VINELAND, NJ, UNITED STATES, December 3, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- While psychology is beneficial, it is often misunderstood. Some people believe that psychology is exclusively talk therapy. However, our guest maintains that psychology is much more than that, especially when it comes to the services that she offers. This is the story of Dr. Alexis Reyes.

Dr. Alexis Reyes, Psy.D is a forensic psychologist and the owner and director of Forensic Psychology Services.

Dr. Reyes’ website explains forensic psychology as “the application of psychology to the law.”

“Forensic psychology does NOT involve talking on the couch,” Dr. Reyes adds. “My work focuses on providing psychological assessments for the court to assist in their understanding of issues pertaining to mental health. That may look like evaluations for criminal and family court or civil proceedings.”

Operating mainly in New Jersey where she is licensed, Dr. Reyes offers several services related to mental health. The most frequent services that she performs include firearm evaluations, violence risk assessments, and evaluations to shed light on various family dynamics. Dr. Reyes also performs court-ordered psychological evaluations for the state of Washington, where she also maintains a license.

“While I am more behind-the-scenes than traditional therapists, I still do a lot of face-to-face work with individuals, as assessments can take up to three hours or more,” summarizes Dr. Reyes. “There are a lot of factors that I look for. How do they relate to me during the assessment? Are they able to maintain their composure throughout the interview? My evaluation begins the moment I speak with a potential client over the phone. I obtain all sorts of data over the course of the evaluation which is then shared with the court. I’m trained to examine minute details that some might overlook.”

Dr. Reyes is often asked to explain the behavior of those who have committed violent offenses so that the court may establish an appropriate level of supervision and determine treatment needs. “It all depends on what question the court wants answered,” notes Dr. Reyes. Her services may be requested to assess whether a defendant was legally insane at the time of the offense, determine whether an individual poses a threat to the community, examine a person’s sexual proclivities, or assess a defendant’s capacity to understand court proceedings. In addition to criminal evaluations, Dr. Reyes may be asked to provide assessments for civil or family court.

Civil evaluations may focus on disputes between individuals or organizations, and usually arise when trying to pinpoint areas of liability. Common examples include workers’ compensation or claims of psychological injury, where the psychologist may be asked to determine whether the injury had a psychological impact. Fitness for duty is another area of civil evaluation and is mostly requested by law enforcement to determine an individual’s suitability to become a police officer. Firearm evaluations are another common type of civil evaluation, especially in New Jersey where a lot of red tape exists.

Family evaluations are very broad and may include parental capacity examinations, assessments to determine the impact of traumatic experiences, and in more severe cases, termination of parental rights. These assessments are offered with the best interests of the children in mind.

Additional services offered by Dr. Reyes include evaluations to clarify diagnosis, aid in treatment planning, plan for adoption, and provide clearance for medical procedures.

She also offers court-mandated treatment, expert witness testimony, and public speaking.

“Above all else, my goal is to be objective,” declares Dr. Reyes. “I do the best that I can when clients come into the office. I try to make them as comfortable as possible, despite their circumstances.”

Dr. Reyes’ interest in mental health began as an adolescent. “I always found myself wondering why people react the way that they do,” recalls Dr. Reyes. “Where I come from, crime and substance abuse are prevalent. When I enrolled in college and had to choose a major, I knew I wanted to study psychology but soon realized how broad the field is. I considered a concentration in Forensic Psychology because I wanted to better understand the environment where I was raised. At that time, I also landed my first internship where I worked with individuals with sexually problematic behaviors. It wasn’t an area that I was particularly interested in – I just wanted to get my feet wet and see what it was like in practice. I found it fascinating and decided this was what I wanted to do.”

Dr. Reyes eventually went to The Chicago School of Professional Psychology where she simultaneously earned her Master’s Degree in Forensic Psychology and Doctor of Psychology in Clinical Forensic Psychology. “I made sure that everything I did had a forensic component to it,” shares Dr. Reyes. “As a student, I took advantage of any training opportunity that I could get.”

After several years interning and working for other facilities and agencies throughout Illinois, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, in January of 2024, Dr. Reyes officially founded her own private forensic psychology practice, in Vineland, the very place where she was born and raised. “It became a full circle moment for me,” observes Dr. Reyes. “I have been able to give back to the community and provide access to affordable mental health services in an area that needs it.”

As for the future, Dr. Reyes seeks to expand her practice by hiring more professionals. As the sole proprietor, she often gets quite busy. With additional staff, she aims to offer clinical therapy services within her psychology practice. She is also committed to increasing awareness about mental health. It is often stigmatized, and she seeks to educate others about it.

“The average person’s understanding of mental illness is likely incorrect or skewed in some way, and the media’s depiction of these issues does not always help to decrease the stigma associated with mental health,” explains Dr. Reyes.

“Everyone’s story matters,” concludes Dr. Reyes. “Some people have similar experiences that affect them in different ways, and that’s okay. Each person, regardless of their circumstances, has a unique story that shapes their behavior. The human mind is complex, and we should approach these differences with curiosity and compassion. Addressing the mental health needs of those who are court-involved can significantly impact legal outcomes and rehabilitation. Behavior can change with the right support. We just have to be willing to do the work.”

Close Up Radio will feature Dr. Alexis Reyes in an interview with Doug Llewelyn on Thursday December 5th at 10am Eastern

Listen to the show on BlogTalkRadio

If you have any questions for our guest, please call (347) 996-3389

For more information, please visit https://www.forensicpsychologyservice.com/

Lou Ceparano
Close Up Television & Radio
+1 631-850-3314
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