JD Forensic Associates

JD Forensic Associates is a specialist psychology service focused on providing high quality expert witness assessments, training, and consultancy, including:
-Risk and Forensic Psychological Assessments
-Expert Witness court services
-Specialist training in risk assessment, formulation, and risk management
-Professional supervisionWe are New Zealand based, and able to take instruction for both young people and adults.All services start with a conversation: Contact us at [email protected]

About us

JD Forensic Associates was founded by Jonathan Derbyshire (BSc (Hons), MSc, CPsychol, AFBPsS). Jonathan trained in the United Kingdom as a Forensic Psychologist, before moving to New Zealand in early 2023. He is a Registered Forensic Psychologist (UK), Registered Psychologist, General Scope (NZ), Chartered Psychologist (UK), an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society and member of the New Zealand Psychological Society.JD Forensic Associates specialize in comprehensive, evidence-informed, and trauma-informed assessments for young people, adults, and organisations. We serve our clients with impartiality and attention to detail.Based in Auckland, New Zealand, we can also work nationwide via in-person or remote assessment.

Services

All services start with a conversation: Contact us at [email protected]Assessments
Forensic assessment is the core of our practice. We are able to take instruction as Independent experts on a range of issues, in both formal settings and for organisations.
Formal settings
Assessments and expert witness work in Court or related settings, such as Parole Boards, and includes: assessment and formulation of offending behaviour; risk assessment and management; cognitive neuropsychological assessment; fitness to plea/ stand trial; parole assessments
Organisations
Within organisations, such as Safeguarding assessments, risk assessment and formulation.Teaching and Training
We can provide training on specialist forensic psychology issues, including risk assessments and consideration of related complex issues such as personality or neurodevelopmental difficulties. All training packages are tailored to the organisation’s needs and start with a comprehensive needs analysis.Consultancy
Consultancy in forensic psychology involves working with organisations to consider complex problems of risk, safeguarding, and behaviour. It may for example involve risk assessment of sexual harm, or may be limited to formulation and risk management recommendations. Please get in touch to discuss your needs.Professional Supervision
We are able to provide professional (clinical) supervision with professionals working in forensic or related fields.

Our Experts

Jonathan Derbyshire
Jonathan has experience in a wide range of specialist forensic services with youth and adults from age 12 through the lifespan. He has worked in adult and youth prisons, forensic hospital, probation, forensic learning disability, and forensic mental health, providing assessment, intervention, and consultation. As an independently instructed Expert Witness he has provided assessments to UK Crown and Family Courts, Parole Boards, and prison risk panels. He continues to work in youth forensic mental health, where he often provides assessments under Section 333 Oranga Tamariki Act. Jonathan also holds an Honorary academic research role. His current research interests focus on trauma-informed forensic practice, neuro and developmentally informed participation in criminal proceedings, and forensic assessment.Jonathan has particular interest and expertise in specialist risk assessment, and how neurodevelopmental conditions (e.g. autism, ADHD, intellectual disability, brain injury) interact with risk and risk management.As a Forensic (non-clinical) psychologist, Jonathan’s work is focused on providing evidence-informed evaluations of complex behaviour, alongside individual and systemic recommendations for managing risk. He does not diagnose mental illness.