My disability company is requiring I see a forensic psychiatrist for my claim. I was wondering if anyone has seen/had experience with this field? I know they are usually used for expert testimony in trials. I'm just a little freaked because it's taken me 2 years just to trust the therapist I see now. The idea of going to see some stranger who will be judging my every answer in some office I've never been in ...well, you get the idea.

Thanks in advance!

I've never even heard of a forensic psychiatrist.

I do know of someone who does that in Boston. Let me know if you want his name.

Thanks Nic....I've done a little research and it looks like the typical "cover your butt" move by the disability company. I'm just going to ride this out and try not to think about it too much. Well, until they set the appt. Then I'll probably flip my sh*t with anxiety.

I am seeing one now.
I had started seeing a counsellor who is associated with our department's employment assistance program. Once she felt that I truly had PTSD she referred me to my current Dr.
To be honest with you I was'nt thrilled at all to have to learn someone else and to have to tell my story too again. But by the end of our first session I was very relaxed and I feel comfortable having him help me find my road back to "normal". I would encourage you to at least try.

That's something I didn't even consider Nemo....this being a regular thing. I figured it was going to be one visit and that's it. I already see 4 drs, I don't want another one! I have to do what they say or they will take away the disability and it's taken 4 months to get temporary approval. I just feel sick thinking about being in a room one on one with a total stranger. The deeper I get into therapy, the more exposed I feel. Trust is actually becoming harder right now. Thanks so much for the response....I think the more information I have about this, the less anxiety I'll feel. Well, hopefully.

ga yankee,
My first therapist's supervisor was a forensic psychologist. This psychologist was very knowledgable about PTSD. She had a broader view of what my systematic abuse was about and how it fit in the larger picture of things. It may be that your forensic psych will be very understanding or maybe not. Retelling your own story all over again is hard but it is one way we can begin to heal--hense the reason for this forum.

Disability stuff is really hard to deal with. It is hard to have to 'prove' that we have been badly hurt and wonder if they will accept that what we say is the truth. I am seeing a forensic psych for therapy now. He has a good sense of clarity. He is called on by the courts to testify on his client's behalf especially when being in court is not in the client's best interest. I hope the one you see is kind and compassionate.

I wonder if an assessment of your trauma by a forensic psych requires the same level of trust a therapist does. The best suggestion I can give is to be yourself even if that means bringing a whole box of tissues with you.

I think I'm just going to have to ride this out and not get stuck in worrying about it. I have no clue how extensive this is going to be and I feel sick when I think about the 'what if's'? Mercy- your response helped a lot because I was worried they were all just corporate doctors or something. But being myself would include joking, sarcasm and avoiding anything emotional. Maybe I better try not being myself

I had to see a forensic psychologist about four or five years ago. I had already been on social security disability for over three years and SSA was reviewing my case to make sure that I still qualified for disability. After receiving all of the requested information from myself, my husband, my doctor, etc. they wanted me to see a forensic psychologist who was independent from my case.

As I recall, he had a regular therapy practice but he also saw clients specifically for disability and other court related evaluations. He did not ask me to go through the details of my personal history. He needed a general idea but no details. His main interest was in how I was presently functioning and determining if, in fact, that qualified as being disabled. I found him to be knowledgeable, understanding and compassionate. Before going to the appointment I had feared his goal would be to somehow prove that I wasn't disabled but it didn't feel like that at all. In fact, there were questions about symptoms that he asked and I sort of blew off at first because they were symptoms that I had lived with so long I didn't really recognize them as being a big deal or being "not normal". He was very compassionate but asked more detailed questions about those daily functioning sorts of things because he saw around the fact that I was minimizing it and recognized that there was a problem there.

It all worked out. I still continue on disability. And what I really found was that all of the dread that I felt for the weeks/months leading up to that appointment were for nothing. Like many things, it wasn't nearly as bad as I had built it up to be in my mind.