About Dr. Marcus R Patterson

Dr. Marcus R Patterson
Psychologist, PsyD, MA, CCHP-MH

Dr. Marcus R. Patterson, PsyD, CCHP-MH, is a licensed clinical and forensic psychologist whose practice spans two complementary arms: psychotherapy and psychological evaluation for individuals, couples, and families; and forensic evaluation, expert consultation, and case review for courts, attorneys, correctional systems, and oversight bodies. With more than ten years of experience across both clinical and forensic settings, he brings the same emphasis on careful listening, clear thinking, and respectful engagement to every client he works with.

Training

Dr. Patterson earned his Doctor of Psychology from Argosy University (APA-accredited) and holds a Master’s degree in Forensic Psychology. His doctoral training emphasized both clinical and forensic practice, including a forensic-track externship at Saint Elizabeths Hospital working with seriously mentally ill inpatients in the District of Columbia’s secure forensic system, and an APA-accredited internship at the DC Superior Court Child Guidance Clinic, where he conducted competency, risk, and psychological evaluations within a juvenile forensic population. He completed comprehensive post-doctoral training at the Institute of Law, Psychiatry and Public Policy (ILPPP) at the University of Virginia, qualifying him to perform competency and insanity evaluations in Virginia courts.

Psychotherapy & Clinical Services

Through Full Circle Mental Health Services, Dr. Patterson provides individual psychotherapy for adults, couples and marital therapy, parent coordination, and psychoeducational and special education evaluations for students. He works with men and women of all racial, ethnic, and cultural backgrounds and sexual orientations, drawing on an eclectic clinical perspective tailored to the needs of each individual client. He places particular emphasis on the therapeutic relationship as the foundation of effective work — believing that meaningful change happens within a relationship grounded in trust, compassion, and respect.

Forensic & Correctional Practice

From 2022 through 2025, Dr. Patterson served as a mental health expert to the federal Special Master in Coleman v. Newsom, the long-running federal class action governing mental health care in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). In that role, he conducted on-site reviews and policy analysis across the full continuum of CDCR mental health care — inpatient, crisis, residential, outpatient, and case management levels. Earlier, he served as Director of Behavioral Health for Unity Healthcare at the District of Columbia Department of Corrections, where he oversaw clinical operations, quality improvement, and accreditation activity for the jail’s behavioral health program. His forensic practice today encompasses forensic psychological evaluations, correctional mental health consulting, monitoring of correctional facilities and systems, and expert review of standard-of-care and deaths-in-custody cases.

Credentials & Affiliations

Dr. Patterson is a Certified Correctional Health Professional – Mental Health (CCHP-MH) through the National Commission on Correctional Health Care (NCCHC), is a member of the American Psychological Association, and is co-author of a chapter on leadership, training, and educational opportunities in the Oxford Textbook of Correctional Psychiatry (2nd Edition). He is licensed as a psychologist in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia.