Understand the professional & practical considerations of using therapy dogs in medico-legal assessments.
Guest Speaker: Dr Lucas Murphy, Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist
FRANZCP, MBBS, BSc (Med) | CIME, AMA 4, AMA 5, AMA 6, PIRS, GEPI, Comcare, SIRA
Facilitator: Tegan Bryant, Head of Learning & Development at AAMLE
Join our upcoming medico-legal webinar to earn 1 CPD point while enhancing your professional knowledge and skills.
Overview:
Guest expert Dr Lucas Murphy, Consultant Forensic Psychiatrist, brings over 25 years of experience across rural and forensic psychiatry, general psychiatry, private practice, and independent medical examiner work.
In this unique 60-minute webinar, Dr Murphy will share an insider’s perspective on conducting medico-legal assessments with the support of Bonnie, Australia’s first independent medical examination (IME) therapy dog. Drawing on real-world experience, he will explore how working alongside Bonnie helps to reduce claimants’ anxiety, improve their comfort, and foster greater engagement during assessments.
Participants will gain practical guidance on how to thoughtfully integrate a therapy dog into medico-legal practice, including the key benefits, considerations, and best-practice approaches. The session will also address the ethical and professional issues involved, and touch on the broader role of emotional support animals – such as therapy dogs – in psychiatric assessments and medico-legal reporting.
Webinar Objectives:
By the end of this session, participants will:
- Understand the role and benefits of using a therapy dog in medico-legal assessments.
- Appreciate the practical considerations for integrating therapy dogs into IMEs.
- Recognise the impact of therapy dogs on claimant experience and engagement.
- Understand ethical and professional considerations when using therapy animals in assessments.
- Explore real-world insights and examples from a practising panel psychiatrist.
Session Length:
60 minutes.
Please note: Attendance at our previous webinars is not required – this webinar is designed to stand alone and is open to all professionals.