Transforming Relationships in Forensic Psychological Practice is first and foremost a clinicians' guide: it has been written with the aim of supporting people to develop, maintain and repair relationships within their work as forensic practitioners.

Research repeatedly finds that client perception of the therapeutic relationship is a significant factor in treatment success; however, data suggests that forensic psychologists have a poor history of trust and engagement with people in prisons. Tackling this issue head-on, this book explores key factors in working relationships across a broad range of forensic client groups, settings and tasks and reflects on specific points of tension in forensic therapeutic relationships. Drawing on the expertise of a diverse range of authors, it unpicks the challenges in building such relationships and explores factors such as neurodiversity, extremism, professional boundaries and working effectively with women and children. It outlines how productive working relationships can be developed and maintained, and highlights the essential constituent parts of that process, using both a theoretical and experiential lens. Finally, the book identifies and discusses examples of good practice from both practitioner and, in places, service participant perspectives.

Guiding practitioners to find respectful and connected solutions, whilst maintaining safety and appropriate professional and personal boundaries, Transforming Relationships in Forensic Psychological Practice is an essential resource for all professionals working in forensic settings, both qualified and in training.

Introduction; Part I: Foundations 1. The Human Side of Forensic Psychology 2. Privilege, Power and Practice: Navigating Protected Characteristics in Therapeutic Spaces 3. A Trauma-informed Approach to Boundaries in Forensic Settings: From “That’s Wrong”, to “What’s Going on Between Us?” 4. Dismantling Distance: From Watch Towers to Words — How the Northern Ireland Prison Service Rehumanised the “Other” in Custody by Moving from Systems of Control to Spaces of Empathy and Connection; Part II: Working with Specific Groups 5. Building and Sustaining Trusting Relationships with Children Undergoing Forensic Evaluation and their Caregivers 6. Effective Relational Practice with Women in Prison 7. Building Therapeutic Relationships with Autistic People in Forensic Settings 8. Working with People Serving Indeterminate Sentences 9. Building Professional Relationships with Individuals Involved in Terrorism; Part III: Working with Specific Tasks 10. Trainee Psychologists and Relationships: Stepping in to Bigger Shoes 11. Relational Issues in Prison-based Forensic Psychological Risk Assessment 12. Bringing Compassion to Relationships in Forensic Settings; Afterword: Beyond Compliance: Centring Relationships in Forensic Psychology