Why it matters
What on earth is a Forensic Psychologist?
A forensic psychologist is one of those experts you don’t think about until and unless you encounter an urgent and pressing need to find someone with their expertise, navigating the courts to help protect children who have been wronged or are at risk of injustice.
Navigating the legal system is never easy, and it gets decidedly less easy when dealing with emotional conflict. Our experienced forensic psychologists work with families, attorneys, and the court system to assess key factors in cases related to custody disputes, trauma, abuse, and other legal concerns impacting children.
Whether you need a custody evaluation, expert testimony, trauma-informed assessments, or court-ordered counseling, we offer the expertise and compassionate approach necessary to help children and families move forward.
Understanding a child’s emotional and psychological needs is critical in legal cases. Our evaluations provide insightful, science-backed recommendations to support fair and informed decisions that protect the child’s best interests.
If you’re facing a legal situation that requires psychological expertise, we’re here to help make it easier.
Focus and behavior
Can you answer yes to any of these questions:
- Do you need a therapist who will appear in court?
- Are you concerned about the impact of divorce or separation on your child and need an expert opinion for legal purposes?
- Is your child dealing with trauma from abuse, neglect, or exposure to domestic violence, and you need a professional report for court?
- Are you looking for a clinician who can provide a psychological assessment and expert testimony for a child custody hearing?
- Do you need a therapist who specializes in evaluating parental fitness and can provide recommendations to the court?
- Are you having a hard time finding a clinician because you are in the middle of a custody battle or divorce?
With both a forensic psychologist and forensic therapist on our team, we can help!
meet the team
The Experts
Dr. Melissa Mignogna, Ph.D.
Director of Forensic Services | Licensed Psychologist | Forensic Psychologist
Dr. Mignogna is one of the few clinicians in the country who combines deep expertise in both pediatric psychology and forensic psychology. She completed her postdoctoral fellowship in Pediatric Psychology at Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine and holds a Reunification Therapist Certification completed in 2026. She is a member of the Association of Family and Conciliation Courts and has completed over 100 hours of specialized forensic training through AFCC covering parenting plan evaluations, child custody evaluations, coercive control, and reunification therapy.
Her forensic services include psychological assessments, parenting fitness evaluations, child custody evaluations, court-mandated treatment, reunification therapy, and expert witness testimony. She is also a certified PCIT therapist, which means she can support families navigating behavioral challenges in young children alongside legal proceedings simultaneously.
Dr. Mignogna’s forensic and clinical services are available in person in The Woodlands and River Oaks, and virtually in all PSYPACT states.
Suzanne Senn, LPC
Forensic Family Therapist | Licensed Professional Counselor
Suzanne Senn is a licensed professional counselor with over a decade of experience working with families involved in the legal system. Her primary specialty is forensic family therapy, including reunification therapy, co-parenting therapy, and court-ordered family treatment. She has testified in court as a content witness in Harris, Montgomery, and Waller Counties and has worked directly with court systems in those counties to support families during and following divorce, custody disputes, and reunification processes.
Suzanne co-authored a 120-page training guide approved by the Texas State Attorney General’s Office for families experiencing divorce, and has served as director of two intensive outpatient programs. She brings a collaborative, narrative, and systems-informed approach to her forensic work and is especially skilled at helping families reduce conflict and rebuild functioning during some of their most difficult moments.
Suzanne’s forensic services are available in the state of Texas.
What we offer
Forensic Services
Forensic Therapy Services
- Court-mandated individual and family treatment
- Treatment of post-divorce/separation adjustment difficulties, anxiety disorders, depression, PTSD and traumatic stress, ADHD, etc.
- Parent behavior modification therapy
- Consultation with lawyers
- Collaboration with amicus lawyers
- Collaboration with schools, medical professionals, and other caregivers
- Expert witness testimony
- Family Reunification Therapy
Forensic Assessment Services
- ADHD and Autism Spectrum Education evaluations and accommodation recommendations for children based on the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
- Parental competency/fitness evaluations
- Personality and psychological functioning evaluations