Welcome

to Hamilton Psychology.

About Dr. Hamilton

I am a Licensed Psychologist in Texas.  I began working in the field in 1977.  I launched my private practice in Rockport, Texas in 1997.  My practice grew from a general practice to one that focused primarily on Forensic Psychology. 

I am also a Licensed Specialist in Sex Offender Treatment in Texas. I began working with sex offenders in 2000. 

I began teaching at the University of Houston -Victoria as an adjunct professor in 2010.  I closed my practice in Rockport in 2011 to begin teaching at the University of Houston – Victoria full time.  I am currently a Clinical Assistant Professor and the Co-Director of the Forensic Psychology Master’s Degree Program at UHV.

I recently had a student contact me to ask about my profession as a psychologist.  I think that her questions were good ones, and were questions that others might want to know about me.  Here are her questions, and my replies:

In what setting do you practice?
Right now, my practice is part-time, and I limit my work to assessments in forensic psychology.  My full-time job is as a Clinical Assistant Professor at the University of Houston – Victoria.

I have a colleague who allows me to use her office space on the rare occasions when I need it.  I also am doing eligibility evaluations for Gulf Bend Center.  I go to their facility once a week to interview potential clients for Gulf Bend.  I do the record reviews at my home.  The Gulf Bend clients are seeking help because they have an Intellectual Developmental Disability.  I see my most of my forensic clients in jails and prisons. 

I had a private practice in Rockport until I started teaching full time, five years ago.  I had five or six M.A. level Psychological Associates and LPC’s working for me, and I rented space to a psychiatrist.  I had that practice for 14 years.


How long have you been practicing?
I practiced as a Psychological Associate with my MA degree for 19 years.  I’ve been practicing as a Licensed Psychologist with my Ph.D. for 20 years.


What are your specialties or areas of clinical focus?
Right now my specialty is in forensic psychology, with a subspecialty in sex offender treatment and risk assessment.

Back in the 1980’s and 1990’s I was specializing in neuropsychology.  Overlapping that part of my career, I was also specializing in neurofeedback.  I ended up doing my dissertation on neurofeedback.


What are the most common disorders you treat? 

Right now, I don’t really do any treatment, only assessments.  In Rockport we did a lot of sex offender treatment groups.  But as far as the clients I saw personally, most of the people I saw came in with problems with depression or relationships.


Do you have any special certifications or training beyond your original graduate coursework?
I am credentialed as a Health Psychologist, I am certified as a Fellow in EEG Biofeedback, I am licensed as a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology, and I am licensed as a Licensed Sex Offender Treatment Provider.


How do you approach therapy or treatment? °Do you use specific modalities, techniques, or interventions?
I pretty much rely on Cognitive Behavioral techniques in therapy.  I’ll add hypnosis, guided imagery or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) if I feel like it is appropriate.


What do you enjoy most about your work? 
Helping people gain insight and overcome their problems was what I enjoyed most about my private practice.  Now, I get satisfaction out of learning about the defendants and offenders that I evaluate, and either helping to protect the public, or helping someone get their story told to the jury or judge.


What advice would you provide an aspiring psychologist or therapist?
Read “On Being a Therapist” by Jeffrey Kottler, and read “Becoming a Therapist” by Thomas Skovholt.

I would also recommend that you not try cut corners in your classes and especially in your practicum.  The only one you will hurt is you.  Once you start in the real world, it will be your reputation that makes you or breaks you.  People will send you referrals if they are happy with your work, they will send friends and family members and talk about you to their physicians. 

If you haven’t absorbed everything there is to offer in class and in practicum, your flaws will be obvious to others, and you will have a rough time being successful.  People will simply quit referring to you.