculum.

 

[Anasazi23]

I'm considering a forensics fellowship, but am somewhat preoccupied about getting boggled down with too much legal stuff,

You might want to reconsider forensic fellowship. Or, grin and bare it (as it's essential knowledge for the sub-field), and do what you like afterward. Even if you like only doing what you mentioned, working within the forensic setting will require you have a base knowledge of operations within the forensic settings.

All forensic fellowships will have you studying case law, landmark cases, and the like. It's part of basic competency, and no real way around it. It'll also come up again if you choose to become board certified within forensic psychiatry.

 

[erg923]

You might want to review the literature on the efficacy of dynamic work for individuals with PDs (since thats what you will seeing alot of in a forensic setting) and then compare it with the literataure using other modalities such as motivational interviewing, DBT, CBT, empathy induction. The lit is pretty clear at this point.

 

[Cknight]

Thanks for all the information guys. I guess it's true that it would be a prerequisite to do a forensic fellowship (I just found out it actually is required to do the psychotherapy course). I know that in a way it is not entirely practical in the real world to want to do long term psychodynamic therapy with the population in question, since a minimum degree of insight is needed and often lacking... Thanks again.

 

[psyguru]

That is a very unique cross-bred niche I never would have imagined (FYI I am boarded in Forensics and BIM which is mostly a PMR sub-speciality). It can be done. There is one research fellowship...I know someone who did this fellowship first and then the clinic forensic fellowship. Her research fellowship was focused on human trafficking but perhaps yours can have a different focus. Here is the fellowship: Fellowship Programs | AAPL - American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law . You may want to do the psychoanalysis fellowship first: Psychoanalytic Fellowship | Columbia University Center for Psychoanalytic Training and Research . By coincidence, they both are at Columbia.

 

[romanticscience]

Though likely very far from teaching in their respective fellowships, Alan Stone and Thomas Guteil have psychodynamic backgrounds.

I second @psyguru advice about Columbia. You are most likely to find faculty there with an interest in both psychoanalysis and forensic psychiatry. This may be a good strategy; find a fellowship program housed in a department with psychodynamic tradition (eg, Albert Einstein, Cornell, Columbia).

PM me for more questions! My two major interests are psychodynamic and forensic psychiatry.

 

[Alemo]

Holy necrobump Batman! I’ve always wanted to say that.