The Portable Guide to Testifying in Court for Mental Health Professionals
Chapter One
Our System of Justice
After practicing as counseling interns for two years and completing the
requisite supervised hours, Karen and Jim became fully licensed counselors.
They formed a partnership and opened a marriage and family counseling
practice. Initially, business was slow, and they had to squeeze every ounce
of revenue from the practice to keep the doors open. One unsettling day
they each were served with a subpoena in a divorce case involving a couple
they had counseled. Jim had provided individual counseling to the husband,
and Karen had done so for the wife. Jim and Karen were obligated to
appear to give depositions, and they did not know what to anticipate. They
were also very upset at the loss of income that would result from their being
away from the office.
Even the most seasoned mental health professional can be unnerved
by interaction with the legal system, especially the first time.
Undergraduate and graduate mental health programs seldom offer
courses that acquaint students with American jurisprudence. This
chapter gives an overview of the legal process for the uninformed or
novice mental health professional.
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