Dr. Joni E. Johnston, Forensic Psychologist, Private Investigator, Author at America Out Loud

About Dr. Joni E. Johnston, Forensic Psychologist, Private Investigator

Dr. Joni Johnston is a forensic psychologist, private investigator, and crime writer. As a practicing psychologist, she has worked in a medium-maximum security prison, for the Board of Parole, for the Superior Court of San Diego, and as a workplace investigator of misconduct allegations including harassment, discrimination and violence. She currently evaluates mentally disordered offenders up for parole as provides expert testimony in criminal and civil litigation where a forensic psychologist can help shed light on pertinent issues.

🎧 Understanding Mind Control, Brainwashing and Destructive Cults

By Dr. Joni E. Johnston, Forensic Psychologist, Private Investigator|2020-03-30T10:20:27-04:00March 28th, 2020|

Cults are in the news. In June 2019, the leader of self-improvement cult NXIUM Keith Reniere was convicted of several felonies, including human trafficking and sexual

🎧 DNA and the Forensic Use of Genetic Genealogy

By Dr. Joni E. Johnston, Forensic Psychologist, Private Investigator|2020-03-10T09:00:32-04:00March 7th, 2020|

The Golden State serial killer Joseph James DeAngelo was finally caught in 2018. In addition to the public relief at this predator’s capture, part of the

🎧 The Psychology and Law of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder

By Dr. Joni E. Johnston, Forensic Psychologist, Private Investigator|2020-02-19T18:39:28-05:00February 18th, 2020|

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, has become a household word, but it is a term – and a disorder – that is often misunderstood. In the

🎧 Can Children Be Psychopaths?

By Dr. Joni E. Johnston, Forensic Psychologist, Private Investigator|2020-02-04T16:04:52-05:00February 3rd, 2020|

Few psychological terms carry such negative implications as the diagnosis of “psychopath.” We know, for example, that adults with psychopathy often leave a path of interpersonal

Living with Monsters in the Closet

By Dr. Joni E. Johnston, Forensic Psychologist, Private Investigator|2019-10-27T11:59:47-04:00October 25th, 2019|

We don’t know exactly how many American children grow up with a seriously mentally ill parent. We can get a rough guess by looking at the

Domestic Violence: When Your Friend is a Batterer

By Dr. Joni E. Johnston, Forensic Psychologist, Private Investigator|2019-10-20T00:23:52-04:00October 18th, 2019|

This month is Domestic Violence Awareness Month and, understandably, the focus has been on the victims – how to recognize an abusive relationship, how to

What Would You Do to End Child Abuse?

By Dr. Joni E. Johnston, Forensic Psychologist, Private Investigator|2019-10-14T10:08:20-04:00October 12th, 2019|

My first job out of graduate school was working with children who had been severely neglected or abused. It was with a nonprofit that had

Why Would an Innocent Person Ever Confess to a Crime?

By Dr. Joni E. Johnston, Forensic Psychologist, Private Investigator|2019-09-29T12:28:20-04:00September 27th, 2019|

I took an art class in 7th grade. I had no interest in drawing fruit bowls or a table and chair and gave these earlier

Would You Fall for a Romance Scam?

By Dr. Joni E. Johnston, Forensic Psychologist, Private Investigator|2019-09-22T00:30:01-04:00September 20th, 2019|

They meet at an online dating site. He tells her he’s in the military, widowed with one teenage daughter, and a practicing Christian. He’s lonely

We’ve Talked About School Shooters, But What About Parent Killers?

By Dr. Joni E. Johnston, Forensic Psychologist, Private Investigator|2019-09-14T20:43:15-04:00September 13th, 2019|

Here are a few of the recent headlines about teens and murder in the home: Florida Teen Stole Money from Parents, used it to Try

Most Murderers Aren’t Mentally Ill – and here is why…

By Dr. Joni E. Johnston, Forensic Psychologist, Private Investigator|2019-09-08T20:55:37-04:00September 6th, 2019|

At age 18, Eric’s future looks bright. A high school scholar, he is accepted to a prestigious college where he plans to study engineering. Sure,

“Stranger Danger” for College Students

By Dr. Joni E. Johnston, Forensic Psychologist, Private Investigator|2019-09-01T09:32:37-04:00August 30th, 2019|

On Friday, June 28, 2019, Ayoola A. Ayayi was charged with the kidnapping and murder of 23-year-old college student Mackenzie Lueck. A year earlier, soon-to-be-University