Meet Dr. Gerald J. Bryant
Forensic Psychologist,
Immigration and Injury Law

Dr. Gerald Bryant provides psychological consultation, psychodiagnostic assessments, expert witness reports, and courtroom testimony in a wide range of immigration, civil, and criminal cases. A clinical and forensic psychologist based in New York City, Dr. Bryant has been practicing for more than 20 years. He has served as a forensic psychology expert in hundreds of cases, providing expert witness evaluations, reports and testimony. He has considerable experience in the areas of immigration, personal injury law, and civil rights cases. Dr. Bryant performs fitness for duty evaluations, and has had extensive training and is a recognized expert in the diagnosis and treatment of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

Immigration: A Case of Extreme and Exceptional Hardship

Dr. Bryant has been involved in hundreds of cases where families would become separated in the event that one of the family members had to leave the United States and return to his or her county of origin. In one recent case, the husband of a United States citizen was going to be deported back to Bangladesh. The husband was the sole support of his family, which included his wife, a United States citizen, and their two young sons. When she learned of his pending deportation, the wife developed serious and severe clinical depression and anxiety. The children, ages seven and five, also became depressed. Their depression was exacerbated when they saw how depressed their mother had become and how she was no longer the relaxed and loving parent she previously had been. Both boys developed psychosomatic symptoms -- chronic stomachaches and headaches. They began to manifest the symptoms of a separation anxiety disorder; they refused to go to school and regressed to the point that they frequently were unable to sleep in their own beds and wanted to sleep with their parents. In his evaluation, Dr. Bryant found that the depressive symptomatology that the mother was exhibiting would become clinically exacerbated if she and the children were separated from her husband. Dr. Bryant's expert witness report demonstrated that it would represent an extreme and exceptional hardship to the wife and children if the man were deported.

Immigration: A Case of Spousal Abuse

A recent immigration case of spousal abuse involved a young woman, born in Colombia, who married a United States citizen. Within a few months of their marriage, the woman discovered, to her great alarm and dismay, that her husband was a serious alcoholic. In addition, he attempted to control her life, to dominate her by isolating her from friends and family. He threatened to withdraw his support for the change of her immigration status by telling her that she would have to do everything that he told her to do. He controlled all access to their finances, and if he chose not to give her money, she could not even buy food. As the marriage continued, she discovered that not only was he abusing alcohol, but was also abusing illegal drugs. As the marriage progressed he began to beat her, verbally abuse her, and even threatened to kill her. In order to save herself, she had to leave him. Dr. Bryant was engaged as an expert psychological witness. His psychological evaluation detailed the woman's serious depressive symptoms and the fact that she also was suffering from a post traumatic stress disorder. The woman was able to remain in the United States.

Immigration: A Case of Political Asylum

Dr. Bryant has extensive experience in political asylum cases. Immigrants are eligible to file a political asylum application if they have been tortured, harassed, or discriminated against in another country. Discrimination can be on the basis of religious beliefs, political affiliations, gender, or sexual orientation. Recently, Dr. Bryant wrote an expert witness report in the case of a young man who had been persecuted in Guyana because he is a homosexual. The young man told Dr. Bryant that in Guyana he was in danger of being sentenced to life in prison because, in that country, it is unlawful for two men to have a sexual relationship. Dr, Bryant's psychological evaluation and expert report were helpful in the judge's decision to grant the man political asylum.

Personal Injury: A Case of Severe Depression and PTSD

In the area of personal injury law, Dr. Bryant was involved recently in the case of a 46-year old woman who was injured while walking on the sidewalk in Long Island City. A cellar door was left open and unattended in front of a store, and she fell into the cellar. She suffered head trauma and severe facial lacerations. The lacerations were so serious that she required multiple plastic surgeries. Her self-image was so profoundly altered that she exhibited strong depressive and anxiety-based symptoms. Her symptoms included severe insomnia; loss of appetite; nightmares; phobias about going out of her home where she could be observed in public, and repeated, intrusive memories or flashbacks of the shock of falling into the cellar. Dr Bryant's psychological evaluation established that the woman had developed a post traumatic stress disorder which was helpful in her personal injury litigation. Dr. Bryant provided follow-up referrals so that the patient would access the proper short and long-term care.

A Case of Violation of Civil Rights

Dr. Bryant is very familiar with cases involving civil rights violations. In one such case he was called on as an expert to provide psychological evaluations of two African-American teenage brothers who were falsely accused by the police. The brothers, aged 16 and 18, had just come home when police officers came to the door, spoke with their mother, and demanded that the teens leave their home immediately in order to be questioned. No explanation was given as to why the young men were needed for questioning and the police dragged the two teenagers out of their home. In the ensuing chaos and violence, the 16-year old boy's nose was broken. It was later discovered that the teens were arrested on the suspicion that they had committed an armed robbery earlier that day. The boys were held in jail for 48 hours without any contact with their family. They were not allowed access to an attorney until they were arraigned. Ultimately, it was proven that the two boys had nothing whatsoever to do with the robbery. They were found totally innocent and released. Dr. Bryant's psychological evaluations provided evidence that both young men, especially the 16-year old, had been psychologically traumatized by the unlawful arrests and by being physically dragged out of their home. His report was helpful in the presentation of the civil rights case brought against the police department and a significant award was made in the young men's favor.

Background and Education

Dr. Bryant earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology, a Master of Science degree, and a Master of Philosophy degree at Columbia University. He received his B.A. degree from City University of New York in the Honors Program in Psychology. Dr. Bryant is a member of the American College of Forensic Psychology, the American Psychological Association, and the New York State Psychological Association.

Services Overview:
• Forensic Psychological Evaluations
• Forensic Reports
• Expert Witness Testimony
• Psychological Testing
• Personality Testing
• Neuropsychological Testing
• Comprehensive Record Review

Psychological Testing:
• Beck Depression Inventory (BDI-II)
• Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI)
• Clock Drawing Test
• Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI-2)
• Rey-Osterreith Complex Figure Test
• Rorschach Test
• Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
• Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale (WAIS-IV)
• Wechsler Memory Scale (WMS-IV)
• Wechsler Abbreviated Scale for Intelligence (WASI)
• Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-IV)

The Forensic Psychology Group provides nationwide expert service. Contact Dr. Stephen Reich at 800-852-2160 to discuss your expert needs and timeline.

Evaluations at ICE Detention Centers and Correctional Facilities

The doctors of the Forensic Psychology Group are available to perform psychological evaluations and criminal psychological assessments at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention centers and correctional facilities.