Presentations

THE PSYCHOPATH NEXT DOOR: HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF

"Psychopath". The very word conjures up images of Manson, Dahmer, Bundy, but most of the psychopaths in society are not deranged murderers: they are our friends, lovers, neighbors, co-workers and perhaps even our own family members. They are often charming and persuasive with the ability to dazzle with wit and flattery. We aren't even aware that they've taken us for a ride…until it's too late. Just ask the victims of "Uncle" Bernie Madoff.

Psychopaths have a Jekyll and Hyde personality – they play a part until they get what they want. They have no conscience and their only goal is self-gratification. In this eye-opening talk, I will help you recognize the profile of the psychopath so that you can protect yourself from becoming victimized, exploited and ensnared in their selfish and dangerous webs.

BEYOND MEDEA: PROFILING MOTHERS WHO KILL THEIR CHILDREN

The United States has the highest homicide rate for children of any industrialized nation in the world. Homicide is the only leading cause of death in children under age 15 to have increased since the 1950's. FBI statistics on murdered children reveal that nearly 71% were killed by their biological mothers. Tragically, children are almost always the victims of their mother's inability to cope with life. Because of the universal revulsion and ensuing media frenzy that these crimes incite, mothers are subject to more arbitrary legal determinations if they are charged with homicide at all. Some states don't even include infanticide in their murder statutes; other states consider it a capital offense.

Ten years ago, not one woman had spent more than a night in jail for murdering her newborn; now over 189 women are on death row for the same crime. Emotions need to be put aside and these statutes need to be overhauled based on actual facts and data about these women and their crime.

In this presentation, I will trace the tragic chain of events that leads to the murder of a child, sometimes originating in a mother's mental state, but always ignited by circumstances around her and thus, always preventable.

CSI OF THE MIND

People have always been fascinated with crime and the dark side of the human psyche. Thanks to popular television shows like CSI and Law & Order, the interest in the field of forensics has exploded. As a former Narcotics Parole Officer turned Forensic Psychologist, my real life has taken me into world of crime labs and DNA samples, experiencing situations far beyond what you see on these fictional television programs.

As a Forensic Psychologist, my goal is to get inside the minds of defendants to analyze their thoughts, motives and state of mind at the precise moment they committed their crime. I conduct "psychological autopsies" of the tortured and demented minds of serial killers, murderers, and rapists.

While Crime Scene Investigators use forensic science to determine the WHO, WHAT, WHEN and WHERE after the crime was committed, the Forensic Psychologist must answer the question WHY they did it. Is the person insane? Should he/she be acquitted of their crime?

In my "CSI of the Mind" lecture, I will walk participants through typical cases where a Forensic Psychologist interacts with experts in the fields of DNA, blood spatter, ballistics, handwriting analysis, toxicology, polygraphy, soil and weather analysis to construct a profile of the mind behind the crime.

I will discuss the expanded role of Forensic Psychology in criminal investigations, the science it can contribute and the myths and surprising realities it has uncovered behind the minds of criminals. In the past, psychologists' involvement began after the handcuffs were on – now they can assist in investigations every step of the way.

THE ICARUS COMPLEX: WHY SUCCESSFUL MEN CRASH AND BURN

As a Clinical/Forensic Psychologist practicing in the land of Bernie Madoff, I have found my practice inundated with patients referred by their lawyers, remanded by the courts and sent for bail supervision because they have committed senseless and bizarre crimes. I have come to recognize a psychological profile that I call THE ICARUS COMPLEX that characterizes these men who fly high and fall fast due to a panoply of psychosocial factors that plunge them, their wives, and their families into abject and humiliating tragedy.

Tiger Woods, John Edwards, Eliot Spitzer, Mark Sanford, Sol Wachtler. They're all Icarus men.

In my presentation, I will explore the psychodynamics of these Icarus men; explain the symptoms of this emerging syndrome and identify the risk factors of what makes their self-destructive descent so distinct from other philanderers, con artists and psychopaths.

PRIME TIME IN THE COURTROOM: TRIAL BY MEDIA

As a longtime media analyst and author of The Mad, The Bad and the Innocent: The Criminal Mind on Trial, I offer an insider's view of the controversy over our First Amendment right to know versus the danger of courtroom media and tabloid coverage tainting and affecting juries.

In this presentation, I will offer years of insight having testified in over 100 homicide cases. I will discuss the effect of the media on high–profile cases such as Bernie Madoff, Michael Jackson, Phil Spector, Laci Peterson, Andrea Yates and many others.