Debra Warner
Interview
- Q: You've mentioned students don't come to class as a blank slate. When you were beginning your career, what was the hardest preconceived notion for you to throw out the window?
- A: That I knew everything and I knew how my career would unfold. When my career started, I thought I would counsel adults in private practice and solve simple adjustment issues. In my journey, I realized that I had a lot to learn and God had OTHER plans for me! Not only academically, but personally, about how my career would unfold. I realized that sometimes your career is not picked by you, but chosen by fate. I thoroughly believe populations find people that have certain characteristics to match them. It is called good fit. I remember one of my first forensic experiences was working with an adolescent who sexually abused his sibling. I remember people asking me how I can treat this particular individual. My answer was 'Easy, everyone deserves respect and help in understanding his emotional process.' I could not understand why the reaction was so strong for others. Then I realized, everyone had niches that were populations they could connect with in treatment. Sex offenders and forensic work was mine.
- Q: You've done some consulting for the Department of Homeland Security. How might that department use forensic psychology? Hypothetically, of course!
- A: In most government agencies, forensic psychologists are employed to complete assessment of current client functioning to determine appropriate mental heath needs. They are also utilized for staff training pertaining to mental heath and diagnostic information. They are sought out due to their specialization in clinical psychology merged with a focus on law and the legal system.
- Q: Your students have access to L.A.'s Mental Health Court. What kind of unique experiences does this offer them? A: The Mental Health Department of the Superior Court works with many legal areas, including psychiatric evaluations, treatments, investigations, hearings and trials relating to involuntary detentions—usually individuals who have severe emotional problems or developmental disabilities and are a grave danger to themselves because they cannot care for their daily needs. Usually individuals are seen in Mental Heath Court because others are seeking conservatorship over the individual's life decisions. The court also hears cases involving competency, sanity, and confinement and treatment of persons with substance abuse problems. Los Angeles County is the only county in California using a centralized court for cases involving mental heath. Anyone can sit in on adult hearings, and the experience provides students with a great opportunity for exposure to the forensic court arena and future roles as forensic psychologist students.
- Q: The movie industry is the heart and soul of L.A. What kind of opportunities does this present to students looking to pursue a career in psychology related to that industry?
- A: Students could have the opportunity to work with actors in private practice and trial consulting. Also, I have colleagues that consult for television shows (e.g., Law and Order) and reality television (Big Brother and Survivor). I'm also starting a private practice that focuses on group work using cognitive behavioral principles coupled with acting techniques. I would love for students to be involved!
- Q: Forensic psychology is one of the biggest growth areas in psychology, yet Hollywood has created some misconceptions about a career in this field. Could you give students a simple definition of forensic psychology?
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A: The field of forensic psychology focuses on:
- • psychology as it relates to a merging of psychology, law and the legal system
- • advanced training in clinical assessment and interviewing that relates to unique
issues in the legal system - • psychopathology and its connection to the law and legal proceedings
- • psychological testing tailored for forensic settings and practice
- • ethics and professional issues that are unique to forensic practice
- • expert opinion and testimony for court proceedings
- • trial consultation and jury selection procedure
- • special populations with needs and diagnostic criteria commonly found in
correctional and forensic inpatient populations
The show "Law and Order", with its portrayal of Dr. Haung, is very accurate to what forensic psychologist can do with certain detainee-centered institutions (police departments, correctional institutions and federal agencies). "CSI" is the misconception and is actually forensic science, which is usually a scientist or medical examiner.
- Q: Tell us about your multisensory approach in the classroom.
- A: I'm very flexible with things. I'm very visual. Some people are tactile, some people like to do tasks where they listen, others like to see. So I try to tap into all of those. For example, I might have some of my friends who are actors come in to class and be the clients, and the students have to figure out the diagnosis for their final exam. I use a lot of films, and I might show those films and then say, we are learning object relations therapy. Tell me how this fits. Look at the characters in the movie and tell me how it fits. Or I'll have them work in a group and write a paper on something or someone famous and look at a different diagnosis. I try to do it in a way that people really get. If I taught family assistance, I might have a student do a genograph on his or her family. This hits home, because students are working with things from the inside out.
- Q: Can you share a story of a case where you felt you had impact?
- A: Sure. And the impact works both ways. I got this letter from a client… I was leaving this prison I was working at and he was going to be left behind and he wrote me from his cell. He stole a pencil and wrote this letter…this three-page letter about what I did for him. And I almost cried when I got this. I carried that letter in my organizer and I whenever I think twice about what I'm doing, I read that thing.
- Q: What's the best part of your job?
- A: The people, without a doubt. Seeing some progress. You might not see progress for years, but when you do get those moments or you have a student who has been struggling who has an ah-ha moment, and you think maybe I had a little part in that…that's when I know I'm doing what I'm meant to do…and it's the best.
- Q: What kind of difference would you like to make?
- A: You know, the first thing that comes to mind, I mean the reason I wanted to work at The Chicago School was that I wanted to give students things I didn't get. I had to work really, really hard to get where I am. I had mentors, but I didn't have access to people who could tell me exactly what to do to get where I wanted to go. How it could lead me to internships. I had to find those on my own. I don't want people to have such a hard time. I wanted to teach people because I wanted to be able to give that back, all that knowledge that I gained I wanted to give it back so that people could get something out of it.
