Creating a niche in clinical practice | Forensic & clinical neuropsych with Dr. Chriscelyn Tussey

Chriscelyn Tussey, PsyD, is the founder and President of Metropolitan Forensic and Neuropsychological Consultation, PLLC. She obtained her PsyD  in clinical psychology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and completed her predoctoral internship in the Forensic Track at Bellevue Hospital Center/NYU School of Medicine. She completed a one-year postdoctoral fellowship in Forensic Psychology at the UVA Health Center.  Given her interest in brain-behavior relationships and the frequent overlap she observed between forensic work and neuropsychology, she subsequently completed a two-year APPCN postdoctoral fellowship in Clinical Neuropsychology.  

She is also the former Director of Psychological Assessment at Bellevue Hospital and a Clinical Assistant Professor at NYU School of Medicine. Dr. Tussey has been qualified as an expert witness in State and Federal courts. She is an invited speaker at local, national, and international conferences and has published on forensic and neuropsychological topics. She has also taught undergraduate and graduate courses, and is currently an Adjunct Assistant Professor at NYU.  Dr. Tussey is passionate about leadership and helping to cultivate future psychologists. She is involved in leadership positions both locally and nationally. 

In this interview, we covered:

1. You are both a forensic psychologist and clinical neuropsychologist. What does this mean?
2. What’s the difference between criminal psychology and forensic psychology?
3. What are some examples of cases that you work on, both civil and criminal?
4. When and how did you realize you wanted to be a psychologist?
5. How did you decide that your PsyD program was the right fit for you?
6. Why did you want the opportunity to teach in grad school?
7. Did you look at both PhD and PsyD programs?
8. What do you wish you knew before going into grad school?
9. What is graduate school actually like? Challenges? Rewarding aspects?
10. You did your clinical internship at Bellevue Hospital NYU on the forensic track. What does forensic work look like in a hospital setting?
11. How do you cope with all the trauma that comes with this work?
12. Can you describe a patient you saw in your training that left a mark on you or changed the way you view your practice? (The importance of mentorship)
13. Why did you do two post-docs, one in forensic and one in neuropsychology?
14. What does it mean to be an expert witness?
15. How do you learn everything you need to know about the legal system and the law?
16. How do you remain objective as a forensic psychologist when you’re called upon by attorneys to strengthen their case?
17. How did you advocate for yourself to become the director of psychological assessment at Bellevue Hospital?
18. What is testing and assessment?
19. Why did you transition from the hospital setting to mostly working on your private practice?
20. How do you spend your time as a private practitioner?
21. What’s different about practicing on your own than practicing in a medical setting?
22. Can you take us through a day in your life?
23. What do you like the most about your work? The least?
24. For audience members interested in a path like yours, where should they start?
25. What skill, quality, or general factor has served you no matter where you went in life? 

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Music by: Adam Fine