Forensic Practice and Approach

Background

Soon after establishing his private practice in 1989, Dr. Frey realized that there was a significant gap in psychological services available to the Court system, especially regarding domestic relations. He was often "drafted" by local attorneys and judges to help them develop rulings on custody and visitation disputes, divorce conflicts, and the numerous allegations that often accompany these problems. 
In providing these services to the Court, Dr. Frey discovered that he enjoyed the intensity of the process, the interactions with the attorneys, and the courtroom. The stakes in these cases are high and attached to volatile emotions. He learned that his ability to maintain neutrality and objectivity during the conflicts was helpful to the court in approaching appropriate case dispositions and resolutions. 
Unfortunately, these cases are loaded with emotions, vindictiveness, and long-term resentments. Some allegations can be exaggerated, distorted, fabricated, or even true. Coming down on one side or the other is difficult and often demands a great deal of discrimination. One of the "side-effects" of these cases is that Dr. Frey has developed a "following" of unhappy folks who seem to enjoy disparaging him on Facebook or other negative websites. He is open about this and will discuss any questions his clients have regarding his behaviors or his competency. 
Dr. Frey has an established and recognized expertise in Forensic/Legal areas of Psychology such as:
  • Domestic relations in court situations
  • Custody and visitation disputes
  • Parental Alienation 
  • Parental "Gatekeeping"
  • Evaluating trauma symptoms in children and adolescents alleged to have experienced physiclal and/or sexual abuse
  • Post-divorce adjustment problems in parents and children/adolescents
  • Co-parenting disputes
  • Assisting defense attorneys in mental health issues of their clients
  • Testifying as an expert witness in both Federal and Superior Courts in and around the Augusta area including the Augusta, Toombs, Ogeechee, and Middle Judicial Circuits
  • Testifying in cases of alleged sexual misconduct
  • He has testified in Criminal and Civil cases and routinely provides attorneys with second-opinion psychological evaluations
  • He has performed hundreds of psychological assessments for the Department of Juvenile Justice
  • Dr. Frey is now performing psychosexual evaluations for criminal defendants accused of sexual crimes and violence, fathers/husbands accused of sexual improprieties in domestic relations disputes, and teenage males alleged to have engaged in sexual misconduct or sexually aggressive behaviors
Because of the emotional intensity of domestic forensic cases, Dr. Frey requires all clients referred by the court to have a court order for an evaluation or intervention. He can assist in this process. He is recognized by the judges and attorneys to maintain his neutrality and objectivity even in highly emotional cases. Although his opinions may not be popular with 50% of the clients, he has been consistently used by the Augusta Judicial Circuit for 25+ years to assist in the disposition of difficult and conflictual custody, visitation, and divorce cases. 
Dr. Frey conducts all his court-ordered cases regarding custody and visitation according to the American Psychological Association's 2009 Guidelines for Child Custody Evaluations in Family Law Proceedings. These are available online through a Google search.    
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