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Elizabeth Domack sees clients for individual therapy through her private practice. She got her start in 91º£½ÇÂÒÂ×’s Master of Arts in Forensic & Legal Psychology program, graduating in 2013. We recently talked with Domack about the ways her background in the forensic field helps her make a difference to her clients. 

What populations do you work with? 

I get some clients who are purely mental health oriented, with anxiety or depression, but I also get clients who have more of a forensic, juvenile justice background. They may have been suspended from school or may have been arrested. When I first started I was working with a lot of problem sexual behavior in children and juveniles and doing psychosexual assessments. Recently I started specializing in postpartum depression and anxiety. I see a diverse array of clients. 

How did 91º£½ÇÂÒÂ× prepare you for your career? 

Dr. Whitworth and Dr. Zaitchik’s classes were meaningful because they helped encapsulate the mental health issues that would be a factor in criminal behavior. Understanding the mind, how their childhood adversary might affect their behavior, or their own history of trauma. In my assessment class I learned what the risk factors are. What does somebody who commits this type of crime tend to be like and what are protective factors? Are they going to reoffend? I still remember specific lectures that were really good. 

How does your internship experience at 91º£½ÇÂÒÂ× help you today?

I did my internship at the RI Department of Corrections in the sex offender treatment program. It was a good experience of hitting the ground running and understanding what prison is really like. I have some clients who have served a brief jail time or prison time, so it’s good to have that perspective. 

How has your career changed and developed? 

I don’t see as many offender clients now. I now see a lot of victims. I had a cross-training in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy. It was a lot of the treating of the victims of assaults. I see quite a few clients who have that background and there is a lot of overlap between the populations. 

What made 91º£½ÇÂÒÂ×’s program stand out? 

Our cohort was pretty small which was good because we all got to connect and some of us are still friends now. I don’t think that would have happened in a larger program.