Services

Specialist psychological assessments and expert witness services.

Forensic and Medico-legal Assessments

Dr Cluley completes a wide range of court-directed and statutory assessments. These include:

• Pre-trial reports

• Pre-sentence reports

• Name suppression assessments

• New Zealand Parole Board (NZPB) reports

• Extended Supervision Order (ESO) health assessment reports

• Public Protection Order (PPO) health assessment reports

• Section 88 Preventative Detention reports

• Section 38 fitness reports

She also completes immigration-related psychological assessments and other reports where psychological opinion is required in a legal or decision-making context.

Risk Assessment and Specialist Tools

Dr Cluley has extensive experience in the assessment of risk relating to violent, sexual, and general offending. Her work draws on structured professional judgement and actuarial approaches, integrated within a broader clinical and forensic formulation.

Her experience includes the use and interpretation of tools such as the HCR-20, LS/CMI and YLS/CMI, VRS and VRS-SO, STATIC-99R, STABLE-2007 and ACUTE-2007, SARA, SAM, SAVRY, PCL, and SAPROF. These tools are used as part of a comprehensive assessment process rather than in isolation.

Dr Cluley also has experience in cognitive and neuropsychological assessment, including measures such as the WAIS-5 and RBANS, and personality and clinical instruments including the MCMI-IV and PAI.

Expert Witness Services

Dr Cluley has experience with preparation of independent expert reports and provision of expert evidence in legal proceedings at both District and High Court level across the country. She accepts instructions from both Crown and defence counsel. Her reports are structured, balanced, and designed to assist the Court through clear reasoning and transparent integration of information.

Her work is characterised by:

• Careful and thorough assessment

• Integration of multiple sources of information

• Evidence-based practice

• Clear, well-reasoned, and defensible opinions

Mental Health and Trauma-Related Assessments

Dr Cluley can provide comprehensive clinical assessments of psychological functioning, including mental health, personality, cognitive functioning, and behavioural patterns. Assessments are tailored to the referral question and may include diagnostic formulation and recommendations.

Dr Cluley also provides specialist assessment of trauma-related presentations, including complex and cumulative trauma. This includes completion of specialist assessments under the ACC Integrated Services for Sensitive Claims framework, with a focus on careful evaluation of causation, presentation, and functional impact.

Dr Cluley provides clinical supervision to psychologists and other professionals working in clinical and forensic settings. Her supervision is grounded in a structured, reflective approach and is tailored to the individual’s level of experience, area of practice, and professional goals. Supervision may include support with complex case formulation, risk assessment, and the integration of clinical and forensic information. It also provides a space to reflect on professional judgement, ethical issues, and decision-making in challenging cases.

Dr Cluley also offers review and feedback on psychological reports, including medico-legal reports. This may involve detailed feedback on structure, clarity, reasoning, and the integration of psychometric and clinical material, with a focus on supporting the development of clear, balanced, and defensible opinions.

Clinical Supervision and Report Reviews