Forensic psychologists apply psychological theory and skills to the understanding and functioning of the legal and criminal justice system. They often work in criminal, civil and family law contexts and provide services for perpetrators, victims and justice personnel. Forensic psychology encompasses issues such as the causes, prevention and treatment of criminal behaviour; the psychology of police, the courts and the correctional system; and the contributions of psychological evidence to legal proceedings.

After approximately 10 years as a practising psychologist and seven years in private practice doing both clinical and forensic psychology, Antoinette embarked on a second graduate degree to formalise her grounding and practice in forensic psychology. 

She completed the coursework and specialist supervision for the Forensic Psychology Doctorate at Charles Sturt University under Professor Don Thomson and was supervised by Professor Jane Goodman-Delahunty to complete a research project in the area of family and child law. She wrote her doctoral thesis on the best interests of children in family law. 

Antoinette has also worked with families recovering from addiction in a residential drug rehabilitation program and has provided group and individual treatment for offenders as a private practice contractor to ACT Corrective Services.

Antoinette has been a lecturer on the LLM (Advocacy) course at the College of Law, ANU since 2006. She has also lectured in forensic psychology as part of the Research School of Psychology, Australian National University graduate program in clinical psychology. She is one of the founding committee members of the ACT Chapter of the Australian and New Zealand Association of Psychology, Psychiatry and Law.

In relation to forensic psychology practice, Antoinette has provided forensic assessments for clients in criminal, civil and family/child areas of law. The majority of her experience has been in private practice as an independent court expert in the family and children’s court (care and protection proceedings) in the ACT.