A Respected
Consulting Forensic Psychologist & Expert Witness
Dr. Charles Heller is an expert witness and consulting forensic psychologist in New York, NY, with extensive court experience in civil, criminal, and family court cases. As a clinician, he is well known and respected among his colleagues and has been qualified numerous times as an expert witness in the areas of psychology, child psychology, forensic psychology, child sexual abuse, domestic violence, child custody cases, and other areas.
Civil Cases
Dr. Heller is retained by both plaintiff and defense counsel in civil cases to assess plaintiffs for emotional and mental injury. He is known for his unbiased, ethical approach to assessments and is not simply a 'hired gun.' Dr. Heller provides objective evaluations to assess the probability that a plaintiff is suffering from PTSD and other emotional injuries or if there is an exaggeration of symptoms based on psychological testing and other data.
Criminal Cases
In criminal cases, Dr. Heller provides rebuttal testimony explaining the scientific issues related to the problems of validity, reliability, and usefulness of 'syndrome evidence' such as Child Sexual Abuse Accommodation Syndrome and Rape Trauma Syndrome. He testifies in child sexual abuse cases and explains research related to false allegations, recantations, memory, suggestibility, child testimony, interview protocols, and "believed-in imaginings" in children and adults. Additionally, Dr. Heller has expertise related to domestic violence and has assessed women who have been victims of intimate partner violence and Battered Women Syndrome contributing to homicides, assaults, and other felonies by the victims of abuse.
About Dr. Heller
Dr. Charles Heller received his Ph.D. in criminal behavior in 1979 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He has been a licensed psychologist since 1981 and is a qualified forensic psychology expert in both state and federal courts.
After graduation, he worked for four years as a psychologist for Catholic Charities, the largest foster care and group home agency in Brooklyn, NY. For the past 35 years, he has worked in both independent practices and agency positions, including a five-year term through the Indian Health Service as the director of a large mental health system for The Cherokee Nation, a community of more than 100,000 Native Americans in Oklahoma. Upon his return to New York, Dr. Heller worked as the clinical director of a large County Mental Health Clinic that served dual-diagnosed patients. Over his career, he has diagnosed thousands of patients in outpatient settings, inpatient settings, alcohol/drug rehabilitation facilities, residential schools, and correctional facilities.
Today, he is a forensic psychologist at Rutgers University Biomedical Health service, specializing in criminal behavior and risk assessment. Dr. Heller also works as a forensic psychologist consultant for the Rockland County court evaluation service, where he has performed hundreds of child custody, criminal competency, and child abuse/neglect evaluations. Additionally, he is a fully vetted and approved forensic psychologist for the New Jersey Office of the Public Defender as well as other public defender offices. Dr. Heller often travels throughout the US as a forensic consultant in important court cases, including military court Martials, death row assessments, sexual abuse, assault, and multiple homicides.
Professional Memberships
- American Psychological Association, Div. 41, Psychology & The Law
- The American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy Clinical Member
- Association of Family & Conciliation Courts
- The Virginia Satir Avanta Network 40
- The Orange County (New York) Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Call or email us for a free case evaluation.
(212) 880-3789
Contact
Fill out the form below to receive a free and confidential case consultation.
Contact our office to book our evaluation and risk assessment services for legal matters that run the gamut from domestic abuse and sexual assault to criminal competency. We strive to respond to all case inquiries from attorneys by the end of the same business day.
Manhattan Office (Mailing Address)
Two Park Avenue, 20th Floor
New York, NY 10016
Tel. (212) 880-3789
New Jersey Office (Alternate Mailing Address)
140 East Ridgewood Avenue, South Tower, Suite 415
Paramus, NJ 07652
Tel. (201) 262-0331
Service Area
New York, New Jersey, and Nationally. Dr. Heller is a member of PSYPACT and is available on-site or via telehealth for all 40 PSYPACT-approved states or US territories: AL, AZ, AR, CO, CNMI,[1] CT, DE, DC, FL, GA, ID, IL, IN, KS, KY, ME, MD, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, NV, NH, NJ, NC, OH, OK, PA, RI, SC, TN, TX, UT, VA, VT, WA, WV, WI, WY. Consultation in California and several other states permitted by statute. [1] CNMI refers to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Disclaimer: Our services are for attorneys only. Dr. Heller does not reply or give advice directly to consumers, litigants, or students. Ask your attorney to contact us directly. If this is a mental health emergency, call 911 or go to your nearest emergency room.