Nicholasville Clinical and Forensic Psychology Services

Based In Louisville, Kentucky But Able To Travel For Service

Nicholasville Forensic Psychology is a subspecialty of Psychology that focuses on Nicholasville legal issues wherein mental health is a potential contributing factor.

Dr. Kaplan has experience in Nicholasville sex offender evaluations, violent risk assessment, competency to stand trial, capacity, mitigation of sentence, juvenile bindover, and more. Dr. Kaplan provides Nicholasville forensic evaluation in guardianship cases, accident/injury cases, and other situations where there is a question about an individual's mental health, emotional harm, or ability to care for oneself. She also offers a variety of parenting evaluations.  Dr. Kaplan uses evidence-based assessment methods and Nicholasville psychological tests to provide a wide variety of psychological evaluation services.

Nicholasville Criminal Forensic Evaluations

Nicholasville General Psychological: An attorney or judge may request a general psychological evaluation in a case in which a person’s mental health is in question. The resulting report includes the individual’s current mental status, diagnosis, and recommendations.

Nicholasville Competency Test: An evaluation to determine if a defendant is competent to stand trial in Nicholasville, waive Miranda, plead guilty, confess or function adequately in the legal system. A forensic evaluation can determine if the defendant is able to cooperate with counsel, assist in his own defense, as well as make informed decisions about legal choices.

Nicholasville Criminal Responsibility: Sophisticated Nicholasville psychological testing is used to evaluate the presence of any psychological disorder, psychopathy, or personality characteristics that may have mediated rational decision making or interfered with judgment or perception.A comprehensive evaluation of the defendant’s mental state at the time of the offense can inform trial strategy and provide the judge or jury with critical information regarding legal responsibility.

Nicholasville Mitigation of Sentencing: In the Nicholasville sentencing phase of a trial, an attorney or judge may wish to know psychological information for the court to consider in sentencing, and in recommending probation or parole. Specifically, a comprehensive forensic report can affect sentencing to the extent that it addresses all relevant mitigating and aggravating circumstances. This can also include sentencing determinations in Nicholasville Death Penalty Cases.

Nicholasville Juvenile Bindover: In certain cases whereby an adolescent is accused of a crime(s), he or she may be tried in either a Nicholasville juvenile court or in an Nicholasville adult court. In such cases, the court can benefit from a forensic evaluation addressing the issue of amenability to the Nicholasville juvenile justice system. The evaluation focuses on how likely the juvenile is to benefit from the added-services afforded by the juvenile system—aimed at rehabilitation and restoration—compared to the adult system, which overall is more punitively-oriented.

Nicholasville Violence Risk Assessment: Aims to determine whether an individual has a mental disorder in Nicholasville and the level of dangerousness, but not to determine whether an individual committed a specific offense.

Nicholasville Psychosexual Testing: This is a complete psychological evaluation with an additional heavy emphasis on sexual development, values, thoughts, interests, and behaviors.

Nicholasville Psychosexual with Risk Assessment: This examination is the same as a psychosexual evaluation in Nicholasville with the addition of an assessment of the risk of committing a future sexual offense through the use of evidence-based actuarial risk assessment instruments.

Nicholasville Civil Forensic Evaluations

Nicholasville Parenting Evaluation: Due to a variety of circumstances, sometimes the court or a governmental organization (e.g., Children Services Agency) might question the type or amount of contact that a particular parent may have with his/her children. In those cases, a Nicholasville forensic psychologist’s services may be secured in order to help answer specific referral questions related to parenting issues.

Nicholasville Adoption Evaluation: Individuals or couples who are adopting in Nicholasville need to have a psychological valuation to assess their emotional stability, and readiness to adopt and parent a child. Every Nicholasville adoption agency has its own specific procedures surrounding the evaluation.  The psychological evaluation focuses on potential underlying psychopathology that might exist in either of the future parents (or the couple as a family system). Additionally, the quality of the marital relationship, intended child rearing practices, and motivations for adoption are explored.  This evaluation differs from a home study, which is typically conducted by a Nicholasville social worker.

Nicholasville, KY  Personal Injury: A psychologist’s expertise often is utilized by the Nicholasville court in order to help determine whether mental injury exists and, if so, to what degree. An example includes Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (Nicholasville PTSD), as a result of experiencing significant trauma. A personal injury evaluation may involve a clinical interview, record review, psychological testing, and contacting collateral sources in the case.

Nicholasville Clinical Assessment

Nicholasville KY ADHD Evaluation: These Nicholasville evaluations typically include the following:

• Nicholasville IQ and/or achievement testing to rule out a learning disorder and to assess cognitive strengths and weaknesses.
• Nicholasville Tests of attention and other aspects of executive functioning. 
• Nicholasville Psychological tests to examine for other Nicholasville mental health problems that may be causing or contributing to the symptoms.

Nicholasville Diagnostic Evaluation: Evaluations pertaining to many diagnoses, such as Nicholasville Bipolar Disorder, Nicholasville Autism (as well as the former Asperger's Disorder), Major Depressive Disorder, PTSD, Nicholasville Anxiety Disorders, Personality Disorders, and Nicholasville Schizophrenia.

Nicholasville Learning Disorders, IQ, and Achievement Testing:  Typically referred to as Nicholasville psychoeducational evaluations. Used to evaluate the presence of a Nicholasville learning disorder or an intellectual disability. Achievement testing can help identify academic achievement level in various subjects and any necessary academic accommodations.



Nicholasville Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Evaluation: The Nicholasville autism assessment and diagnostic process for Nicholasville Autism involves a thorough clinical interview in Nicholasville, review of outside medical and/or academic records, and a testing battery that may include parental interviews and forms (if applicable), intellectual, and personality assessments.

Additional Service Testing in Nicholasville

Nicholasville Psychological Consultant: Psychologists may be hired by Nicholasville attorneys to consult on a case “behind the scenes”. Examples include educating the attorney about a client’s mental illness, assisting in Nicholasville jury selection or Nicholasville cross-examination, or critiquing another psychologist’s evaluation report.

Nicholasville Expert Witness: A Nicholasville psychologist may be asked to testify in court in Nicholasville as an expert. The evaluation report may be read out loud in open court, and the expert must answer questions about the report and what transpired during conversations with the respondent and any other involved individual. The Nicholasville court expert may be asked to discuss their knowledge regarding the research in a specific area of psychology as it relates to the respondent. Psychological experts may also be asked to educate the court on a specific mental health-related topic.