JUSTICE PROJECT

Expert Witness and Evaluation Services for All

We are available for comprehensive evaluations, mitigation reports, and expert testimony for civil and criminal court cases. We specialize in working with:

  • gender and sexuality expansive, Trans, Nonbinary and Queer people

  • LGBTQIA+ adolescents & adults

  • those who’ve experienced trauma

  • family, state, and federal cases for both plaintiffs and defendants

Everyone who is court involved deserves a comprehensive, psycho-social emotional evaluation.

All plaintiffs, defendants and their families can greatly benefit from expert evaluation by someone who understands their identities and experiences, and who has years of experience advocating for their just, humane and fair treatment. 

Golden Psychology reports and expert testimony have been successfully used to:

  • win cases

  • advocate for alternatives to incarceration programs

  • improve care of children in ACS

  • expand judges’ understanding of trauma

  • help courts understand the unique experiences of holding a LGBTQ2IA+ identity

Our expert witness and mental health evaluations are completed in an identity+ affirming manner, with recommendations based on the highest standard of mental health and care.

Our reports:

  • take into consideration the unique stressors of holding an LGBTQ2IA+ identity that can result in chronic, identity-related trauma and invalidation.

    • These stressors can lead to depression, anxiety, PTSD, complex PTSD and substance use

  • are built on knowledge of the extensive history of violence against LGBTQ2IA+ individuals as well as increased daily risks for physical, emotional, and sexual violence, abuse and victimization

  • can include a comprehensive psychosocial assessment that examines an individual's mental health, considering not only their psychological state but also their social environment and emotional functioning

  • provide a holistic view of their well-being and potential challenges within their life context

  • involve interviews, standardized tests, and observations to gather information about clients’ thoughts, feelings, behaviors, and how they interact with their surroundings

  • can also include comprehensive assessment of an individual's cognitive abilities, using standardized intelligence tests and other measures, to determine their overall level of intellectual functioning

About Dr. Golden:

Our expert witness services and evaluations are based on years of training in assessment and evaluation

Dr. Rachel Lynn Golden (they.them) is the Founder of Golden Psychology and is engaged in advocacy for LGBTQ2IA+ individuals in New York State. They are a member of the Trans Prisoner Rights Coalition of New York, and serve on the Transgender, Gender Non-Conforming, Non-Binary, and Intersex (TGNCNBI) Task Force on issues faced for people in custody in New York City jails, as well as the THANY Coalition (Trans Health Advocates of New York) a statewide network to hold New York State regulators and insurers accountable to the care of Trans and Gender-Expansive people. They also interface with the Department of Corrections and Community Services as well as the Governor’s office regarding care of Transgender and Gender Expansive people. 

Learn more about Dr. Golden.

Golden Psychology is also available for:

  • Consultations and trainings for lawyers on working with traumatized, queer and trans clients

  • Consultation on developing LGBTQ2IA+ affirming corrections-based programs

  • JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion) consultation, workshops and trainings 

  • Evaluations

  • Testimony