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Emotional Damages Episode 9 Recap: Childhood Trauma in Litigation — Forensic Psychiatrist Dr. Paul Elizondo on Development, Credibility, and the Courtroom

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Childhood trauma casts long shadows—on well-being, on family systems, and in legal disputes where psychiatric injury is at issue. In this episode of Emotional Damages, host Dr. Ambarin Faizi interviews Dr. Paul Elizondo, a triple board-certified psychiatrist with expertise in child, adolescent, and forensic psychiatry. Together, they unpack how trauma in childhood reverberates in forensic evaluations and courtroom settings.

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Considerations for the Forensic Evaluation of the LGBTQ+-identified Person

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Even LGBTQ+-identified youth and adults in the San Francisco Bay Area bubble experience stress associated with being a sexual or gender minority. Please read about Dr. Paul Elizondo’s experience serving LGBTQ+-identified youth and adults in his psychiatric practices in outpatient, residential treatment program, and incarcerated settings.

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A Review of Statutes and the Role of the Forensic Psychiatrist in Cyberstalking Involving Youth

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Adolescents are increasingly exposed to Internet-facilitated crime as they spend more time online. The mental health risks and legal consequences for youth involved in cyberstalking are growing areas of concern. The nature of online stalking presents several challenges regarding investigation, fair adjudication, fact-finding, and legislation. Laws governing online stalking behaviors inconsistently reference the age of a victim or perpetrator as a factor for consideration in case disposition. During adjudication, the forensic psychiatrist may be asked to evaluate the victim or perpetrator involved in cyberstalking. This article focuses on the current legal landscape governing cyberstalking behavior involving adolescents, the roles a forensic psychiatrist may assume in this context, and the opportunity to bring a developmental perspective to these cases. Paul Elizondo, DO, Dale E. McNiel, PhD, and Rene´e Binder, MD

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