A Forensic Psychologist from Aberystwyth who interviews murderers for a living will feature in new TV series, ‘The Truth About My Murder’.

Dr Catrin Williams is the BBC One Wales show’s expert Forensic Psychologist, explaining why the featured murders happened from a psychological perspective.

“I'm in every episode of this season and each episode looks at a different murder in Wales,” Dr Williams explained.

What might seem like a disturbing and difficult job for some has been a long-held ambition for Dr Williams, who has wanted to be a Forensic Psychologist since she was a teenager.

Explaining more about the role, Dr Williams said: “I am a Principle Forensic Psychologist, which is very similar to a psychologist who specialises in human behaviour, the mind and brain. A forensic psychologist does the same, but specialises in crime.

“I assess risk, to see how likely someone is to commit a crime again, or find out why someone has committed a crime.

“Once you know, you can establish what they need to rehabilitate and help.

“I also assess if an offender can leave hospital and how to keep communities safe if they do.

“You have to connect with perpetrators, but understanding behaviour does not mean you condone it. If a toddler throws something because they’re angry, you understand, but don’t condone the behaviour. I can be sympathetic to feelings that led a perpetrator to, for example, punch someone, but it does not mean I condone the action.

“It’s the same for any psychologist, therapist or anyone in caring professions. You feel sympathy, but have to balance everything.

“Also, a lot of the people I work with have had horrific lives, and there are lots of reasons why someone commits crime.

“I work primarily with people who are mentally unwell, so there’s psychosis, personality disorders, learning disabilities, autism, etc. But mental health isn’t related to crime. You’re not more likely to commit a crime if you are mentally unwell, it’s just that is my speciality.”

She added: “Forensic Psychologists work in courts, prisons or hospitals, which is where I work.

“I also work privately for my own company, Glass Oak Psychology, providing therapy for victims or perpetrators, and have done some media work through this, working on TV sets to make sure things look realistic. People think it’s all straight jackets and padded cells but it isn’t. I make sure reconstructions of hospital situations are represented realistically.”

Following her education in Aberystwyth, Dr Williams studied Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London before doing a Masters in Forensic Psychology there too.

She got her Doctorate in Forensic Psychology at the University of Birmingham and is currently doing Neuropsychology at the University of Bristol.

She has worked at various high, medium and low security hospitals, as well as prisons.

“I really love the job,” Dr Williams said.

“Every day is completely different. I get to see people from all walks of life. It is really interesting.”

When asked what her family think about it, Dr Williams said: “I am married to a police officer who sees the same things I do, so we come home and talk to each other and support each other as we both see the darker side of life.

“It can be scary, it can be difficult, but you just get used to it.

“And you’re working with human beings, it’s not us and the monsters, or the bad guys, we’re all just human beings.

“I’ve been doing this almost 13 years. I’ve always wanted to do it and never wanted to do anything else. It’s a long road to train for this job, but I knew when I was doing my GCSE’s that I wanted to do this.

“I think my family are proud, but they probably don’t think about the details too much.

“My parents have medical backgrounds and understand that side of things, and they have supported me 100 per cent, right from the start. They’ve never said they’re scared for me, they’ve always just been so supportive.”

She added: “Outside work I love the outdoors and go hiking, and paddle boarding. I read, but I do not watch, listen to or read true crime as it feels like I’m back in work! If you watch Adolescence, the psychologist in that was basically doing my job. I can’t watch that. I do consume media but it’s mostly fantasy or history.

“I also love playing board games and being with friends.”

Speaking about TV show ‘The Truth About My Murder’, Dr Williams said: “Every episode looks at a different case and they’re all murders that have taken place in Wales.

“A pathologist goes through each one to establish cause of death. My job is to explain psychologically why the perpetrator committed the crime.”

‘The Truth About My Murder’, on weekly until 10 March is on BBC One Wales and available on iPlayer.

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