Dr. Gallagher is a graduate of Cornell and Baylor Universities. She completed her internship and postdoctoral training in forensic psychology at St. Elizabeths Hospital in Washington, D.C. She has worked in correctional and state hospital settings, as well as in independent practice.
Prior to moving to the Nashville area in 2012, Dr. Gallagher was Director of Forensic Services at Child Study & Treatment Center, the state psychiatric hospital for children in Washington State. She also directed the forensic psychology fellowship program at the University of Washington School of Medicine, where she was a faculty member in the Department of Psychiatry.
Since moving to Nashville, Dr. Gallagher has assumed a national leadership role in the field of forensic psychology. She is currently on the board of the American Board of Forensic Psychology, where she serves as National Chair of Examinations. She is a past president of the American Academy of Forensic Psychology and previously served on the examination faculty of the American Board of Forensic Psychology, performing board certification examinations for forensic psychologists from across the US.
Within the state of Tennessee, Dr. Gallagher is a consultant to the Tennessee Board of Examiners of Psychology, providing consultation on professional ethics and standards for psychologists throughout the state. She is also on the Ethics Committee for the Tennessee Psychological Association. In addition, Dr. Gallagher is an adjunct assistant professor in the Psychology Department at Vanderbilt University, where she provides clinical supervision to graduate students.
Dr. Gallagher’s experience and expertise include forensic evaluation of both juveniles and adults involved in the criminal justice system. She has done hundreds of evaluations in her career, most of which have addressed legal questions such as competency to proceed, mental state at the time of the offense (the insanity defense and diminished capacity), violence risk and civil commitment. She has substantial expertise in diagnostic assessment and has evaluated individuals with a wide range of psychiatric disorders including ADHD, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Bipolar Disorder, Conduct Disorder, depression, Schizophrenia, PTSD, psychopathy and personality disorders. She also has experience in pre-employment evaluation for high risk occupations, the evaluation of sex offenders and the evaluation of those with psychoendocrine disorders. She performs evaluations in the context of civil litigation as well.
Dr. Gallagher’s in-depth knowledge of mental health law, attention to detail, and clear communication style are valued by colleagues, attorneys and judges. She has testified in court for both the prosecution and the defense and has been invited to provide training for mental health and legal professionals on a variety of topics. She has provided program evaluation services for state mental health service programs. Dr. Gallagher is licensed in Tennessee, and holds inactive licenses in Washington and Virginia. Under PSYPACT, an interstate compact, she is authorized to practice temporarily in the majority of US states.
