Staff Profile

Darren is a Chartered Psychologist and Scientist with the British Psychological Society (BPS), Registered as a Forensic Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC), an Associate Fellow of the BPS, and he holds a European standard qualification in psychology. Darren has had extensive experience working with offenders in a range of settings, predominately the Prison Service. In particular, he has provided forensic assessment, treatment and therapy to a wide range of forensic clients (adult and young males and females, sexual and aggressive offenders and offenders diagnosed with Personality Disorders, Learning Disability and Mental Health diagnoses). Alongside his academic work, Darren provides expert psychological services as an Independent Forensic Psychologist (assessment, treatment, consultation services within the forensic field and supervision of trainee psychologists).

 

His most recent academic post as Senior Lecturer in Forensic Psychology at Newcastle University commenced in June 2018. Darren is the MSc Forensic Psychology Programme Director and he teaches Forensic Psychology at both undergraduate and postgraduate level with a clear enthusiasm on linking theory with practice.

Darren's research interests include; Psychopathy, Personality Disorder, Mental Health and treatment effectiveness. 

• Bennett A, Johnson D. Co-morbidity of personality disorder and clinical syndrome in high-risk incarcerated offenders. Journal of Forensic Practice 2017, 19(3), 207-216.
• Falcus F, Johnson D. The violent accounts of men diagnosed with comorbid antisocial and borderline personality disorders. International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology 2018, 62(9), 2817-2830.
• Mullan C, Johnson D, Tomlinson J. Personality disordered offenders’ experiences of completing social skills treatment . Journal of Criminological Research Policy and Practice 2018, 4(3), 174-185.
• Howie P, Johnson D, Taylor A. Substance related offending behaviour programme (SROBP): exploring male prisoner’s experiences of treatment and application of learning. Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice 2021, 7(3), 197-208.
• Connell R, Johnson D. An exploration of treatment providers experiences of delivering a high intensity intervention, with violent offenders. Journal of Criminological Research, Policy and Practice 2022, Epub ahead of print.
• Becker S, Johnson D, Britton P. Mapping the challenges in making the transition to taught postgraduate study in psychology. Psychology Teaching Review 2019, 25(1).