1 Hour / 1 CE

On Demand | Self-Paced Professional Training

This on-demand professional training program on Forensic Aspects of Suggestibility is presented by Jerrod Brown, Ph.D.

Suggestibility can be defined as the proneness of an individual to accept and adopt the views of another person as truth. For example, when confronted by someone else’s explanation of an event, individuals prone to suggestibility may adopt this alternate explanation as their own memory of the event. Although the behavioral and environmental etiological origins of vulnerability to suggestibility are dynamic and complex, suggestions can be inspired by a range of stimuli, from verbal and non-verbal communication with another person to reading text or exposure to various forms of media. Suggestibility can also occur in individuals involved in high-stress situations. For example, in a courtroom setting, the use of repetitious lines of questioning may exacerbate the likelihood of suggestibility, false confessions, and wrongful convictions. Awareness of suggestibility is of paramount concern in settings such as the criminal justice system, where self-reported information is used to make life-altering decisions. Suggestibility’s impact on memory can have a deleterious influence on justice at each and every point in the criminal justice system. In this session, the presenter addresses the phenomenon of suggestibility and its implications for criminal justice, forensic mental health, and legal systems.

Learning Objectives

Upon completion of this training, participants will be able to:

  • 1 Describe suggestibility and its subtypes
  • 2 Describe warning signs and risk factors for suggestibility
  • 3 Describe the wide-ranging deleterious impacts of suggestibility in the criminal justice, forensic mental health, and legal systems
  • 4 Describe the challenges that forensic mental health professionals face in assessing individuals who are prone to suggestibility
  • 5 Describe approaches and techniques to limit the potential impact of suggestibility in criminal justice, forensic mental health, and legal settings

  • Intended Audience

    This training is intended for mental health and legal professionals who wish to deepen their understanding of suggestibility and its impact on memory and decision-making within forensic and legal contexts. The program addresses the complexities of suggestibility, memory reliability, and their implications for assessments, competency, and criminal responsibility evaluations. It is relevant for those specializing in forensic psychology, clinical psychology, or legal/justice-related mental health evaluation, as well as professionals involved in legal or forensic cases across various disciplines.

    • Mental Health Professional
    • Forensic Psychologist
    • Clinical Psychologist
    • Legal Professional (attorney, judge, legal evaluator)
    • Professionals conducting competency or criminal responsibility evaluations
    • Health Care Provider working with justice-involved populations
    • Social Service Professional involved in legal or forensic cases
    • Educator or School Psychologist interested in suggestibility and memory

  • Experience Level

    This training is designed for licensed and pre-licensed mental health professionals with varying levels of experience in forensic and legal settings.

      Beginner: Participants are new to the concept of suggestibility, seeking foundational knowledge about its definition, subtypes, and basic warning signs and risk factors.

  • Practice Setting

    Practice settings for professionals attending this training are typically environments where mental health, legal, and forensic evaluations intersect. These settings often involve high-stakes decision-making, such as determining competency, criminal responsibility, or the reliability of witness testimony. The work environment is often multidisciplinary, requiring collaboration among psychologists, attorneys, judges, social workers, and healthcare providers. These settings demand careful attention to the influence of suggestibility on memory and decision-making, as outcomes can significantly impact individuals’ legal status, treatment, or access to services.

    Examples of practice settings:

    • Forensic psychiatric hospitals or secure mental health units
    • Correctional facilities (jails, prisons, juvenile detention centers)
    • Courtrooms (criminal, family, or civil courts)
    • Private or group clinical practices specializing in forensic assessment
    • Legal offices or public defender agencies
    • Social service agencies working with justice-involved individuals
    • Academic or research institutions focusing on forensic psychology or law
    • School systems where psychologists conduct forensic or legal-related evaluations

Presented By

Jerrod Brown, PhD Pathways Counseling Center, Inc.

Jerrod Brown, Ph.D., M.A., M.S., M.S., M.S., is a professor, trainer, researcher, and consultant with multiple years of experience teaching collegiate courses. Jerrod is also the founder and CEO of the American Institute for the Advancement of Forensic Studies (AIAFS). Jerrod has also provided consultation services to a number of caregivers, professionals, and organizations pertaining to topics related to autism spectrum disorder (ASD), fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD), confabulation, suggestibility, trauma, and other life adversities, traumatic brain injury (TBI), and youth firesetting. Jerrod has completed four separate master’s degree programs and holds graduate certificates in Neuropsychology, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Other Health Disabilities (OHD), and Traumatic-Brain Injuries (TBI). Jerrod has also conducted over 200 workshops, webinars, and on-demand training for various organizations and professional and student audiences. In 2021, Jerrod completed a post-doctoral certificate in Leadership and Organizational Strategy from Walden University and a Professional Certificate in Forensic Psychology from San Diego State University Global Campus. Currently, Jerrod is pursuing a graduate certificate in Neuroscience and Law from Michigan State University. Jerrod has published several articles and book chapters and recently co-edited the book Forensic Mental Health: A Source Guide for Professionals (Brown & Weinkauf, 2018) with Erv Weinkauf. Jerrod is also regularly featured on several national and international podcast programs.

View More Programs from this Presenter
Jerrod Brown, PhD

CE Sponsorship Information

Palo Alto University, Continuing & Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by, recognized by, or maintains sponsorship provider status with the following boards and agencies. We maintain responsibility for all content in our CE/CPD programs. For more information, visit here. 

  1. American Psychological Association (APA): Approved sponsor of continuing education for psychologists.

  2. Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB): Approved continuing education provider (ACE program, Provider #1480), 11/22/2023–11/22/2026.

  3. Canadian Psychological Association (CPA): Approved to sponsor continuing education for psychologists.

  4. National Board for Certified Counselors (NBCC): Approved Continuing Education Provider (ACEP No. 7190).



Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) is approved by the American Psychological Association to sponsor continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) maintains responsibility for this program and its content. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), is approved by the Canadian Psychological Association to offer continuing education for psychologists. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT), SW CPE is recognized by the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Social Work as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed social workers #SW-0356 and the New York State Education Department’s State Board for Mental Health Practitioners as an approved provider of continuing education for licensed mental health counselors. #MHC-0073. Palo Alto University, Continuing and Professional Studies (CONCEPT) has been approved by NBCC as an Approved Continuing Education Provider, ACEP No. 6811. Programs that do not qualify for NBCC credit are clearly identified. CONCEPT Professional Training, #1480, is approved to offer social work continuing education by the Association of Social Work Boards (ASWB) Approved Continuing Education (ACE) program. Organizations, not individual courses, are approved as ACE providers. State and provincial regulatory boards have the final authority to determine whether an individual course may be accepted for continuing education credit. CONCEPT Professional Training maintains responsibility for this course. ACE provider approval period: 11/22/23-11/22/26. Social workers completing this course receive (clinical or social work ethics) continuing education credits.