Psychology - General experts

Introduction

Experts who specialise in the field of psychology are able to provide integral evidence to the assessment of evidence. Psychology is the study of the mind, and its many influences and functions. Psychologists study individuals and groups to better understand how people, communities, and societies function. They are then able to provide ways to help these groups cope, recover, and thrive.

Research into the brain, the mind, genetics, and associated psychological and sociological fields, advances our understanding of the emotions, personality, intelligence, memory, perception, cognition, attention, and conscious and unconscious motivations, as well as the biological processes that drive them. Psychology’s aim is not just to study human behaviour, but to apply that knowledge in order to improve the quality of life by understanding what aids mental health and wellbeing, learning, performance, relationships, and societal cohesiveness.

In Australia, psychology is a regulated profession where psychologists must be registered with the Psychology Board of Australia (PsyBA) and listed with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency (AHPRA). Registered psychologists are required to have a minimum of six years of university training and supervised experience, and to engage in ongoing Continuing Professional Development (CPD) to keep their skills and knowledge up to date.

Psychologists must adhere to strict standards to maintain their professional registration, and must provide professional services according to a strict Code of Ethics, compiled by the Australian Psychology Society (APS).

Psychologists provide assessment and therapy to clients, help facilitate organisational or social change, conduct psychological research, or administer psychological tests to individuals or groups. A large number of psychologists fulfil some type of a therapeutic role, assessing their client’s concerns and life circumstances, and offering support, advice and treatment to address their client’s issues. For example, many psychologists work directly with people to help them recover from depression, anxiety, eating disorders, and other mental health issues. They can also evaluate the needs of older adults with declining memory and offer advice to families and carers on how to adjust the living environment to aid independence and minimise harm.

There are many types of psychologist:

• Clinical psychologists
• Clinical neuropsychologists
• Community psychologists
• Educational and developmental psychologists
• Forensic psychologists
• Health psychologists
• Organisational psychologists
• Sports and exercise psychologists
• Counselling psychologists

At the bottom of this profile are brief details of a number of the experts that Expert Experts represents. Call our office to discuss your requirements and to obtain a recommendation that suits your needs and budget.

Expertise in Action

Psychologists are often required to provide expert opinion in cases that relate to mental health or other cases that may have social, experimental, cognitive or developmental complications. These highly knowledgeable and experienced experts regularly work on civil or criminal cases that have the events of abuse, violence, personality disorders, or memory conformity.

Expert witnesses may be also required to provide an opinion on cognitive capacity and impairment. Alternatively experts in psychology may provide an opinion in the event of medical malpractice, which in some cases might be concerning with misdiagnosis or patient neglect. Workers compensation is another area that regularly requires the opinion of expert psychologists.

Sample Reports

For some fields of expertise we have some sample sections of de-identified reports. Please contact our office if you are interested in a sample.

Cost

The overall cost of expert opinion depends on the services required. Some of the key factors that affect the cost of advice include:

• The need for a view or inspection of a location
• The quantity of documentary material to be reviewed
• Whether there are reports of other experts to be reviewed and commented on in detail
• Whether there is a need for conferences with the expert either in person or by telephone/Skype

Relevant Articles Common mental health issues

Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses with 14% of Australians aged 16-85 experiencing anxiety disorders every year, more than twice the rate of depressive disorders. Clinical anxiety is often disregarded as ‘being stressed’. However while stress is a normal (and at times helpful) emotion, when someone experiences ongoing, long-lasting stress, it impacts on their everyday functioning and may be heading towards an anxiety disorder. As the symptom or emotion of stress is considered both a helpful and a harmful experience, anxiety disorders are some of the most regularly misunderstood, underrated illnesses, despite being the most common. Affective (depressive) disorders (6% of Australians aged 16-85 experience affective disorders every year) are more understood and accepted in our community and people are often more comfortable disclosing them because of this reduced stigma. People are more likely to seek professional help for affective disorders than people with anxiety or substance use disorders.

Victoria's mental health services 'sink to the absolute bottom' with tragic consequences

Only one in three Victorians in need of mental health care is able to access such care. That's nearly 40 per cent lower than the national average, according to Australian Institute of Health and Welfare data, and means more than 120,000 Victorians are unable to access the care they need.

Call for trainee psychologists and retirees to boost COVID mental health workforce

This article documents the need for trainee psychologists to combat COVID-19 fatigue by way of mental resilience and provision of their professional services. This model is an attempt to lighten the case-load from accredited psychologists by allowing final-year psychologist practitioners to operate under the supervision of accredited individuals.

Relevant Cases Phillips v Wilderness School [2007] SAIRComm 6

A psychologist was consulted to give opinion about the mental health of an appellant who had been bullied at her place of employment and dismissed.

EFP19 v Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs [2021] FCCA 1508 (24 August 2021)

A psychologist was called to consider the depressive state of a party in a matter related to immigration.

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